Name: The California ZTC Degree Grant Program: Preliminary Outcomes and What We’re Learning
Start: 2026-10-07T14:15:00-0400
End: 2026-10-07T14:45:00-0400

All sessions are available online except round tables, special activities, and workshops.

The California ZTC Degree Grant Program: Preliminary Outcomes and What We’re Learning

Wednesday October 7, 2026 2:15pm - 2:45pm EDT

6 DR4

ID: 33763

In 2021, California made a historic commitment to college affordability by authorizing the largest public investment to date in Open Educational Resources (OER) and Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) pathways. This landmark initiative aims to reduce the financial burden of course materials and improve equitable access to higher education. Beginning in 2022, all California Community Colleges received dedicated funding to support the development, implementation, and scaling of ZTC pathways across disciplines. By 2026, colleges across the system are actively developing more than one thousand ZTC pathways, representing a transformative shift in how instructional materials are selected, delivered, and experienced by students. As the largest system of higher education in the United States, the California Community Colleges provide a unique opportunity to examine the large-scale impact of OER and ZTC adoption on student success, retention, and overall educational experience.This session will explore early findings from the ZTC grant program while also highlighting emerging research directions and unanswered questions. Participants will gain insight into how colleges are approaching ZTC implementation, including the strategies they have found most effective as well as the challenges they continue to navigate. The session will also examine how researchers are estimating cost savings across more than 100 institutions, offering a closer look at methodologies used to quantify financial impact at scale. In addition, attendees will hear student feedback from ZTC courses, providing valuable perspective on how these initiatives influence learning, engagement, and access.The session will further highlight a complementary study conducted by researchers at UC Irvine’s School of Education, supported by the Arnold Ventures Foundation, which seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of both statewide and institutional policies aimed at reducing student cost burdens. Finally, participants will receive access to instruments used for institutional and student surveys, enabling them to apply similar assessment approaches within their own contexts. Together, these insights will provide a comprehensive view of the promise and complexity of scaling ZTC pathways across a large and diverse higher education system.

Speakers

James Glapa-Grossklag

Dean, Educational Technology, Learning Resources and Distance Learning; and Technical Assistance Provider, College of the Canyons; and ZTC Grant Program California Community College Chancellor’s Office

James Glapa-Grossklag is Dean, Educational Technology, Learning Resources, and Distance Learning at College of the Canyons (USA). He serves as Technical Assistance Provider for the California Community Colleges' Zero Textbook Cost Degree Program, the largest-ever public investment... Read More →

Richard Arum

Professor of Sociology and Education and former dean of the School of Education at University of California, Irvine., University of California, Irvine.

Richard Arum is Professor of Sociology and Education and former dean of the School of Education at University of California, Irvine. He served as senior fellow at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and director of Education Research Programs at the Social Science Research Council... Read More →

Sabrina Solanki

Research & Program Director for the Postsecondary Education Research & Implementation Institute at the University of California, Irvine., University of California, Irvine.

Sabrina Solanki is Research & Program Director for the Postsecondary Education Research & Implementation Institute at the University of California, Irvine. Her research focuses on higher education policy, STEM education, and the evaluation of education interventions. In her current... Read More →

Alyssa Nguyen

Senior Director of Research and Innovation, The RP Group

Alyssa Nguyen is the Senior Director of Research and Innovation for The RP Group and brings over 15 years of experience in the California Community Colleges. Her work is dedicated to uncovering and implementing student-centered practices that close equity gaps and promote student... Read More →

Larry Cooperman

Consultant, University of California, Irvine

Larry Cooperman retired from the University of California, Irvine in 2020, where he directed open education from 2007-2018. Since his retirement, he has consulted the Technical Assistance Provider for the California Community Colleges Zero-Textbook-Cost (ZTC) program. Currently, he... Read More →

Wednesday October 7, 2026 2:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
6 DR4 MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality In-person
Track Hacking the Open Ecosystem and Praxis for the Public Good

Tickets

Success you have shared X tickets.

OEGlobal 2026

James Glapa-Grossklag

Richard Arum

Sabrina Solanki

Alyssa Nguyen

Larry Cooperman

Get help with the event

Success you have shared X tickets.

OEGlobal 2026

James Glapa-Grossklag

Richard Arum

Sabrina Solanki

Alyssa Nguyen

Larry Cooperman

Sign up or log in to save this to your schedule, view media, leave feedback and see who's attending!

Get help with the event