PIRG Campus Action works to mitigate higher education costs

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - College is an expensive part of life, but one organization at the University of Virginia is working to lessen that burden.

UVA students who are a part of the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) are working to change many things on grounds.

“It’s a national organization that works across a number of different college campuses all around the country to give college students the training to make differences and organize on their respective campuses,” Head PIRG intern Clare O’Reilly said.

One of their main goals is to bring what they call Open Education Resources to UVA. O’Reilly is heading the campaign.

“That’s basically open textbook, syllabi and other materials that can be edited by professors,” O’Reilly said.

Students will have access to these resources for free, instead of being expected to purchase a textbook for their classes.

“UVA Library has been partnering with PIRG in our growing Open Educational Resource initiative. Our goals have been to raise awareness on grounds about increasing cost of textbook prices and unequitable publishing models, as well as educate undergraduates about OERs- meaning accessible, free, retainable, and re-useable course materials that could provide as alternative or supplemental options to students, Undergraduate Student Success Librarian, Haley Gilligan said.

While UVA educators are being asked to make their own course materials for students, PIRG is asking the university to help incentivize this for professors and cut out time for them to work on their OERs.

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