I absolutely agree Fred, the report card project is a great use of our time--doing the research is a huge hurdle. I just think a large-scale implementation of our findings in the format suggested would be ill-distributed labor. Real change will come from directly communicating with and convincing the institutions that currently exist and that we recognize need to change. The suggestion I was making is to proceed with the campaign remembering that the goal will be locating and lobbying those who already rate and rank universities. Assembling a thorough and accurate grading system will make adopting these metrics all the easier.
- matt > I think it's also about demand -- articulating what "open" is to > pre-college > students is one thing, establishing to the publishers that its a criterion > that students will be evaluating universities on is another story. > > So I think the best is to have the data first, establish the demand, and > then make the pitch to the publications. > > But I love the scale of your thinking, Matt. > > :) > > F > > > ~ ~ ~ > thoughts / http://fredbenenson.com/blog > work / http://creativecommons.org > sights / http://flickr.com/fcb > sounds / http://www.last.fm/user/mecredis > status / http://twitter.com/mecredis > > > > On Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 3:01 PM, Samuel Klein <[email protected]> wrote: > >> It's been many years since grenness started being a common idea in >> activist >> circles for an institution. Once we've put out an independent >> assessment >> and demonstated what sorts of metrics might be used -- and agreed on a >> couple of them as fundamental -- people that hand out awards will have >> something to work with. >> >> Getting a small consortium of friednly orgs to support/sponsor/write >> about >> the first report card on universities will help. I could see some of >> them >> helping gather data - herdict might help cover censorship, cc might help >> cover licensing, a major OA group might cover journal access and >> publishing >> standards. >> >> SJ >> >> >> On Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 9:16 PM, Adi Kamdar <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> I know the Princeton Review rates "greenness" as well. >>> http://www.princetonreview.com/green/press-release.aspx >>> >>> The problem I'm foreseeing is that sustainability is much more >>> well-politicized issue than openness. It seems obvious that these >>> ranking >>> magazines picked that up, but it may be a while before openness is >>> considered. I think this is the big reason why we should focus on >>> tackling >>> the preliminary rankings ourselves, show that it can be done, show how >>> it >>> can be done, and show why it's important. Plus, instead of having other >>> organizations collect and publish findings (something that may not >>> happen at >>> all), we should find out and publish what we can (something that we can >>> make >>> sure happens). >>> >>> -Adi >>> >>> >>> >>> On Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 8:58 PM, Matthew Senate >>> <[email protected]>wrote: >>> >>>> I hate to bump this message, but I'd really like to get a response or >>>> some >>>> feedback about this idea. >>>> >>>> Any thoughts? Newsweek is just one, there are many more serious >>>> rankings >>>> that need to take OA, OERs, and the like into consideration. Are there >>>> any >>>> already? What do we know? >>>> >>>> - Matt >>>> >>>> >>>> > One of the s...@berkeley members (Michael Lissner) suggested an >>>> > interesting strategy to better distribute the labor of evaluating >>>> > Universities' "Openness." He suggested convincing groups that >>>> already >>>> > review and rank schools to include "Openness" in their evaluations. >>>> He >>>> > suggested for example >>>> > getting people like Newsweek to include "Openness" just as they are >>>> > beginning to include "Greenness." >>>> > >>>> > We should put together a reasonable and convincing argument that >>>> describes >>>> > what "Openness" is, which would be similar to the "report cards" >>>> project >>>> > below. But instead of simply implementing this on our own, we should >>>> > pressure other groups to see: >>>> > 1. Students actually care about these issues >>>> > 2. Openness is an important aspect of any institution whose purpose >>>> > includes public service >>>> > 3. Given the technology and media now at our disposal, universities >>>> have >>>> > the responsibility to realize to the best of their ability the full >>>> > productive potential of these tools in the name of education and >>>> freedom >>>> > >>>> > Note that Openness is perhaps not the best term, since it could be >>>> > confused with Transparency (which is another metric that should be >>>> > included in evaluating universities--but that's a battle for another >>>> day). >>>> > >>>> > - Matt >>>> > s...@berkeley >>>> > >>>> >> Writes Kevin Donovan on our blog: >>>> >> >>>> >> As many of you know, following the Free Culture 2008 Conference, >>>> >> Students for Free Culture began the Open University Campaign - an >>>> >> initiative to increase collaboration, sharing, and openness at the >>>> level >>>> >> of higher education. With the academic year about to begin, we want >>>> to >>>> >> invite all interested parties to assist the with project; after >>>> all, >>>> we >>>> >> wouldn't be very genuine if we didn't do this in an open manner >>>> >> ourselves! >>>> >> >>>> >> ![Oucmini][1] >>>> >> >>>> >> **About the Open University Campaign** >>>> >> >>>> >> In October 2008, Students for Free Culture drafted and adopted the >>>> >> Wheeler Declaration which declared that: >>>> >> >>>> >> _ >>>> >> >>>> >> "An open university is one in which:_ >>>> >> >>>> >> _1. The research produced is open access; >>>> >> >>>> >> 2. The course materials are open educational resources; >>>> >> >>>> >> 3. The university embraces free software and open standards; >>>> >> >>>> >> 4. The university's patents are readily licensed for free software, >>>> >> essential medicine, and the public good; >>>> >> >>>> >> 5. The university's network reflects the open nature of the >>>> Internet,_ >>>> >> >>>> >> _where "university" includes all parts of the community: students, >>>> >> faculty and administration."