Open Educational Resources (OERs) are open, typically digital, materials that are created and shared for educational purposes. More specific definitions require that they be licensed in such a way that does not prevent remixing or any form of redistribution.
OERs are often viewed as a way of making knowledge and education accessible and affordable. Not only can an open textbook help save UCCS students money, but it can serve as an important text for an independent learner or be used and modified by teachers around the world. OERs strive to adhere to the ideals of a knowledge democracy and the belief that freely creating and sharing knowledge creates a fairer and more equitable world.
With the rising cost of education, OERs are immediately important because they can help students afford classes. When textbook costs are too high, students are often forced to go to class without, which impedes their ability to learn course material or complete assignments, or students have to choose between textbooks and other essentials. Additionally, OERs provide an opportunity to make educational materials more inclusive and to increase student engagement and learning. OERs can be used to give students greater agency in shaping their learning and sharing their knowledge with others.
It's worth bearing in mind that Open has its limitations. These resources are typically shared and discovered online, and for many people, access to a computer or internet is not free or readily available. Additionally, it's important to consider how certain formats and designs can limit reuse and remixability as well as causing accessibility problems from some users.
OER Mythbusting by 
An Open Education Reader by The State of Colorado has created an OER Council that has been tasked with creating a report advocating for funding for and providing recommendations on expanding the adoption of OERs in public institutions of higher education.
UCCS has received funding for a fourth year from the Colorado Department of Higher Education for a multi-campus proposal, "Open CU: Expanding a Successful Multiyear OER Initiative", to continue promoting the awareness, review, evaluation, and adoption of OER, and further to promote the adaptation and creation of OER. You can learn more on the FRC's OER page.
Linked below are the reports produced by the OER Council:
Keynote speech from the 2018 COLTT Conference. Rajiv Jhangiani gives his presentation "Serving Access, Equity, and Innovation through Open Educational Practices." Lasts approximately 30 min.