 A new set of resources is now available to students at Central Lakes College through the all-new Z degree. Sarah Winkelman has details. That sound can be daunting as student bills for textbooks continue to rise. The new Z degree at CLC is a zero textbook cost degree. It's an option that Central Lakes College is the first to offer in the state of Minnesota. We feel like we're pioneers and we're working for our students, right? We know that textbook costs are a huge burden for our students and so we're just so excited that we can take some of that burden off of students. The new Z degree is all about making college more affordable to students by doing away with purchasing textbooks and instead making everything available online. Those are textbooks and other resources for learning that don't cost students so they are openly licensed so students can use them for free. It's a change to using open education resources that some faculty members were nervous about at first. Faculty fear when they move to OER is the rigor and the quality of the resources and I think when they get a chance to interact with them they can see that they're very high quality. For many it's a necessary change since the average student in Minnesota will spend over a thousand dollars on textbooks each year. So from a instructor standpoint the one thing that we have total control over is the cost of textbooks so we really can be quite powerful in reducing our student cost. A cost decrease that has shown direct correlation to student success. It's going to help them to be able to take more courses to graduate more quickly to be more successful and to reduce their debt. The Z degree courses will be implemented for the spring of 2018 semester where a new window of opportunity will open for both students and instructors. You can create resources that actually meet your learner needs and also your teaching style and your philosophies and so that academic freedom is huge for faculty members. Students will now earn their associate in arts degree without ever purchasing a textbook. Reporting in Brainerd Sarah Winkleman Lakeland News. The Z degree classes will be offered at both the Staples and Brainerd campuses. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland news please consider making a tax deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.