Skip to main content
University of Nebraska Omaha logo University of Nebraska Omaha
APPLY MY UNO DIRECTORY

Students Faculty Staff Community
University of Nebraska Omaha logo
Criss Library
APPLY MY UNO DIRECTORY
Students Faculty Staff Community
  • My Accounts Backback to Main menu
    • Library Account Login
    • ILLiad Login
  • About Us Backback to Main menu
    • About Us
    • Hours and Spaces
    • History
    • Meet the Dean
    • Faculty and Staff Directory
    • Policies
    • Support the Library
    • Service Learning & Community Engagement
    • University of Nebraska Consortium of Libraries (UNCL)
  • Library Services Backback to Main menu
    • Library Services
    • Borrowing & Library Use
    • Faculty Services
    • Computers and Media Equipment
    • Print, Copy, Scan, and Fax
    • Online Learning Services
    • Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery
    • Accessibility Services in Criss Library
  • Research & Instruction Backback to Main menu
    • Research and Instruction Home
    • Make an Appointment
    • Subject Librarians
    • Library Instruction
  • Archives & Special Collections Backback to Main menu
    • Archives and Special Collections
    • Using the Collection
    • Theses and Dissertations
    • Manuscript Collections
    • U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel Archives
    • Books and Published Material
    • University Archives
    • Digital Collections
  • Creative Production Lab Backback to Main menu
    • Creative Production Lab (CPL)
    • 3D Printing
    • Large Format Printing
    • Laser Cutting & Makerspace
    • Audio, Video, and Photography
    • Faculty Video Streaming
    • Creative Production Lab Equipment
    • Media Resources
  1. UNO
  2. Criss Library
  3. Criss Library News
  4. 2020
  5. 10
  6. Textbook Mavericks Honorees Fall 2020

Textbook Mavericks Honorees Fall 2020

The UNO Libraries are pleased to announce the first cohort of our Textbook Mavericks initiative. The Textbook Mavericks initiative spotlights UNO faculty, staff, students, and donors who take significant actions to advocate for textbook affordability.

  • published: 2020/10/12
  • contact: Tonya Ferrell - Criss Library
  • phone: 402.554.3924
  • email: tferrell@unomaha.edu
image

The UNO Libraries are pleased to announce the first cohort of our Textbook Mavericks initiative. The Fall 2020 honorees are Steffi Jesseau, Ph.D., Instructor of Psychology; and Zac Suriano, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Geography.

The Textbook Mavericks initiative spotlights UNO faculty, staff, students, and donors who take significant actions to advocate for textbook affordability. Textbook Mavericks are identified among those who have adapted, adopted, created, or championed open educational resources (OER) and other low-cost materials for use in classrooms at UNO.

In 2019, Steffi Jesseau was awarded an Affordable Content Grant from the Libraries to transition her Psychology 1010 courses from traditional materials to affordable content. As part of that grant, Dr. Jesseau combined two existing Psychology OERs with her own material to create a new OER that was perfectly suited to her courses. This effort has saved UNO students over $85,000 in the first year alone, and we are thrilled to be able to acknowledge her efforts.

“I think imagining the scope of student savings can be something most people don’t think about,” Jesseau said. “This fall, I have approximately 550 students currently signed up for my Introductory Psychology class. If all those students bought the text I was previously using for $189, that adds up. I realize most folks don’t have as many students as I do, and not all students would buy the text, but even with more modest class sizes, the savings can be substantial, especially over time.”

Zac Suriano, also a recipient of an Affordable Content Grant in 2019, transitioned his Human Environment Geography lab sections from traditional materials to affordable content by writing an entirely new lab manual with situations that are perfectly suited to his UNO students. By making this change, Dr. Suriano has eliminated the lab manual cost for his student and improved student learning. He is also working with the Libraries to openly publish his lab manual and make it available for others across the country.

