ZTC FAQs
Course sections designated as ZTC do not require the purchase of course materials (e.g., textbooks).
Please watch the 90-second video below for an overview of ZTC and tips on finding ZTC classes.
Additional viewing options: Turn on closed captions with the "CC" button, or use this text transcript if you prefer to read.
- Affordability: We understand the financial strain of expensive textbooks. With ZTC, students get access to course textbooks at no cost, making higher education more financially attainable and inclusive.
- Immediate Availability: From the very first day of class, you'll have immediate access to essential course materials, eliminating the wait to purchase textbooks due to cost.
- Universal Access: ZTC course materials are available at no cost to every student, irrespective of their registration status, place of residence, or chosen academic path.
To view the ZTC sections of your desired course, visit the Southwestern online course schedule. Make sure to select “Zero Textbook Cost” under the “Course Type” category.
Look for the ZTC symbol alongside the course section.
- Each professor has their own approach to implementing ZTC. As such, we recommend reaching out to your professor directly for guidance.
Yes! Southwestern College is in the process of offering the following Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) degree pathways. This ensures that at least one section of both the major and GE course sequences will be available as ZTC.
ZTC is a broader term that includes OER and other types of free materials, such as Library resources and Web resources. These resources may not have an open license, and they may be copyrighted with some restrictions on use, but they are still free to students.
California Education Code § 66406.9 requires that ZTC courses are clearly marked in the online schedule of classes.
For examples of ZTC resources, please visit the ZTC Faculty page.
Open Educational Resources (OER) are freely available learning materials that can be copied, edited, and shared to better serve all students. For educators, this means you can use, reuse, and distribute these materials legally and at no cost, without needing to ask for permission. For students, this translates to accessing selected or created learning materials at no cost.
In some instances, this allows you to download a resource and share it with colleagues and students. In others, you might be able to modify a resource and then repost it as a remixed work. So, how can you discern your options? Typically, OER are openly licensed (for example, through Creative Commons) to clarify how the material can be retained, reused, revised, remixed, and redistributed.
The Open Education movement is anchored in the fundamental human right to access high-quality education. It not only seeks to reduce costs by offering openly licensed content but also strives to broaden opportunities for participation in creating and sharing educational resources.
Please watch this 3:47-minute video for a concise and informative introduction to OER
Additional viewing options: Turn on closed captions with the "CC" button, or use this text transcript
if you prefer to read.
Want to Know More?
- Explore the ZTC Faculty page.
- Dive deeper into OER with our comprehensive LibGuides on Open Educational Resources.
OER is accepted for both articulation and accreditation. In the SWC Curriculum Committee Handbook (page 43), there is guidance on how to write OER. Our accreditor, ACCJC, is supportive of innovative ways to eliminate barriers to equitable education. There are no accreditation standards that specifically address OER.
The terms Zero-Textbook-Cost (ZTC) and Open Educational Resources (OER) are often misunderstood or used interchangeably. To clarify, ZTC refers to courses that have replaced required textbooks with OER or other cost-free alternatives, such as appropriately licensed library e-books, ensuring that course materials are free of charge for students. On the other hand, OER are freely accessible, legally compliant educational resources. They encompass a wide range of content, including course materials, textbooks, tests, videos, images, music, and more.
To have a ZTC symbol displayed next to your course section in the online class schedule, please follow the steps below:
- Use an Open Educational Resource (OER) for your course.
- Submit a textbook requisition indicating “No textbook required.”
- Include the URL of the OER in the comments field of the textbook requisition.
Yes! OER Canvas training is available for enrollment or review.
To participate or for more information, please contact Margaret Drehobl at mdrehobl@swccd.edu.
We have launched several Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) stipend programs aimed at encouraging faculty to convert their courses to ZTC. Typically, these programs are announced via email by either Mia McClellan, the Dean of Instructional Support Services, or Chris Hayashi, the ZTC Workgroup Chair. Be sure to keep an eye out for these emails so that you can apply for future ZTC stipends.
Yes! Southwestern College is in the process of offering the following Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) degree pathways. This ensures that at least one section of both the major and GE course sequences will be available as ZTC.
The sections “What is Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC)?” and “What are Open Educational Resources (OER)?” have been adapted from the course “Making the Case for ZTC: Pathways to Equity,” by Aloha Sargent, James Glapa-Grossklag, and Jamie A. Thomas for the California Community Colleges' Zero Textbook Cost Degree program and are licensed under CC BY 4.0.