Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, College tuition and fees increase 63 percent since January 2006 on the Internet at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2016/college-tuition-and-fees-increase-63-percent-since-january-2006.htm (visited November 20, 2018).
Make an Appointment
Book a research consultation with one of your MSMU librarians!
Email Us - library@msmu.edu
Your question will be answered by a librarian within 24 hours.
Call Us
Coe - Chalon: 310.954.4370
McCarthy - Doheny: 213.477.2750
Drop In
Stop by the Circulation Desk at either library and ask in person.
"Students can't learn from textbooks they can't afford."
-- Nicole Allen, SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition)
ALMI began as a collaboration between the MSMU Libraries and the Instructional Design Team to improve students' academic success, retention, and time-to-degree by reducing the cost of textbooks and other required course materials.
Instructors are invited to apply for a $500* one-time stipend to transition a course from expensive course materials to low- or no-cost materials. The quantity and quality of peer-reviewed open educational resources and electronic library materials have expanded greatly in recent years. Some open books may contain content that mirrors expensive textbooks so we encourage using these resources to provide a better (more affordable) learning experience for our students. Here are some examples of past courses..
We will select 1 course per term. A librarian will assist faculty awardee with identifying, selecting, acquiring, and integrating materials that are open, low-cost or licensed by the library. Instructional designers will assist as needed. After the implementation term, we will follow up with faculty to measure their satisfaction with the materials and student learning and to see if any revisions need to be made. Faculty will complete a brief form (see below) after their course is complete. There is no obligation to continue to use the materials after the initial term. Yet, we hope you'll be pleased by your students' learning experiences with low-cost / zero-cost textbooks!
Satisfied ALMI stipend awardees are encouraged to work with other faculty members who are teaching the same course in subsequent semesters. We believe that low cost learning does not end with a single semester and are grateful for our Affordable Learning Champions!
We are currently accepting applications for Fall 2024, Spring 2025 and Summer 2025. Feel free to submit applications for semesters even further in the future!
Scroll down for the application form.
| Course Implementation | Prep Work | Notification Date | Application Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2024 | Summer 2024 | May 15, 2024 | May 1, 2024 |
| Spring 2025 | Fall 2024 / Intercession | October 15, 2024 | October 1, 2024 |
| Summer 2025 | Spring 2025 | February 15, 2025 | February 1, 2025 |
Questions?
Contact Samantha Silver, Electronic Resources Librarian or Danielle Salomon, Assistant Vice President of Strategic Initiatives
* Stipends are considered income, so Federal/State taxes apply.
When the Libraries closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students had limited access to the physical book collections owned by MSMU and other libraries. To encourage Faculty to use eBooks that are already licensed or subscribed to by the Libraries, we developed the Adopt-an-eBook Program. We believe that students should have equitable access course readings.
We welcome your help in achieving our goal of delivering course readings directly to students’ hands, saving them time and money, so that their educational experiences continue without interruption! Of course, you are invited to plan ahead and submit an ALMI stipend application for Spring, Summer and Fall 2022!
Faculty members may also request that ebooks be purchased by the library for perpetual access. See what your colleagues have included in course reserves below:
Some suggestions for making your course materials equitable and affordable:
". . .The layout of the course has allowed me to better understand topics in microeconomics; as well as, develop an interest in continuing to learn about economics."
"It was helpful having the free online version of the text book. . ."
"The material was straightforward and there were no surprises. I like being able to see everything laid out in a simple and easy way to follow in the course modules."
"I appreciate the professor allowing our online textbook [for] free."
"[in previous semesters] 20% of my students never purchased the textbook. 40% [of students] do not have the textbook within the first two weeks of the semester. [With ALMI,] that was not an issue."
". . . a majority (2/3) of my students had a passing grade after the first four weeks of the term [as opposed to] roughly 30% [in previous years]".
"The quality of the course materials did not suffer . . . Equivalent materials were accessible to me as an instructor and I did not have to remove topics from my syllabus."
"I do not intend to go back to using textbooks again! Utilizing current content, evidence, and research is a best practice for the 21st-century educator."
"I learned from the librarians . . . to think in terms of low cost and no cost courses for students. . . [students] still have the option to purchase their own copies, but [this is] not required."
Apply now!