A community of open education practitioners reimagining higher education so that all students can be successful.
This fall, reach for new possibilities with either of these 2026 certificates from the Open Education Network. Apply now:
CERTIFICATE in OPEN PEDAGOGY
Create a student-centered curriculum with the power of open pedagogy. Starts January!
https://z.umn.edu/OpenPedCert
CERTIFICATE in OPEN EDUCATION LIBRARIANSHIP
Develop and implement a detailed, customized action plan to grow open education on your campus. Starts February!
https://z.umn.edu/OpenEdLibrarianCert
Past Makes Perfect: A Mini Handbook for Student Historians is a new open textbook by Melissa Chim of Excelsior University. The history scholar participated in OEN’s Ketty Pilot for tools, knowledge & community that helped her reach this goal in 2025.
“One tip I would give," she says, "is to celebrate the small wins! Appreciate all of the hard work you do, even if it’s just choosing a chapter title.”
Catch Melissa's publishing insight & Ketty experience in the OEN blog: https://z.umn.edu/amnn
Our sincere thanks to all OEN Engage! presenters, planners, & participants who remind us that community is at the very heart of the Open Education Network. ❤️ Thank you for enriching this event in 2025. We couldn’t do it without you!
Members, would you like to be involved in the collaborative planning that shapes OEN Engage! and other community events? Apply to join the OEN Event Planning Committee. Submission deadline: August 3rd. https://z.umn.edu/OENEventPlanningCommitteeApp
Cheers to Monday’s OEN Engage! speakers for energizing our community with strategic direction and collaborative opportunity.
Thank you!
• David Ernst, OEN
• Kate McNally-Carter, University of Houston
• Barb Thees, OEN
#OENEngage25 #ConnectingWithOurCommunity
Photo by Irvan Mulyadi licensed by Unsplash.
A quick reminder: OEN Engage! registration closes tomorrow, Friday, July 11th. Sign up today to choose your own adventure with informative, inspiring sessions in open pedagogy, open publishing, #OER adoption, and community engagement.
OEN Engage! happens July 21-25, 2025. Members, catch the full lineup and register for our community’s free, virtual event today: https://z.umn.edu/OENEngage25
Got #OpenPublishing goals? The OEN is here with knowledge, resources, & support to help you realize your vision.
On Wed, 7/23 we're offering outstanding sessions in open publishing as part of our community's annual get-together, OEN Engage!
- Train-the-Trainer: Introduction to OER Publishing Workshop
- Pub101 for Authors: Building Shared Understanding
- Get to Know Our Manifold Community
- Publishing Debrief Session
Members, see the lineup & register: https://z.umn.edu/OENEngage25
This month on the OEN blog, a conversation with N. Alexander Aguado, Professor and Chair of Political Science at the University of North Alabama, & the first member of our Ketty Pilot Group to publish an #OpenTextbook.
Never Gonna Change? An Examination of the 1901 Alabama Constitution “explores the effects of the state constitution on the people & democracy of Alabama,” Alex explains.
Catch his tips for aspiring authors and learn how our Pilot Group impacted his work: https://z.umn.edu/aj6m
Choose your open education adventure at OEN Engage! We’ve packed Tuesday, July 22, with fresh ideas to help you engage faculty with #OER.
Join us for smart strategies designed to demonstrate the value of open textbooks and grow 🌼 faculty participation regardless of your budget.
OEN Engage! happens July 21-25, 2025. Members, catch the full lineup and register for our community’s free, virtual event today: https://z.umn.edu/OENEngage25
Hello from London! 👋 The OEN is speaking truth to power at #OER25 along with our open ed colleagues and friends. So good to see you here. 🙂
Exciting news! 🥳 Registration is open for OEN Engage! 2025 happening July 21-25. This year, each day of our free, week-long virtual event focuses on a specific #OpenEducation theme, including open pedagogy, open publishing, #OER adoption, and community engagement. Choose your own adventure, packed with informative, inspiring sessions that align with your open ed interests, knowledge, and skills.
Visit the OEN Engage! webpage to catch the lineup and register today: https://z.umn.edu/OENEngage25
Take your publishing project across the finish line! Ariana Santiago of the University of Houston and Karen Lauritsen of the Open Education Network share key considerations for finalizing and publishing #OER at our May 7th Pub101, concluding the 2025 series. 📽️ Session recordings are here!
