We are recognizing the outstanding efforts of the College of Arts and Humanities’ First-Year Composition Program and have selected them as our 2026 Group Legacy AIM High Impact Award Winners.
The recognized faculty members of this group are Meeghan Faulconer, Lissa Pompos Mansfield, Stuart Dees, Pamela Baker, and Shane Wood.
The First-Year Composition Program (ENC 1101 and ENC 1102) has achieved significant, sustained impact through the use of Open Educational Resources and UCF Library materials. In partnership with UCF Libraries, faculty replaced traditional textbooks with no-cost-to-students, accessible resources delivered through Canvas, reducing course material costs to $0 per student.
Between Spring 2023 and Fall 2025, the First-Year Composition Program served more than 17,700 students across ENC 1101 and ENC 1102, generating over $2.6 million in cumulative textbook cost savings. Each semester, enrollment ranged from approximately 2,700–3,100 students, with consistent per-term savings between $404,850 and $460,950, demonstrating both scale and sustainability in reducing financial barriers for students.
What makes their story exceptional is both the creativity faculty bring to curating materials and the infrastructure they’ve built to sustain and scale this work. Faculty don’t simply replace textbooks—they thoughtfully curate materials localized to UCF’s student population, create accessible videos and interactive content, and regularly assess their materials.
To support consistency and quality across the program, faculty created a shared hub in Canvas where readings connected to course learning outcomes are available for all instructors so they can access high-quality, affordable materials. They meet regularly with their Librarian to curate materials and develop library collections specific to their discipline.
The First-Year Composition Program group would like to acknowledge and recognize UCF Librarian John Venecek and Associate Instructors, Meg Lambert and Nick Gardiakos.
We use OER texts to develop curriculum and meaningfully engage with students and their learning.
