Faculty Recognition within Open

In this episode of Open-Ed Mic, the hosts welcome Andrew McKinney, University Director of Research and Publishing Strategies at the City University of New York (CUNY) and a leading advocate for aligning institutional policies with open education. The conversation centers on the tension between open educational practices and traditional tenure and promotion systems, which often reward research outputs more readily than innovative teaching. McKinney reflects on his work with the DOERS (Driving OER Sustainability for Student Success) community, including a project that compiled case studies demonstrating how faculty have incorporated open educational resource (OER) work into tenure and promotion portfolios. The discussion highlights how faculty interest in OER is often tempered by concerns about whether such work will be recognized or valued within existing academic reward structures.

The conversation also addresses emerging pressures in higher education, particularly the growing focus on generative AI, and how faculty can navigate competing institutional priorities. McKinney encourages educators to pursue the work they believe best supports their students and their teaching values rather than chasing short-lived trends. Ultimately, he frames OER not only as a tool for reducing textbook costs but as a pathway toward open pedagogy, where students become active participants in creating knowledge. Looking ahead, McKinney imagines a future in which institutions more fully recognize teaching, openness, and student empowerment as central to the mission of higher education.

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