Action Required: July M1 Review ROTEL Grant Publication Timeline

This notice was sent via email to the July M1 and July M2 2022 TSP Cohorts on June 1. A copy is preserved here for easy access and reference.

Hi @July22-M-1-cohort ,

We hope you’re having a good summer and enjoying the progress you are making on your OER projects. As we are nearing the final stages, the ROTEL Open Textbook Coordinating Council (OTCC) and Rebus want to communicate some key deadlines and timelines for Summer & Fall.

We are mindful of your busy workloads, and this information should help you manage your time and plan your schedules for the next few months. It is a lengthy email, so bear with us and take the time to carefully read through the details. Items that require actions from you are highlighted.

If you have any questions/comments/concerns, please respond to this email so we can support you.

Timeline

  • July 15: Final Chapter Drafts Due
    • Final chapter drafts due from faculty member(s) to the Publishing Support Team (PST) (see Submission Guidelines below).
      • Chapters may be submitted on a rolling basis, prior to July 15.
      • July 15 is the last date to hand in content that you expect to see in the OER published on August 31.
  • July 16-31: Editing (See Editing Process and Guidelines below)
    • PST to edit and format drafts.
    • Faculty member(s) can begin:
      • revising chapters in Google Docs based on suggestions from PST, and
      • finalizing elements for cover design.
  • August 9: Final Revisions Due (See Editing Process and Guidelines below)
    • Final revisions due from faculty member(s) to PST. The last date to complete revisions is August 9.
    • Elements for cover design due from faculty member(s) to OTCC representative. The last date to submit this information is August 9.
  • August 10-30: Formatting in Pressbooks
    • PST to format books in Pressbooks.
    • The OER will be reviewed by the PST for final formatting, style standardization, book design and layout, and final accessibility check.
    • No further edits to content will be made until September.
  • August 31: Books Published
    • Official publication date!
    • OER will be public in the ROTEL catalog and added to local, global directories and repositories.
    • Links to your OER will be shared to you and your ROTEL colleagues!
  • September 1: Adoption and Assessment Begins
    • OER classroom adoption begins.
    • Assessment process with Benjamin Atchison begins.
  • September 2-October 15: Peer Review
    • OER will be peer reviewed by 2 subject matter experts each. PST to coordinate the review process.
  • October 15 onwards: Revisions following Peer review and Adoptions
    • Faculty member(s) to revise chapters in Pressbooks based on suggestions from peer reviewers. Instructions on how to revise will be shared by ROTEL at a later date.
    • Round 2 Book Launch and Celebration (details to come)

Submissions Guidelines

Editing Process and Guidelines

  • Once drafts are received in Google Drive, the PST will begin to review and leave comments between July 16-31.
  • After an initial review, the PST will schedule a 1 hour (60 minute) 1:1 meeting with each faculty/team to go over edits and offer an overview of next steps in the production process.
    • ACTION: PST will contact you to scheduled a 1:1 meeting. Faculty will attend 1:1 meeting with PST (during July 16-31).
  • Faculty member(s) will make recommended changes in Google Docs between July 16-August 9.
    • ACTION: Faculty member(s) to revise chapters in Google Docs based on suggestions from PST by August 9. Notify the PST via email (rotelpst@gmail.com) once revisions are complete.
  • Faculty member(s) will determine elements for cover design by August 9.
    • ACTION: The faculty member should submit cover information to their OTCC representative by email (contact the PST if you do not know who your OTCC representative is). Send the following information by August 9:
      • Final title of OER
      • Your names as it will appear on the cover
      • Optional: an open image to include on the cover. If you don’t have a preference, don’t worry, the ROTEL Graphic Designer will use their expertise!

We know this is a comprehensive timeline and involves many different individuals. The final output will certainly reflect this attention to detail.

Thank you for your time to carefully review this email, and of course, for your participation in this grant initiative.

We are truly grateful to collaborate with you all and to make education in Massachusetts (and around the world) more equitable!

Best,
Marilyn Billings (@mbilling on behalf of ROTEL), and
Apurva Ashok (@apurva on behalf of Rebus)

@mbilling if you could please offer an update to the cohort about timelines once you are back from vacation, that would be great!