Darton State College has been awarded a Textbook Transformation Grant for $10,800 from the University System of Georgia (USG). The Theatre Unbound: A Textbook Transformation at Darton State College Project will begin in July and creates a no-cost textbook option for students enrolled in Theatre Appreciation (THEA 1100) courses. By replacing the existing textbook with a no-cost option, Darton State could save students over $16,000 in textbook costs each year.

Darton faculty will compile the collection of Open Education Resources to create the no-cost textbook. Approximately 90 students at Darton, and 5,000 USG students, enroll in THEA 1100 each year. Through the Affordable Learning Georgia initiative, professors at USG schools will have the option of adopting the materials developed at Darton State College and offering them to their students for no-cost, greatly expanding the impact of this project.

The award is part of the Affordable Learning Georgia (ALG) initiative, which encourages the adoption of Open Education Resources (OER) for specific Top 50 Lower Division courses in the University System of Georgia. Darton State College is the first USG institution to receive a grant specifically addressing THEA 1100.

“As an instructor who is passionate about student engagement, I am pleased to have the opportunity to engage students in a general education course without requiring them to spend any money on a textbook,” said Deborah Liss-Green, assistant professor of theatre.

For more information contact Cynthia George, Interim Chief Advancement Officer, Darton State College at (229)317-6929 .