Syllabus Planning? Libraries Course Materials Support Student Affordability
by Anne Rauh, Head of Collections and Research Services
Summer is often a time when faculty have space to reflect on their teaching and prepare for the upcoming academic year. As you revise your syllabi, consider how you can make course materials more accessible and affordable—and know that your subject librarian is here to help.
The Syracuse University Student Association has actively encouraged faculty to adopt open-access or low-cost resources in their classrooms and the Libraries is committed to supporting faculty in this effort. We work proactively to reduce barriers to student learning by expanding access to electronic resources that can be used in place of costly textbooks.
We currently maintain access to 75 eBook platforms which include over 1.6 million ebooks titles! Even when titles are only available in limited-user formats, the Libraries purchases up to nine-user licenses - enough to support entire courses. Faculty using these titles are notified so they can share access information directly with students and link to the content in their blackboard sites. Additionally, journal content, videos, and digital primary source materials can linked to course pages and used in syllabi. The Libraries also offers Course Reserves services for physical material.
Despite the Libraries’ ongoing efforts, challenges remain in providing this type of access to course material. Discovering what content is available to Libraries, and ensuring that it aligns with curricular needs, takes time and collaboration. As you work to prepare your syllabi for the new academic year, please consult with your subject librarian to learn what is currently available in the Libraries’ collection. If your selected material is not available, your subject librarian can explore purchase options to support your course needs or to identify alternatives that reduce student costs while maintaining course quality.