Mynhardt receives PALNI’s Open Educator Award

Glené Mynhardt, associate professor of biology, has been selected by the Private Academic Library Network of Indiana, Inc. (PALNI) as a recipient of the PALSave Open Educator Award for the 2023-24 academic year. The award recognizes innovation and excellence in support of higher education, textbook affordability and student success.

As part of the PALSave: PALNI Affordable Learning Program, the honorees have been key players in the creation and adoption of Open Educational Resources (OER). These resources are free-access online course materials, including textbooks and other tools. The availability of these no-cost resources is proving to play a vital role in student success and retention by significantly reducing costs, improving access to required texts and saving scholars millions annually.

“We are extremely proud to recognize this year’s Open Educator Award honorees,” stated Amanda Hurford, PALNI scholarly communications director. “High textbook costs continue to be a barrier to education, yet these individuals work tirelessly to make course materials more equitable and accessible to all students.”

“I’ve been so lucky to have the support of PALSave to enhance my own teaching,” said Mynhardt, who has taught at Hanover since 2013. “Making open educational resources available to all students and using them meaningfully has really enhanced what I’m able to do in the classroom by encouraging creativity in course design and student engagement.”

PALNI is a non-profit library-to-library collaboration made up of 24 private, academic libraries. PALSave, financed with support from Lilly Endowment Inc., provides collaborative resources and a framework for OER awareness, education and engagement. In addition, PALSave funds and supports faculty adoptions of affordable learning materials to enhance the teaching and learning missions of private higher education in Indiana.

“With each of PALNI’s 24 supported institutions participating in PALSave, faculty and staff are reshaping the educational landscape, ensuring that every student, regardless of circumstance, can learn, thrive and succeed,” added Hurford. “They have built a community of champions for affordable learning, and we’re excited to see their efforts benefit students now and well into the future.”