CURRENT POSITION Associate Dean for Student Success and Diversity, University of San Diego Copley Library  DEGREE MLIS, Wayne State University, Detroit, 2009 FOLLOW @drgong; Instagram @gigi_h_gong; linkedin.com/in/regina-gong-37592164 Photo by Sharon Cayetano

Student-Driven OER

As a Filipina American, Regina Gong has no intention of merely taking a seat at the table. Instead, her goal is to create a table for herself and other women of color. She quotes political activist Angela Davis: “We must always attempt to lift as we climb.”

While serving as Open Educational Resources (OER) and Student Success Librarian at Michigan State University (MSU) Libraries, Gong launched a student-centered OER program in 2019 to address the overwhelming barriers of affordability and access students faced. At the time, fewer academic libraries utilized free open learning, teaching, and research materials.

“Regina truly believes that a student-centered initiative should be undertaken in partnership and collaboration with students,” says nominator Raymond Pun. She mobilized student government leaders to sponsor a bill encouraging faculty to use OER and expand the adoption of open textbooks in undergraduate courses. Within her first three years at MSU, her collaboration and working relationships made OER an integral part of the Associated Students of MSU’s strategic initiatives, ensuring sustainability in the coming years.

One of Gong’s primary focuses is making education more accessible, equitable, and empowering for students, especially the underserved. She works with library faculty and staff to foreground diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in all areas of  library work. 

Gong is strongly committed to OER to address the aforementioned issues, she says. “I believe that quality education is a basic human right, not a privilege for those who can afford it.”