Understanding OER/ZTC/LTC at CUNY

Open Educational Resources (OER) are materials that are free and that can be retained, reused, revised, remixed, and redistributed. Check out The OER Starter Kit Workbook for a more in-depth explanation. Consult the CUNY Office of Library Services OER page for a comprehensive list of resources on every campus.
Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) is a designation in the CUNYfirst registration system. Students can search for sections of a course that are coded ZTC. If all the materials you are requiring in your course are accessible to students for free, make sure your section is coded ZTC in CUNYfirst.
Your course doesn't have to meet the strict definition of OER to be coded ZTC. When you are revising your course, you might adopt materials that are OER, or you might use a mix of OER and free-to-students materials, such as fair use excerpts of books, videos on YouTube, materials available online through the library (including lots of streaming media, magazines, academic journals, newspapers, books, etc.).
Low Textbook Cost (LTC) is another designation in CUNYfirst. It indicates a course section for which the total cost to students of required materials will be $25 or less. If you aren't able to find a combination of OER and free-to-students materials that fully supports the learning objectives of your course, you may get close enough for your section to have the LTC attribute!
For a better understanding of copyright, fair use, and Creative Commons licensing, check out these resources.

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