Sustainability

Some of the most pervasive challenges in creating OER is the lack of time, human resources, and financial resources available to faculty who want to get involved (Skidmore & Provida, 2019). However, the OER Lab at Ontario Tech University has consistent access to the necessary resources to sustain its OER development projects.

Thanks to the University Works program, the OER Lab always has a pool of eligible students available to dedicate time to the work. These students commit 12 hours per week during the Fall and Winter academic semesters and 35 hours per week in the Summer semester. Instead of simply providing limited-time funding to faculty, which doesn't really solve the problem of needing more time for OER creation, the OER Lab model focuses on building institutional capacity. This means that a group of trained and experienced students support the work, rather than burdening faculty members alone.

The Lab helps students develop important skills like time management, organization, and communication, ensuring that projects are completed within the necessary financial and time constraints, even when things get tough. Working together for extended periods also allows students to learn how to manage uncertainty, prioritize tasks, and solve problems effectively. They feel they can use their skills in new ways and keep going when faced with challenges. The OER Lab's ability to build production capacity in students is crucial for its sustainability. But perhaps even more impressive from a values perspective is its role in developing resilience, perseverance, and problem-solving skills in its student staff members.

Ontario universities are dealing with the challenge of supporting an increasingly diverse student body while facing budget constraints. Ontario Tech University has several programs in place to help students succeed, such as proactive academic advising, early alert systems for at-risk students, the Learner Engagement Academic Program for students facing academic suspension, and extensive peer-to-peer tutoring and study support.

These programs aim to keep as many students as possible on track until graduation, which is crucial for the university's finances and overall budget. However, these student success initiatives require financial support from the university to cover the costs of staffing and resources needed to run them. Ontario Tech has continued to support these programs and has committed to doing so through its Integrated Research and Academic Plan for 2023-2028.

The university also supports the ongoing operations of the OER Lab because it has shown positive outcomes for both students employed in the Lab and those using the OER materials. According to the results of this study, the OER Lab provides valuable experiential learning opportunities for financially disadvantaged students while having minimal impact on the university's overall finances. Additionally, the products of the Lab, including created OER materials and those adopted by instructors through advocacy and outreach campaigns, have reached a value of nearly $1 million CAD.