The nature of scholarly and creative activity, at Grand Valley State University and across the higher education sector, is rapidly evolving. Amidst this ongoing transformation, the characteristics of OER – free access plus permission for adaptation – empower Grand Valley’s teacher-scholars to share their expertise with a global audience and simultaneously remove barriers to education for Lakers.

This memo, submitted for consideration by the University Academic Senate at GVSU, argues that the creation of OER can demonstrate several of the forms of scholarly activity described by Boyer (1990) as well as the criteria established for the Advancement of Knowledge or Creative Expression category. By recognizing the potential for OER to meet the same criteria as peer-reviewed papers, scholarly books, or externally reviewed trade publications, the University Academic Senate will recognize and support faculty who engage in the significant intellectual and creative effort of developing high-quality, peer-reviewed OER.