Pub101: Wrap Up
◾ Audio+Chat Transcripts: https://open.umn.edu/oen/blog/pub101-wrap-up-2025
◾ Video: https://youtu.be/DantvkTMJBI
OEN members, got an #OER win - big or small? How about an innovative open ed project you’ve created, or a helpful resource you’ve discovered? Let’s hear about it at our May Community Conversation! Join us to share and celebrate the creativity, impact, and collaboration behind our collective OER initiatives.
Celebrating Open Education Projects - 12pm CT, Thursday, May 29
Register at the Events Calendar in the OEN Community Hub: https://open.umn.edu/community/hub?start_date=2025-05-29
A well-planned Call for Proposal and Memorandum of Understanding helps your open publishing team grasp expectations and navigate obstacles. Miami University's Carla Myers & Virginia Commonwealth University’s Karen Bjork explored the how and why of these important documents at OEN's Pub101 earlier this week. Upgrade your next CFP and MOU. Session recordings are here!
4/30 Pub101: Call for Proposals and MOUs
◾ Audio+Chat Transcripts: https://z.umn.edu/afc3
◾ Video: https://youtu.be/_4CMuCG_5xI
Woot woot! 👏 We’re applauding participants in the 2025 OEN Certificate in Open Pedagogy! These faculty, librarians, instructional designers, & colleagues presented action plans at our Open Pedagogy Project Symposium earlier this month, sharing teaching strategies they’ve developed to make their curriculum more inclusive & empowering.
Job well done to the 2025 cohort & our amazing instructors!
Need a little open ped inspiration? OEN’s April blog takes a closer look: https://z.umn.edu/aexh
Don’t let accessibility become “this extra thing” you don’t consider until it’s publishing time for your #opentextbook, advises Montana State University’s Jacqueline Frank. At Pub101 this week, the MSU instruction and accessibility librarian stressed the importance of incorporating accessibility sooner rather than later. Get a head start with her smart tips & best practices.
4/23 Pub101: Start with Accessibility
◾ Audio+Chat Transcripts: https://open.umn.edu/oen/blog/pub101-start-with-accessibility-2025
◾ Video: https://youtu.be/cXhxzGvrX-E?si=_UmPDfMXESEqdWY5
Karen Meijer of Kwantlen Polytechnic University imbued her 4/9 Pub101 presentation with 20+ years of publishing experience. Don't miss her savvy, insightful recommendations to help you identify and understand your reader audience; plan a structured, organized publication; integrate inclusive and accessible practices; and much more. 📽️ Recordings are ready!
4/9 Pub101: Develop a Textbook:
◾ Audio+Chat Transcripts: https://open.umn.edu/oen/blog/pub101-develop-a-textbook-2025
◾ Video: https://youtu.be/-DMaDqJe0Fc?si=8jZ1waefnfPEj9b9
Meet the “Loner,” the “Collaborator,” and the “Anxious.” At Pub101 this week, @OpenAccessElder of Iowa State University introduced these intriguing author personas – sharing key points to help us develop positive, productive work relationships with the #OER authors we guide through the publishing process.
Catch the April 2nd Pub101 session recordings!
Pub101: Work with Authors
👉 Audio+Chat Transcripts: https://open.umn.edu/oen/blog/pub101-work-with-authors-2025
Oberlin Group of Libraries, hello from the Open Education Network! 👋
We’re excited for open educational outcomes bound to grow from the cooperative energy and innovation of our two communities, working together. Can’t wait to get started - welcome!
For the current list of OEN community members, visit: https://open.umn.edu/oen/members
Pub101 is off to a great start in 2025! 👏 This week, OEN’s Karen Lauritsen welcomed guests to the first of seven synchronous sessions. Together, these weekly online sessions provide a friendly, informal orientation to open textbook publishing, chock-full of best practices & helpful resources.
“This is really the beginning of creating a community," said Karen, "and knowing who you can turn to if you have questions.”
3/26 Pub101 video recording: https://youtu.be/f7Z_oG0tiho?si=NeOQHniXye7npqU0
Boost #OER visibility in your community with the right strategies! 💯 Join the April OEN Community Conversation to learn to effectively market and promote open educational resources. You’ll gain creative approaches, ideas, and insights that have worked well for others, expanding OER awareness and engagement.
OEN Community Conversation: Marketing and Promoting OER
12-12:55 PM Central, Thurs., April 10
Members, register now at the OEN Community Hub: https://z.umn.edu/aakh