The article appears online here and in the Oct. 23, 2025 print issue.

I was asked to speak in Academic Senate on 10/20, to give some background on CMAC, the new
California regulation that goes into effect January 2026, and the OERI liaison survey.

I was horrified to discover that something I said or how I said it gave the erroneous impression to
a Viewpoints journalism student that our committee had somehow lost its focus over the past few
years. Nothing could be further from the truth, and I sincerely regret whatever my wording was
that miscommunicated my intention. My intention was to convey that there are many aspects of
ZTC/OER and that over the past couple of years one of those aspects was funding.

Heather Smith worked tirelessly and with very quick deadlines, to secure hundreds of thousands of
dollars to ensure the furtherance of our CMAC efforts at RCC. And with that funding, faculty
advocated within their departments to increase ZTC options and create whole ZTC pathways for
our students. Going forward, with that money secured thanks to CMAC and Heather’s efforts,
our everyday activities may vary but have and will always maintain a focus on student equity
through free and low-cost textbooks and materials.

In addition, I mentioned that other schools are ahead of us in these efforts. In many instances,
those colleges have hired or dedicated full-time employees and teams towards these efforts.

I sincerely regret that my words caused confusion and left anyone with the impression I was
criticizing our Chair, our members, our efforts, or our results. I am proud of being a member of
CMAC and am proud of my fellow members’ passion and desire to make college accessible to all.

Sally Mayer Ellis, M.S.(she/her)
Library Department Chair
Instructional Design Librarian