The growth of open educational resources (OER) may prove transformative in the way online learning has been. Textbook costs have skyrocketed to the point that finding an alternative is no longer simply an issue of saving students money but of preserving educational outcomes as students forgo textbooks they cannot afford. A Virginia State University study found that, due to cost, only 47 percent of students purchase textbooks for their courses (Feldstein et. al., 2012).

Not Just a No-Show: Understanding Faculty Absence at Graduation
Each spring, university campuses are spruced up: Lawns are mowed and stages assembled, and rows of chairs fill the arena. Graduation is a time-honored tradition, celebrating students’ hard work and