February 9 – April 26, 2026
Apply by January 9
Collaborate with other Minnesota State faculty who are committed to saving students on the cost of textbooks and course resources by using open educational resources (OER).
There are 5 Project Types in the OER Learning Circle cohort:
- Redesign a course around OER.
- Create ancillary materials to complement an existing OER.
- Author a primary course resource.
- OER Course Update – update an OER course that was previously redesigned in an OER Learning Circle cohort (at least 4 years ago).
- OER Legacy Project – instructors thinking of retiring soon can use this as a chance to preserve wisdom and share their expertise for future faculty and students.
In addition to virtual weekly meetings, OER Learning Circles will utilize a D2L Brightspace course to support faculty.
Compensation
Participants receive compensation in the form of release credit equivalency (RCE) of $1750* in combined salary and fringe.
*Minnesota State University, Mankato faculty receive compensation in 2.5 duty days.
Sustainability
The OER Learning Circle Leaders cohort is available to those who have already completed an OER Learning Circles cohort and wish to bring the program to their campus.
Invite a Concurrent Enrollment partner
Concurrent enrollment high school instructors are welcome to partner with Minnesota State faculty on an OER Learning Circle project.
Application Process
- Visit the OER Learning Circle page in the OER Community Site to read more about the:
- Overview and compensation
- Project types
- Expectations and application process
- Preview the application questions
- Complete the Online Application Form no later than January 9, 2026.
Questions?
Karen Pikula
Minnesota State OER Learning Circle Coordinator
karen.pikula@minnstate.edu