“Students have provided overwhelmingly positive feedback on the OER used to date,” Suriano reports. “Resources have been described as ‘engaging,’ ‘applicable,’ ‘well organized,’ and ‘actually kinda fun.’” When discussing the shift to OER, Suriano points out the key role students play in the process. “The thought of saving students money is nice, and something most [faculty] are generally amenable to if the opportunity presents itself. However, it wasn’t until my students voiced their concerns and criticisms of the previously used course materials that I actually made the switch to OER.”

Through the Affordable Content Grant program, which was launched in Spring 2019, UNO Libraries have supported 35 faculty members who have saved UNO students over $300,000 to date with more courses being converted to OER and affordable content every semester. The Office of Digital Learning also supports OER efforts with their Online Course Development Grants which have saved students an additional $100,000 and counting.

The Textbook Mavericks initiative is an ongoing effort, with new champions to be added each year. 

“As advocates of the open access movement, the UNO Libraries are proud to continue to recognize the vital work of UNO faculty, staff, students, and donors through the Textbook Mavericks initiative,” said David Richards, dean of library services. “Due to the economic consequences of COVID, creating openly accessible and low-cost resources is even more important to the success of students at UNO.”

To nominate yourself or a member of the UNO community, contact Tonya Ferrell, OER Coordinator at tferrell@unomaha.edu.

News Sections

  • Criss Library News Center
  • UNO News Center
  • Maverick Daily
  • The Bullseye
  • Campus Events

Featured

  • Upcoming Changes to Library Collections, Services and Resources
  • Criss Library Announces Change in Saturday Hours during Summer
  • Textbook Mavericks Honoree for 2025: Dr. Jaci Lindburg, Associate Vice Chancellor for Innovative and Learning-Centric Initiatives
  • Gallery of Perspectives Exhibit Opens

Most Viewed

  • University of Nebraska Libraries Go Live with New Online Catalog/Discovery Tool
  • “Durango through the Decades” Exhibit Now Open in Criss Library

Contact Us

For more information about including events and announcements in the Criss Library News Center, email us at unocrisslibrary@unomaha.edu.

Unless otherwise clearly stated, any views or opinions expressed as part of events, exhibitors, or presenters in the UNO Libraries (Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss Library) should not be viewed as endorsements by the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) and do not reflect the official position of UNO or the University of Nebraska system.


About Criss Library

Criss Library

Contact Us
  • Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss Library
  • 6001 Dodge St.
  • Omaha, NE 68182   map
  • 402.554.3206
  • libanswers.unomaha.edu
Social media
Library Resources
  • My Account
  • Hours and Spaces
  • Research and Citation Guides
  • Creative Production Lab
Criss Library

Next Steps

  • Visit UNO
  • Request Information
  • Apply for Admission
  • The UNO Advantage
  • Our City (Omaha)

Just For You

  • Future Students
  • Current Students
  • Work at UNO
  • Faculty and Staff
  • A-Z List

Popular Services and Resources

  • my.unomaha.edu
  • Academic Calendar
  • Campus Buildings & Maps
  • Library
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Course Catalogs
  • Internships & Career Development
  • The Maverick Store
  • MavCARD Services
  • Military-Connected Resource Center
  • Speech Center
  • Writing Center
  • Human Resources
  • Center for Faculty Excellence

Affiliates

  • University of Nebraska System
  • NU Foundation
  • Buffett Early Childhood Institute
  • Daugherty Water for Food Institute
  • National Strategic Research Institute
  • Peter Kiewit Institute
  • Rural Prosperity Nebraska
  1. University Policies
  2. Privacy Statement
  3. Accessibility
  1. 402.554.2800

University of Nebraska Omaha
University of Nebraska Omaha, 6001 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE, 68182
  • ©  
  • Emergency Information Alert
  • MavsReport

Social Media


Omaha Skyline

Our Campus. Otherwise Known as Omaha.

The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its education programs or activities, including admissions and employment. The University prohibits any form of retaliation taken against anyone for reporting discrimination, harassment, or retaliation for otherwise engaging in protected activity. Read the full statement.