TRU

Open Press 2.0

Big Picture: Continuity and Transition

TRU Open Press is not going away.

The original three-year ISP initiative concludes in March 2026, but the work of TRU Open Press continues. To help guide what comes next, we distributed a survey (February 2-8, 2026) and are gathering feedback from project developers, staff, and students who have worked on OERs with TRU Open Press. We will work with this input to develop a sustainable model (or models) for continuing open education work at TRU—both during periods of dedicated funding and in times when funding is limited or unavailable.

For more information about the survey, see…._____

Support by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

What Will Continue

Open Education Publishing (with Limited Capacity)

  • Faculty may continue to develop, adapt, and publish open textbooks, course materials, and open pedagogy projects. However, support will be more limited and strategic during this transition period (after March 31, 2026).

Publishing Platforms (Interim Support)

Pressbooks, WordPress, and related infrastructure (including the Open Press website and TRUSpace) will remain available, which means:

  • Existing OERs will stay online and remain accessible and available to students and instructors, which means:
  • New project domains may still be created with support from the Learning Technology & Innovation (LT&I) team (lti@tru.ca).
  • Important note on maintenance: Ongoing updates, revisions, and maintenance cannot be guaranteed and will depend on available capacity. Requests may be reviewed on a case-by-case basis through Open Learning (contact TBD) or Dani Collins (dcollins@tru.ca).

Copyright, licensing, and accessibility guidance

Faculty will continue to receive guidance on:

  • Accessibility and inclusive design best practices for OERs
  • Creative Commons licensing
  • Third-party permissions

Support will primarily be coordinated through the TRU Copyright Office (copyright@tru.ca).

What Is Evolving

Funding Models

Dedicated ISP funding (co-ops, course releases, project budgets) ends in March 2026. As a result, and until further notice:

  • Faculty will need to rely on external funding sources (e.g., BCcampus, Tri-Council, foundations, discipline-specific grants).
    See the Potential Funding page for more information at ________
  • Smaller scale, phased, or independently funded projects may become more common

Project Intake May Become More Strategic

With reduced resources, project support will become more selective. Priority is likely to focus on:

  • High-impact and high-enrolment courses
  • Revisions or adaptations of existing OERs
  • Projects aligned with institutional priorities such as access, affordability, Indigenization, and sustainability
Funding by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay
Collaboration by Hansa Mahanama from Pixabay

Why This Still Matters

  • OERs reduce student costs and improve access! This remains a core institutional value and a strong motivator for continued support!
  • Open work supports teaching innovation, SoTL, and pedagogical scholarship
  • OER development can meaningfully contribute to tenure and promotion dossiers
  • The Open Education Working Group (OEWG) will remain active and encourage peer-to-peer faculty support, sharing of OER announcements, and resources until Open Press can eventually continue to act as a practical supporting partner and advisor again.
  • Open textbooks and course materials published through TRU Open Press will remain available and accessible
  • OERs reduce financial barriers and ensure access to materials on the first day of class
  • Students may still participate in open education as authors, editors, reviewers, or research assistants, though opportunities may be more limited and project-specific
  • These experiences continue to support skill development, portfolios, and career readiness

Quality and Care

Faculty and students will continue to receive guidance on:

  • Copyright and Creative Commons licensing (copyright@tru.ca)
  • Accessibility and inclusive design (LT&I and CELT?)
  • Ethical and responsible use of AI (LT&I and CELT?)

This helps ensure learning materials remain high-quality, inclusive, and usable—even as resources tighten.

Looking Ahead: Building Toward a Sustainable Model

As ISP funding concludes, we are actively exploring more sustainable and integrated models for supporting open education at TRU. While some aspects of support will evolve, our goal is to maintain continuity where possible and to support faculty and students in practical, transparent ways.

Open education remains part of TRU’s long-term vision—even as we navigate a period of transition with more limited resources.

Looking ahead by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay