OOSS (Organization for Open Source Software) Study
In recent years over a dozen open source software (OSS) projects have been launched among higher education institutions with the aim of meeting the community’s needs more effectively and at less cost than do commercial options presently available. However, many in the community believe that uncertainty about future support and improvements hinders the widespread adoption of open source software. The creation of a new organization, which we refer to with the generic term “OOSS” (Organization for Open Source Software), has been proposed to address this need. This concept has received significant interest from the community and from a group of senior college and university administrators.
In order to test the OOSS concept, Paul Courant, Professor of Economics and former Provost at the University of Michigan, led a study in collaboration with Ithaka. Michael Carter, an expert in academic computing and instructional technologies, also assisted in this effort.
The study’s objectives were threefold:
1. To evaluate the landscape and market environment for open source software created by and for the higher education community;
2. To assess the need for an organization to promote the support and adoption of these open source software projects;
3. To define this organization’s mission and service model, should we determine that such an organization is desirable.
To achieve these objectives, Ithaka interviewed more than 60 stakeholders, including many open-source thought leaders. Based on this research, Ithaka defined several potential forms for OOSS and identified the critical factors that could make such an organization succeed.
Funding for the study was generously provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Carnegie Mellon University, Foothill-DeAnza Community College, Indiana University, Marist College, University of Michigan, University of North Carolina and Stanford University.
In order to test the OOSS concept, Paul Courant, Professor of Economics and former Provost at the University of Michigan, led a study in collaboration with Ithaka. Michael Carter, an expert in academic computing and instructional technologies, also assisted in this effort.
The study’s objectives were threefold:
1. To evaluate the landscape and market environment for open source software created by and for the higher education community;
2. To assess the need for an organization to promote the support and adoption of these open source software projects;
3. To define this organization’s mission and service model, should we determine that such an organization is desirable.
To achieve these objectives, Ithaka interviewed more than 60 stakeholders, including many open-source thought leaders. Based on this research, Ithaka defined several potential forms for OOSS and identified the critical factors that could make such an organization succeed.
Funding for the study was generously provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Carnegie Mellon University, Foothill-DeAnza Community College, Indiana University, Marist College, University of Michigan, University of North Carolina and Stanford University.
The following documents provide more detailed information and background on the OOSS study:
FINAL REPORT: Software and Collaboration in Higher Education: A Study of Open Source Software
White paper on open source software in higher education, prepared in advance of a meeting of senior university administrators.
Notes from the meeting of university administrators.
See blog post by Lorcan Dempsey, Vice President and Chief Strategist for OCLC