More Information
Program Details
By more closely aligning UCLA Library collections, services and expertise with instructional needs, ACMI has helped lower the cost of course materials for thousands of UCLA students while achieving instructors’ educational objectives.
Awards pair instructors with a team of Library specialists who help them identify, access, adapt and adopt alternative course materials. Award amounts are available of $1,000 each for instructors teaching courses with enrollments of fewer than two hundred students and $2,500 each for instructors teaching courses with enrollments of more than two hundred students. Collection development awards may also be designated to build or enhance library collections supporting specific courses. The financial sums are meant to offer an incentive for the time it will take for instructors to identify new resources, adjust syllabi and modify assignments. They can also be used to cover any expenses incurred by the instructor.
The initiative has been endorsed by the Office of the UCLA Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost and the UCLA Academic Senate.
Eligibility
Each applicant must be the instructor of record. Courses can be at the undergraduate or graduate level but must be for enrolled students (i.e., not UCLA Extension courses).
Procedure
Applicants are asked to complete an application form(opens in a new tab) and attend a one-hour workshop at which Library staff members introduce search strategies and possible sources for open-access or low-cost instructional resources. Applicants can share ideas and brainstorm.
The one-page application form(opens in a new tab) is available online. Online applications are automatically received upon submission; electronic applications in Word or PDF format can be saved and emailed to acmi@library.ucla.edu. Applications will be processed in the order they are received. Applicants will receive confirmation notices when their application forms are received.
Applications are reviewed by a small Library committee to assess alignment with the initiative's objectives and to determine if the course is best served through this or other Library services and initiatives. Each awardee will be assigned an individual librarian, who will work personally with them to assist with locating materials. After each awarded course, the instructor is asked to assess the initiative’s pedagogical and financial impact.
Further Information
Explore the ACMI guide(opens in a new tab) to learn more about open educational resources, maximizing fair use and other ways to reduce the costs of educational materials for students.