OER/ZTC for Faculty | CCSF

City College launched its Open Educational Resources (OER) initiative in Fall 2017. That same year, the Chancellor, in collaboration with the Academic Senate, created a task force to support faculty interested in adopting open and affordable course materials.

Today, the initiative is supported by the OER Coordinator and the OER Librarian, the City College Library, the Academic Senate’s OER Committee, and the Dean of the School of Library, Academic Resources, Educational Technology, and Online Programs—all working together to help instructors find, use, and develop free, high-quality learning materials for their courses.

Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) refers to digital textbooks that are provided free of charge to students. At City College, many instructors are choosing to adopt ZTC materials—often created using Open Educational Resources (OER)—to help reduce the financial burden of course materials. As the cost of traditional textbooks continues to climb, more classes are turning to ZTC options to provide an affordable and accessible alternative.

Low Textbook Cost (LTC) means that course materials will not incur a cost that exceeds $50.

Open Educational Resources (OER) are free and easy-to-use materials for teaching and learning. They are either in the public domain or shared under special licenses, such as Creative Commons, that allow people to use, share, and even modify them. OER provides students with high-quality learning materials at no cost, eliminating the need to purchase costly textbooks or subscriptions.

OER Materials may include:

Textbooks
Course readings, articles, and journals
Course packs
Lab manuals
Quizzes
Streaming videos
Virtually any other material used for educational purposes

OER Resources

ZTC Pathways Funding and Timelines for Cohort 1 and 2

What is the Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) Pathways Grant?

Launched in 2022, the ZTC Pathways Grant is an initiative in collaboration with the California Community College Chancellor's Office (CCCCO) and the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC). It is designed to support California Community College faculty in creating and implementing credit courses that use no-cost educational resources instead of traditional textbooks.

Adult Education is a City College initiative that supports faculty creating and implementing no-cost resources for noncredit courses. As part of the Adult Education Consortium Three-Year Plan (2022-2025), one key strategy is bridging the digital divide for adult education students, especially through developing OER materials.

How to Apply

If you're interested in adapting, remixing, revising, or customizing an existing OER, let City College's OER team know how we can assist by filling out a proposal!

Credit: Proposal to Develop a Credit Course for a Zero Textbook Cost Degree

Noncredit: Proposal to Develop a Noncredit Course for a Zero Textbook Cost Certificate

Both links require 365 login using your @ccsf.edu account credentials.

ZTC Development Phases for Cohort 1 and 2

Phase 1: OER Orientation Course
Faculty complete an online, faculty-led course: City College OER Foundations: Creating Accessible & Affordable Course Materials. Completion is required before advancing to Phase 2.

Phase 2: OER Development
After completing the orientation, the faculty will work with the OER librarian to develop a course with zero textbook costs. All required materials must be free and accessible to students.

Application and Deadlines

April 8, 2025 - Proposal Opens
Faculty may begin submitting proposals to develop ZTC credit and noncredit courses.

May 16, 2025 - Proposal deadline to participate in Cohort 1

May 21, 2025 - Applicants notified by this date for Cohort 1

August 25, 2025 - Proposal deadline to participate in Cohort 2

August 28, 2025 - Applicants notified by this date in Cohort 2

Rolling Deadlines to participate in additional cohorts (pending available funding)

ZTC Development Timeline

Cohort 1 Timeline (Summer Development)

June 2, 2025 – Cohort 1 Begins
Faculty will join the ZTC Cohort and begin Phase 1

June 9, 2025 - Ongoing deadlines are built into Phase 2

December 1, 2025 - Cohort 1 ends and OER work is completed (can be extended through Spring 2026 if necessary)

Spring 2026 - Faculty use OER with the ZTC designation for the course

Cohort 2 Timeline (Fall Development)

September 2, 2025 – Cohort 2 Begins
Faculty will join the ZTC Cohort and begin Phase 1

September 12, 2025 - Ongoing deadlines are built into Phase 2

December 1, 2025 - Cohort 2 Ends and OER Work is Completed (can be extended through Spring 2026 if necessary)

Spring 2026 - Faculty use OER with the ZTC designation for the course

Additional Cohorts (Late Fall, Spring, and Summer Development)

The application will remain open until the grant funds are used. The timelines for Phase 1 and Phase 2 follow the same patterns as above. Questions? Please email the OER Coordinators.

Visit the ZTC Website for more resources.

ZTC Pathways Funding and Timelines for Cohort 3 and 4

What is the Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) Pathways Grant?

Launched in 2022, the ZTC Pathways Grant is an initiative in collaboration with the California Community College Chancellor's Office (CCCCO) and the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC). It is designed to support California Community College faculty in creating and implementing credit courses that use no-cost educational resources instead of traditional textbooks.

Adult Education is a City College initiative that supports faculty in creating and implementing no-cost resources for noncredit courses. As part of the Adult Education Consortium Three-Year Plan (2022-2025), one key strategy is bridging the digital divide for adult education students, especially through developing OER materials.

