Affordable Course Materials Leading Impact Program

The Affordable Course Materials (ACM) Leading Impact Program supports and recognizes individual faculty, as well as entire academic departments in their adoption, adaption, and creation of Open Educational Resources (OER) in their courses. Each year the program supports activities that lead to decreasing the costs of course materials for our students. Spending less money on required learning materials is one step toward making college more affordable, and therefore more equitable. The ACM program is a result of the efforts from the Northern Illinois University Course Materials Affordability Taskforce (Taskforce).

ACM Awards Program

This program recognizes departments and individual faculty who consistently offer courses that use low or zero cost materials.

Department Recognition

Departments offering the highest percentage of course sections using low ($40 or less) or zero cost course materials in the academic year will be recognized and receive a financial award. Recipients may choose to donate the award back to the ACM Awards and Stipend Program. Percentages are determined by the number of department courses in MyNIU with the low or zero cost course attributes and the total number of courses offered by the department. Awards will be dispersed by the mid-semester break of the spring term.

Note: Previous department awardees must increase their percentage by 10% or more, and attain the highest percentage of low or zero cost course materials in MyNIU, to receive recognition again.

• Departmental Achievement: The highest percentage of course sections in the academic year using low or zero cost course materials. The department receives $2,000 and a framed certificate.
• Departmental Honorable Mention: The second highest percentage of course sections in the academic year using low or zero cost course materials. The department receives $1,000 and a framed certificate.
• Departmental Outstanding Effort: The third highest percentage of course sections in the academic year using low or zero cost course materials. The department receives $500 and a framed certificate.

View Department Award Winners

ACM Faculty Recognition List

Faculty who consistently teach with low or zero cost materials courses (at least two consecutive semesters or spring and fall terms) are recognized on NIU’s Open Education Website with special recognition for those faculty who taught low or zero cost materials courses for 2 or more years and/or two or more courses.

View Faculty Recognition List

ACM Integration Cohort

The 2024-2026 cohort will focus on developing OER and/or open ancillary materials for 11 high-impact undergraduate courses. The Affordable Course Materials cohort is currently funded by a Secretary of State/Illinois State Library grant.

Look for the next ACM Integration Cohort application period in fall of 2026.

Applications are submitted to the Course Materials Affordability Taskforce (Taskforce) for consideration by a review panel comprised of a subcommittee of members of the Taskforce and past award winners, chaired by the co-chairs of the taskforce. This review committee selects the cohort members.

Those selected for the cohort receive a one-time stipend after meeting all participation requirements, including implementing OER in their course, as well as measuring the impact. Cohort members are asked to present at an upcoming event, such as a panel; or share their experience through another form of communication.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposed projects will be evaluated on:

• Total projected savings for NIU students (based on the cost of previously required course materials).
• Anticipated enrollment for the course (based on previous semester enrollments). Include the number of course sections that will use the materials, if applicable.
• Preference will be given to applications for high-enrollment course (50 students or more per section or courses with multiple sections that add up to 50+ students per semester).

Participation Requirements

Upon acceptance, participants commit to the following:

• Attendance at monthly meetings to learn how to locate, access, evaluate, and integrate low or zero cost materials into their courses.
• Incorporation of practices that address diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
• Replacement of required course materials that students pay for with materials that result in a total cost for course-related materials of $40 or less. A previous course syllabus with the required texts must be included with the application.
• Implementation of the ACM syllabus in a course for an entire academic year or two consecutive semesters of the course being offered. Courses will be designed as low-cost or zero cost in MyNIU. The use of low cost or zero cost materials in more than one section is encouraged to enable widespread adoption and to increase the impact on students.
• Completion of a faculty survey.
• Oversight and submission of a student survey.
• Participation in the collection of de-identified student impact data.
• Participation in an affordable course materials presentation on campus (for example, a CITL workshop or panel at the Online Teaching Symposium).
• Funds will be disbursed to participants upon completion of the project.

Check out the Open Education FAQs for additional information.