El Camino College's Zero Textbook Degree Pathway Grant will provide a $500 stipend to full-time or part-time faculty for completing of the self-paced Canvas course "Demystifying OER, ZTC and the Equity Connection."
Use this form to Register and you will be automatically enrolled into the Canvas course.
Upon course completion, the ZTC Program Coordinator will submit lists of faculty to be approved for the stipend at the upcoming Board of Trustees meeting and email you once your stipend has been Board approved so you can know when to expect it's receipt.
The California Community College Chancellor's Office is providing Technical Assistance to support the successful development and implementation of ZTC pathways including:
Funding for the development of ZTC Degree/Certificate Pathways has been awarded by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. Find more information at https://asccc-oeri.org/oer-and-ztc/
El Camino College is offering opportunities for instructors teaching courses that are included in programs awarded CA state grants for the development of Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) Degree Pathways, which includes:
Social Justice Studies AA-T (including GE)
General Studies AA – Fine & Applied Arts Emphasis (including GE)
Data Science Certificate (new program launching soon)
Projects might include the adoption of existing OER to implement a ZTC course offering, adapting/remixing OER, authoring new OER, and other means for supporting ZTC pathway development. Use the links below to see types of projects that are eligible for stipends and an application for submitting your proposal.
All awarded projects and redesigned courses must be completed by Fall 2026 and fulfill corresponding grant requirements.
Awarded projects must meet the following requirements:
Awardees will schedule an introductory consultation with the ZTC Program Coordinator, Mary McMillan, to discuss project plans
Awardees might be asked to participate in a self-paced 4-module training orientation via Canvas (depending on prior experiences/knowledge) on defining & searching for Open Educational Resources (OER), the ZTC Degree Pathway, and adapting or authoring OER depending on their prior experiences. A $500 stipend will be provided after confirmation of course completion.
Instructor(s) will offer ZTC course section(s) by Fall 26 and commit for the long-term to ensure ZTC pathway sustainability.
Instructor(s) will report section(s) as being ZTC on the Textbook Requisition Form for notation on the online schedule in time for student registration each term.
Instructor(s) will report the instructional materials used and, if newly developed or adapted OER, materials will be shared with the appropriate license to the California Open Online Library (COOL4Ed) and/or ECC’s LibreTexts Campus Commons platform.
Projects for adapting or authoring OER should implement high-impact, culturally relevant/inclusive, and accessible materials in support of open education and reduced textbook costs.
Grant proposals will be evaluated using a rubric that balances the following criteria:
Courses that are offered as part of one of the three ZTC pathways, including General Education courses, and lead to the degree pathway’s expansion
The instructor has not previously reported their class as being ZTC. However, projects for OER improvement and development will be considered for those who have a current ZTC course in the program pathways.
Feasibility of the project as proposed within the grant deadlines
Department commitment. For example, a plan to redesign all sections of a course.
Esurance of non-duplication of efforts by others in the CCC system in OER development
Courses where few, if any, existing open resources are currently available
Design that considers accessibility, universal design, and user experience
Cultural relevance/inclusiveness
Equitable distribution of available grant funds
Categories for grant funds fall into five categories (see link below). Consider the planned proposal carefully, particularly for those involving the creation of original content, as the time required for ZTC/OER projects varies greatly depending on the scope of the project, faculty familiarity with relevant technology, number of faculty involved, etc. You must offer your redesigned course no later than Fall 2026.
ZTC Degree Pathway Grant Funding Categories and FAQ's
ZTC Grant Project Proposal Application - proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis as long as there is remaining grant funds available. Proposals will be reviewed & ranked based upon the above criteria.
Application Questions - Use this to prepare what information will be requested.
Have Questions? Contact Mary McMillan, ZTC Program Coordinator