BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 1053
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Date of Hearing: August 8, 2012
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
SB 1053 (Steinberg) - As Amended: May 25, 2012
Policy Committee: Higher
EducationVote:7-1
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill establishes the California Digital Open Source Library
(CDOSL) to house open source textbook materials. Specifically,
this bill:
1)Requires the California State University (CSU) to administer
the CDOSL in coordination with the University of California
(UC) and the California Community Colleges (CCC) to house the
open source materials while providing a web-based way for
students, faculty, and staff to find, adopt, utilize, or
modify course materials for little or no cost.
2)States legislative intent that the UC, CSU, and the CCC
provide incentives to assist and support faculty in choosing
lower cost textbook alternatives.
3)Makes the above operative only upon enactment of SB 1052
(Steinberg) of this legislative session and only if sufficient
funding is provided in the Budget Act, another statute, and/or
through federal or private funds.
FISCAL EFFECT
1)CSU estimates annual costs of around $1. 2 million, likely
declining after five years, to develop and operate the CDOSL,
including integration with CSU's existing digital library
systems and coordination with UC and CCC, whose costs should
be absorbable.
2)To the extent the segments use stipends or some other monetary
incentive for faculty to choose open source materials-a
SB 1053
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similar approach is used at the University of Minnesota-there
would some minor costs to the segments.
COMMENTS
1)Purpose . According to the author, the cost of textbooks
represents a significant burden to students and families,
citing a recent CSU report estimating that CSU students pay
approximately $1,000 per year for textbooks. The author also
notes a finding by the CCC Academic Senate that the cost of
educational materials has become a "visible barrier to college
attendance for many students." This bill creates a repository
for digital open education resources developed as a result of
SB 1052 (Steinberg), also on today's committee agenda, for
textbooks for the 50 most widely taken lower division courses
in public postsecondary education.
2)Open Education Resources (OERs) are educational materials such
as textbooks, research articles, videos, assessments, or
simulations that are either licensed under an open copyright
license or are in the public domain. OERs provide no-cost
access and no-cost permission to revise, reuse, remix, or
redistribute the materials. According to a policy brief by the
Center for American Progress and EDUCAUSE, digital OERs offer
many advantages over traditional textbooks, by allowing
students and faculty to access textbooks and related materials
for free online or to purchase hardcopies that are more
affordable than traditional textbooks, enabling faculty to
customize learning materials to suit their course objectives,
and providing students with a more flexible set of tools that
can contribute to a richer learning experience.
3)Related Legislation . SB 1052 (Steinberg), also on today's
committee agenda, seeks the development of OERs for the 50
most widely-taken courses at UC, CSU, and the CCC.
Analysis Prepared by : Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081