This presentation introduces a multi-campus OER Advocacy Student Fellowship Program across five California State University campuses. Initially funded by a Michelson 20MM Spark Grant, the initiative centers student voices by preparing undergraduate fellows to lead advocacy for OER. Student Fellows receive training, mentorship, and institutional support to design and implement campus-based projects while collaborating on a statewide advocacy effort, such as a policy proposal to the California State Student Association. The program also strengthens the CSU’s Affordable Learning Solutions (AL$) framework by meaningfully integrating student leadership, expanding opportunities for student engagement and impact.
Attendees will hear from both the faculty coordinators and the student Fellows themselves about the program’s design, implementation, and early outcomes, as well as strategies for scaling a sustainable, student-led OER advocacy model across higher education systems.
Attendees of this session will be able to:- Understand the fellowship model: Participants can describe the structure, goals, and key components of a multi-campus fellowship program, including alignment with equity and affordability initiatives.
- Identify effective recruitment, training, and support strategies: Participants learn approaches for recruiting, training, and mentoring student fellows to lead OER advocacy efforts.
- Analyze student-led advocacy in practice: Participants examine how student fellows design and implement campus-based projects and contribute to broader initiatives such as statewide policy proposals.
- Evaluate strategies for scalability and sustainability: Participants can assess how this multi-campus model can be adapted, scaled, and sustained within their own institutional or system-wide contexts.
- Apply student-centered approaches to OER initiatives: Participants gain actionable insights to integrate student leadership into existing affordability frameworks to enhance impact and inclusivity.