_ >>>> >> >>>> >> Out of this agreement has grown the Open University Campaign, of >>>> which >>>> a >>>> >> major goal is to produce objective, reliable indicators of >>>> individual >>>> >> universities' levels of openness. A primary method through which >>>> this >>>> >> will be accomplished is through "report card" style profiles of >>>> leading >>>> >> institution of higher learning, similar to [College Sustainability >>>> >> Report Cards][2]. Students for Free Culture has already begun this >>>> work >>>> >> by defining principles of measurement, researching available >>>> resources, >>>> >> and developing surveys to be distributed to universities. >>>> >> >>>> >> **What Will the Open University Report Cards Entail?** >>>> >> >>>> >> Mirroring the Wheeler Declaration, the Open University Report >>>> Cards, >>>> as >>>> >> currently envisioned, will evaluate schools on five topics: >>>> >> >>>> >> 1. Open Access: Are faculty required to make their scholarship open >>>> >> access? Is the university press publish open access materials? >>>> >> >>>> >> 2. Open Educational Resources: Does the university create OERs? >>>> Does >>>> the >>>> >> university use OERs? >>>> >> >>>> >> 3. Free and Open Source Software and Standards: Does university >>>> >> computing use FOSS? Are students and faculty required to use >>>> proprietary >>>> >> software? >>>> >> >>>> >> 4. Intellectual Property: Is IP revenue transparent? Is IP used to >>>> >> promote innovation, or restrict knowledge? >>>> >> >>>> >> 5. Network Management: Is the network neutral? Is user privacy >>>> >> respected? >>>> >> >>>> >> Establishing credible criteria under which schools will be assessed >>>> will >>>> >> be essential to creating a respected resource. For example, Which >>>> >> schools' open access policies are currently lacking important >>>> criteria? >>>> >> Or, To what extent should a school actively support FOSS? The >>>> volunteers >>>> >> currently involved with the project are working through these >>>> questions >>>> >> on [the wiki page, and we encourage you to join the >>>> conversation][3]. >>>> >> >>>> >> **What the Open University Campaign Needs** >>>> >> >>>> >> In order to make this a successful endeavor, Students for Free >>>> Culture >>>> >> needs your involvement! >>>> >> >>>> >> * Are you a student who can _research official university [open >>>> access >>>> >> policies][4]_? >>>> >> >>>> >> * Are you passionate about FOSS and can _develop a [questionnaire >>>> for >>>> >> IT administrators about FOSS policy][5]_? >>>> >> >>>> >> * Are you statistically-inclined and can _handle data on >>>> >> universities_? >>>> >> >>>> >> * Are you a web developer who could _create a public website for >>>> the >>>> >> Open University Report Cards_? >>>> >> >>>> >> * Are you a graphic designer who could _create posters to raise >>>> >> awareness on campuses_? >>>> >> >>>> >> **In Closing…** >>>> >> >>>> >> The Open University Campaign recognizes that scholastic advancement >>>> >> occurs most readily in an environment of sharing, openness and >>>> >> collaboration. By providing a cross-index of leading universities, >>>> the >>>> >> project will add important comparative measurements to encourage >>>> >> increased academic openness. Our hope is that these resources will >>>> >> provide a platform from which openness activists can endeavor to >>>> improve >>>> >> the scholastic environment. >>>> >> >>>> >> Join us by jumping into the [wiki][3], signing up for the [Open >>>> >> University mailing list][6], or emailing board (at) freeculture >>>> (dot) >>>> >> org with suggestions or questions! >>>> >> >>>> >> [1]: >>>> http://freeculture.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Oucmini.jpg >>>> >> (Oucmini) >>>> >> >>>> >> [2]: http://greenreportcard.org/ >>>> >> >>>> >> [3]: http://wiki.freeculture.org/Open_University_Report_Cards >>>> >> >>>> >> [4]: >>>> >> http://wiki.freeculture.org/Open_University_Report_Cards_Open_Access >>>> >> >>>> >> [5]: >>>> http://wiki.freeculture.org/Open_University_Report_Cards_Survey >>>> >> >>>> >> [6]: >>>> http://freeculture.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/openuniversity >>>> >> >>>> >> URL: >>>> >> >>>> http://freeculture.org/blog/2009/10/27/call-for-participation-join-the-open-university-campaign/ >>>> >> _______________________________________________ >>>> >> Discuss mailing list >>>> >> [email protected] >>>> >> http://freeculture.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/discuss >>>> >> >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > _______________________________________________ >>>> > Discuss mailing list >>>> > [email protected] >>>> > http://freeculture.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/discuss >>>> > >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Discuss mailing list >>>> [email protected] >>>> http://freeculture.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/discuss >>>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Discuss mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> http://freeculture.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/discuss >>> >>> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Discuss mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://freeculture.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/discuss >> >> > _______________________________________________ > Discuss mailing list > [email protected] > http://freeculture.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/discuss > _______________________________________________ Discuss mailing list [email protected] http://freeculture.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/discuss
