CSU AL$ Strategy

Organizing and conducting an Affordable Learning Solutions (AL$) deployment involves making organizational commitments and setting goals, as well as assigning or approving the roles of individuals, the allocation of resources, and the decision making and review process.

An AL$ deployment involves translating high-level objectives into a project plan that identifies specific names, resources, due dates, success and progress metrics, etc. and lays out an effort that results in the implementation and operation of one or more AL$ products and services.

Strategies to Launch Your Campus AL$ Initiative

There are several phases to launching your campus AL$ initiative.

Phase 1: Pre-Deployment

Campus leaders participate in ad hoc brainstorming, demonstration, and exploratory activities that lead them to recommend deployment of an AL$

Phase 2: Initiation

Determine objectives and business need; identify deliverables, constraints, and assumptions: assess cross-functional impacts and resource requirements. Individuals (executives and leaders) who will be accountable for deployment agree to start the Initiation Phase and accept or are assigned responsible roles.

Phase 3: Strategic Planning

Individual tasks and deliverables required to complete the deployment project are defined.

Phase 4: Deployment

Campus plan is deployed and outcomes are monitored as an on-going process.

Campus Planning

It is critical to develop a campus plan for your course materials affordability initiative so the community of people who will need to collaborate together knows their collective goals, roles, and responsibilities.

The CSU has developed a number of recommendations for a comprehensive plan  and online templates  for crafting your plan.

Implementing your campus’ course materials affordability program will require:

  1. The coordination of activities for faculty, staff, and students.
  2. Crafting and coordinating the communication between a variety of stakeholder groups.
  3. The allocation and accountability of resources.
  4. The evaluation of and reporting on the program processes and outcomes.

Course Materials Affordability Program Elements

Featured below are the major elements of a course materials affordability program.

  • Communication and Outreach: How will the campus and faculty communicate about the course materials affordability program and encourage participation? How will you brand your program?
  • Training and Professional Development: How will the campus provide and support the training and professional development appropriate for your campus to implement your course materials affordability program?
  • Help and Support Services: How will the campus and faculty help answer questions, help access to the free and open educational resources, help resolve issues, and provide other help and support during the implementation of your course materials affordability program?
  • Providing Print Copies: How will the campus and faculty provide print copies (at a reasonable price) of the free and open educational resources as part of the implementation of your course materials affordability program?
  • Library/Discovery/Curation Services: How will your campus and faculty support faculty finding and choosing free and open educational resources that they can adopt in their courses for your course materials affordability program?
  • Technology Services: How will your campus and faculty use technologies to provide access to the free and open educational resources?
  • Campus Coordination: How will your campus coordinate the administration of funding, training and professional development, help and support services, library services, technology services, and program evaluation and reporting of your course materials affordability program?

Campus Coordinators

  • A textbook affordability campus coordinator (TACC) is required in order to receive AL$ funding and is responsible for performing coordination and implementation tasks.
  • A TACC can help your campus align its textbook affordability program with your campus’s strategic priorities, campus culture and policies, and campus capabilities.
  • The TACC should also have an advisory committee to address and manage issues through shared governance and transparent process.
  • Visit the Coordinator’s page to learn more about this body of work.

Course Materials Affordability Legislation