High cost of textbooks is a barrier to many students. The rising cost of textbooks has prompted national and state efforts to create textbooks that are free to students. California encouraged Community Colleges and CSU efforts to reduce textbook costs through Assembly Bill 798 (AB798) which allocated grant funds to participating colleges.
Skyline College joined the ZTC movement in 2016 and received a Zero Textbook Cost Degree - Implementation Phase II grant in 2017 to help reduce textbook costs and create a ZTC degree pathway for A.S. in Respiratory Care. Skyline College launched its first ZTC degree in Fall 2018!
In 2016, SB 1359 was approved and specifically directed CCC and CSU to "Clearly communicate to students that the course materials used for the courses ... are free of charge and therefore not required to be purchased." In order to be compliant with SB 1359, all online Schedule of Classes for CCCs and CSUs must indicate which course sections have “zero-textbook-cost" as of January 1st, 2018. These sections are searchable and advertised to students in WebSchedule.
Librarian
maloneya@smccd.edu
(650) 738-7927
Book Store Manager
Instructional Designer/PD Coordinator
rowdenquinceb@smccd.edu
(650) 738-4296
Librarian
walawalkars@smccd.edu
(650) 738-4184
Librarian
silversharpj@smccd.edu
Annie Costa
Librarian
costaa@smccd.edu
On this page you'll find answers and links to questions about Skyline's Zero Cost Resources (ZTC) Program.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Terminology: OER vs. ZTC: What's the Difference
Establishing your course as "ZTC": What's the process?
Which library materials are available for ZTC courses?
Every semester, please notify the ZTC Team and Skyline Bookstore of all courses/section numbers that are zero-textbook cost by completing the NoviSurvey Course Material Adoption form.
In short, a free digital copy of the learning resources will be provided to all students in Zero Textbook Cost sections.
The State has established parameters for what constitutes “zero-textbook-cost” through S.B. 1359:
(Note: for course readers and online materials, faculty are responsible for adhering to Skyline College Copyright and SMCCD Accessibility requirements)
Other considerations:
All course materials used must comply with copyright law and with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Please contact the ZTC Team if you are unsure if a section should be considered for inclusion as “no-cost” in the schedule of classes, or if you have any other questions.
Content included in the OER Faculty Guide by Skyline Library is licensed CC BY 4.0 unless otherwise indicated.