LibGuides: OER Start Guide: Understanding "Inclusive Access"

Understanding "Inclusive Access"

Inclusive Access programs are an agreement among universities, textbook publishers, and campus bookstores. Students are automatically signed up to get digital course materials, the cost of which gets folded into their tuition and fees when they enroll in a class.

Under this model, institutions and bookstores partner with publishers to enroll students in courses with "Inclusive Access" to digital course materials. Rather than purchasing their own textbooks, each student enrolled in an Inclusive Access course pays an access fee for the whole class to access digital course materials, thereby reducing the overall cost of materials for each individual student. Students enrolled in Inclusive Access Courses are automatically billed for this Inclusive Access Fee, unless they choose to "Opt Out", thereby giving up their own access to the course materials.

“Inclusive Access” is a textbook sales model that adds the cost of digital course content into students’ tuition and fees.

Inclusive Access is NOT OER.

Inclusive Access is a purchasing model for copyrighted materials provided by traditional academic publishers who are working to compete with the reduced costs of Open Educational Resources by providing faculty with an easy way to keep their original course materials while simultaneously reducing costs for their students.

Inclusive Access is NOT Zero Cost.

Zero Cost courses (especially those that are part of a Z-Degree path) are courses that do not require the purchase of a textbook. Inclusive Access may not require the purchase of a textbook, but it does charge an access fee for one, meaning that access to the textual materials for Inclusive Access courses is not free/Zero-Cost.

OER vs Inclusive Access

OER and Inclusive Access: Options & Considerations around Affordable Course Materials

This video reviews why instructors should pay attention to the costs of the course materials, presents the advantages and disadvantages affordable course materials alternatives that are supported at OHIO, including licensed library content, open educational resources, and the digital course materials program (aka inclusive access), and concludes with a review of the Textbook Affordability Checklist, a tool instructors can use to help them consider course materials options for their class no matter where they are in the course design process. This video is licensed under CC-BY

Learn about Inclusive Access

Inclusive Access
Inclusive Access is a textbook sales model that adds the cost of digital course content into students’ tuition and fees. While Inclusive Access is intended to address high textbook costs, it also creates challenges for students and faculty. This website helps the higher education community to understand the facts.
Decoding “Inclusive Access”
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After decades of driving the cost of print textbooks to unaffordable levels, major publishers are pushing a new model: automatic textbook billing. Known as “Inclusive Access” and other brand names, these programs automatically opt students into digital course materials that get charged to their tuition and fees. While it is easy to see how automatic billing benefits publishers, it can leave out students in the most critical need.
Just how inclusive are “inclusive access” e-textbook programs?
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This article, written by Dr. Rajiv Jhangiani, examines the inclusivity of inclusive access textbook programs, concluding that “inclusive access” programs trade away both free and freedom in exchange for an arbitrary discount and restricted access.
Giving automatic textbook billing a second look
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This article examines the similarities between Inclusive Access programs and OERs, the potential pitfalls of Inclusive Access programs, and the questions that should be carefully considered before opting in to an Automatic Purchasing program. Article written by Daniel Williamson, July 2019.
If automatic textbook billing is on the horizon, ask yourself these questions
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What you should ask about inclusive access programs to ensure your students have positive experiences now and their interests are protected in the future. Article written by Daniel Williamson, July 2019.
‘Inclusive Access’ Takes Off
Hundreds of colleges are signing on to publishers’ programs, with apparent savings to students. Some applaud the movement, while others are skeptical. Article written by Lindsay McKenzie in November 2017.
'Inclusive Access' and the Comcast Problem
Textbook prices are a problem; so are monopolies. Article written by Matt Reed in February 2019.
When Colleges Sign ‘Inclusive Access’ Textbook Deals, Can Students and Professors Opt Out?
Can students opt out of inclusive access? Do they even know how much they're paying? Do they have enough information to know if they should want to opt out or not? Article written by Rebecca Koenig.
Lessons Learned, Campus Stores Share Insights and Tips From Rolling out and growing Inclusive Access Programs for their Schools
Article written by Dan Angelo in The College Store Magazine, March/April 2018, pg 21-27.
Automatic Textbook Billing: An Offer Students Can’t Refuse?”<
Attending college in America is one of the largest expenses someone will have in their lifetime. For more than 30 years, textbook publishers have added to that financial burden by driving up textbook costs through a variety of tactics. The latest effort is to automatically charge students for textbooks on their tuition bill. Article written by Kaitlyn Vitez, U.S. PIRG Education Fund

OER Start Guide

Books about "Affordable Content" Models

Open Movements against Inclusive Access

Understanding "Inclusive Access"

“Inclusive Access” is a textbook sales model that adds the cost of digital course content into students’ tuition and fees.

OER vs Inclusive Access

OER and Inclusive Access: Options & Considerations around Affordable Course Materials

Learn about Inclusive Access

Inclusive Access FAQs at Various Colleges & Universities