Phase 1: OER Orientation Course – Eligible faculty will complete an online City College faculty-led five-module course introducing OER and accessibility, City College OER Foundations: Creating Accessible & Affordable Course Materials. Successful course completion is required before moving to the second phase of the process. Compensation is at the non-instructional rate of up to $250 (approximately 5 hours).

Phase 2: OER Development – After completing the course, faculty will develop materials for their proposed course. During this phase, there are deadlines for ongoing deliverables. The course you develop needs to be entirely Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) for students. If your proposal is funded, you commit to using the ZTC materials for two years (four semesters, not including summers).

Application:

Credit: Proposal to Develop OER materials for a Credit Course for a ZTC Degree

Noncredit: Proposal to Develop OER materials for a Noncredit Course for a ZTC Certificate

Both links require 365 login using your @ccsf.edu account credentials.

Nov 3, 2025 - Proposal Opens. Faculty may begin submitting proposals to develop ZTC credit and noncredit courses.

Nov 18, 2025 - Proposal deadline to participate in Cohort 3

Nov 25, 2025- Applicants notified by this date for Cohort 3

Jan 20, 2026 - Proposal deadline to participate in Cohort 4

Jan 27, 2025- Applicants notified by this date for Cohort 4

Cohort 3 Timeline (Spring/Summer Development)

November 18, 2025: Proposal deadline to participate in Cohort 3

December 1, 2025: Cohort 3 starts Phase 1

Jan 26, 2025: Ongoing deadlines are built into Phase 2

July 2026: Cohort 3 ends and OER work is completed

Fall Semester 2026: Faculty use OER with ZTC designation for the course

Cohort 4 Timeline (Summer/Fall Development)

January 23, 2026: Deadline to participate in Cohort 4

February 2, 2026: Cohort 4 starts Phase 1

March 16, 2026: Ongoing deadlines built into Phase 2

December 2026: Cohort 4 ends and OER work is completed

Spring Semester 2027: Faculty use OER with ZTC designation for the course

List Your Course as ZTC/LTC

XB12 and ZTC/LTC Icon in the Class Schedule

XB12 is a data element implemented by the California Community College Chancellor's Office to track and report the cost of instructional materials for each course section offered by a California Community College. The XB12 data element categorizes courses based on whether they require students to pay for textbooks or if they qualify as Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) or Low-Cost Textbook (LTC) options. The primary purposes of XB12 is to:

Classify Course Costs: Identify whether a course section requires paid materials, no-cost digital or open educational resources (OER), or if it meets low-cost material thresholds set by the institution.
Support ZTC Initiatives: Assist colleges in promoting ZTC pathways, which aim to reduce the financial burden on students by using free or low-cost educational resources.
Supports Compliance: Supports compliance with federal requirements and California laws mandating transparency in textbook costs and the marking of no-cost sections.
Inform Students: Help students make informed decisions by showing cost expectations for course materials during registration.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the XB12 requirement?
The XB12 requirement applies to both credit and noncredit sections. Each course section must be assigned only one code based on the cost of required course materials (textbooks, lab manuals, software, and homework systems). Supplies are not included in this reporting.

How is the cost determined?

Report only the cost of new, required course materials, not optional items or supplies.
For lecture/lab combinations, the total cost should be used, and the same code should be applied to both sections.
For codes D (LTC) and Y (Undetermined), use the Buy New or Buy Digital price from the City College Bookstore.

What if I'm unsure of the cost at the time of submission?
Use Code Y if unsure whether your section will be Zero or Low Textbook Cost. You can update the code later if needed. Refer to the FAQ section in the accordion below for more information.

Can I change the XB12 code after registration starts?
Yes, but with limitations:

If a course is listed as ZTC or LTC, and the material cost increases, the instructor must contact their department chair to update the listing.
If a course was not originally marked ZTC or LTC but later qualifies, the code can be updated since this benefits students.

Note: Changes are made in Courseleaf, which may be unavailable during certain periods. For deadlines, refer to the Office of Instruction calendar.

Who selects the XB12 attribute in Courseleaf?
The department chair selects the XB12 attribute for each section in their department.

What are the attribute selection guidelines?

Choose only one code per section.
Use the cost of the primary course materials.
Materials must be accessible to all students simultaneously (e.g., no one-user-only eBooks).
Free resources used alongside required materials may be noted, but only required, potentially costly items count toward XB12 reporting.

Why does this reporting matter?
XB12 reporting helps City College track and expand ZTC/LTC courses, supporting efforts to make education more affordable for all students.

Is there a tool to help me select the correct code?
Yes! A flow chart is available to help determine the appropriate XB12 code based on your course materials. Contact the OER team or Office of Instruction for access.

OER and ZTC Presentations

Academic Senate's OER Committee

Zero-Textbook-Cost (ZTC) and Low-Cost (LTC): FAQ