NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 20, 2018
Contact:
Brianna Ludwig, 701/328-2453
E-mail: bsludwig@nd.gov
Audit Report Finds North Dakota University System Open Educational Resources Initiative Has Saved Students Over $1.1 million
A performance audit completed by the North Dakota Office of the State Auditor shows the North Dakota University System (NDUS) Open Educational Resources (OER) initiative has impacted nearly 15,000 students in 648 courses and saved students an estimated $1.1 to $2.4 million.
In the 2015 Legislative Session, the legislature appropriated $110,000 (reduced to approximately $107,000 in 2016) of funding for open education resources training. According to the NDUS grant reports, approximately $30,000 was used for system-wide faculty training and workshops, with the remaining approximately $77,000 being disbursed as institution-level grants.
“The State of North Dakota is at the forefront of revolutionizing higher education. As our report indicates, North Dakota serves as an example for other states on the successful implementation of OER,” said State Auditor Joshua Gallion.”
Open Education Resources do have some ongoing challenges including the time and effort to implement, the lack of availability of OER materials for certain subjects and the perception of lower quality of materials.
To view the complete report, which includes report highlights, recommendations, tables and graphs, go to https://www.nd.gov/auditor/sites/www/files/documents/Reports/State/2018%20NDUS%20-%20Performance%20Audit%20-%20Open%20Educational%20Resources.pdf
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The North Dakota State Auditor’s Office is a constitutional office that produces informative audits to improve government. The Office of the State Auditor is a valuable tool for North Dakota state agencies and local government entities, providing an opportunity to improve operations, fiscal responsibility and taxpayer services.