DePauw Stories

The Private Academic Library Network of Indiana (PALNI) has named nine faculty and staff members from its supported institutions as recipients of the PALSave Open Educator Award for the 2022-23 academic year. The award recognizes innovation and excellence in support of higher education, textbook affordability and student success.

Sarah Rowley, associate professor of history, is one of the recipients. She was selected for being a key player in the creation and adoption of Open Educational Resources, a move that reduces costs for students, improves access to required texts, and increases student success and retention.

Rowley said, “I am dedicated to creating thought-provoking, discussion-fostering classroom communities that insist on academic rigor but not at the cost of exclusion. Open educational resources not only reduce the financial burden for students, they also serve the purpose of higher education – to illuminate the world for the common good. Through assigning no-additional-cost class readings and guiding students in a crowd-sourced digital history project, I am trying to make the process of doing historical research accessible to as many students as possible.”

As part of the PALSave: PALNI Affordable Learning Program, these individuals have been key players in the creation and adoption of Open Educational Resources, or OER—a move that reduces costs for students, improves access to required texts, and increases student success and retention. 

“We are pleased to celebrate the extraordinary accomplishments of this year's Open Educator Award recipients,” says Amanda Hurford, PALNI’s Scholarly Communications Director and PALSave project lead. “High textbook costs continue to be a barrier to education, yet these individuals work tirelessly to make course materials more equitable and accessible to all students. With every single one of PALNI’s 24 supported institutions participating in PALSave, faculty and staff are reshaping the educational landscape, ensuring that every student, regardless of circumstance, has the opportunity to learn, thrive, and succeed. They have built a community of champions for affordable learning, and we’re excited to see their efforts benefit students now and well into the future.”