Dive Brief:

• Several higher education systems in the northeast have launched campus-based publishing imprints and initiatives designed to expand open-source and digital textbook production and usage.
• The State University of New York and University of New Hampshire systems are encouraging faculty to make broader use of open source publishing for research, teaching titles and learning opportunities to become more familiar with the technology.
• Programs that have moved from pilot to campus- or system-wide initiatives have begun to yield student savings — about $148,000 at the University of New Hampshire last year.

Dive Insight:

Open-source learning technology is at the core of higher education for institutions that want to reach broader audiences with very strict ideas about how convenient learning should be. But developing these initiatives does not happen quickly or easily. It requires strong leadership in information technology, expertise to determine which solutions work best for a campus, and a financial commitment to making sure the technology is sustainable.

Open-source integration also requires resources to help train faculty in how to access, add or teach from unfamiliar online resources. Before announcing a new initiative, presidents and chancellors should meet extensively with CIOs to assess costs and schedules, and establish a university-wide committee of faculty and students to help introduce the idea and the transition to the campus at large.