Building an OER Culture: The Position of the University of Sherbrooke

Abstract

Since 2019, the University of Sherbrooke (Quebec, Canada) has been carrying out projects and taking concrete actions to actively engage its community in the development, promotion, and integration of open educational resources (OER) as part of its teaching mission. In November 2024, in a context where equitable access to quality French-language knowledge was becoming a concern, the institution's university council took a favorable position on OERs by adopting the Policy on the Use and Creation of Open Educational Resources (Policy 1500-052). Through interviews with the main stakeholders in this policy (students, teaching staff, faculty management, student and training support services, and university management), the article recounts the reflective process behind this policy and highlights its reception and implementation within the community. By documenting this initiative, the article aims to share a case study with other institutions wishing to engage in a similar process, while contributing to collective reflection on the future of OERs in higher education throughout the French-speaking world.