Remixing Open Textbooks through an Equity Lens (ROTEL): Culturally Relevant Open Textbooks for High Enrollment General Education Courses and Career and Professional Courses at Six Public Massachusetts Colleges 

The six Massachusetts Institutions of Higher Education along with the MA Department of Higher Education will test the hypothesis that underrepresented students will achieve higher academic outcomes if free, culturally-relevant textbooks are available to them. The project will pay stipends to faculty to create new OER or adapt and remix existing OER content using an equity lens. The team will pilot this project in the six public colleges and universities, and evaluate student success outcomes.

Mission of the project

The ROTEL initiative promotes textbook affordability, student success, and inclusion and equity to benefit all students, particularly minoritized students at our six institutions. The project  will provide stipends for faculty to remix and/or develop accessible, intentionally inclusive open textbooks and other OER that reflect students’ local and lived experiences. 



ROTEL's Six Institutions

Fitchburg State University

Connie Strittmatter, Strategic Projects Librarian

Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library

strittm@fitchburg.edu  

Framingham State University

Millie Gonzalez, Dean, Whittemore Library 

vgonzalez@framingham.edu  

Holyoke Community College

Kris R. Choleva, Director of Planning, Curriculum and Assessment

kcholeva@hcc.edu

Northern Essex Community College

Susan Tashjian, Coordinator of Instructional Technology
stashjian@necc.mass.edu  



Salem State University

Elizabeth McKeigue, Dean, Berry Library and Learning Commons

emckeigue@salemstate.edu 

Springfield Technical College

Emily Butler, Outreach and OER Librarian

efbutler@stcc.edu 


ROTEL Consultant

Marilyn Billings, Faculty Advisor & Advocate

marilyn.billings@comcast.net 

Massachusetts Department of Higher Education

Robert Awkward, Assistant Commissioner for Academic Effectiveness

RAwkward@dhe.mass.edu 

Questions?

Contact your ROTEL liaison at your institution, or email rotelgrantma@gmail.com