For over two decades, Open Source Program Offices (OSPOs) have played an important role in the private sector, serving as centralized hubs for managing open source engagement and strategy. Facilitating the development, contribution, and governance of widely used tools and critical digital infrastructure, the value of OSPOs is well established in corporate contexts. 

In higher education, however, OSPOs have only recently begun to gain traction. Universities and their employees rely extensively on open source software for a wide range of activities, from facilitating basic communication to supporting advanced research computing, while also making significant contributions to open source software development. Yet these contributions have often lacked centralized coordination and institutional support. OSPOs provide a framework for universities to understand, manage, and enhance open source engagement on their campuses while fostering research and development communities across disciplines and professional ranks.

Recognizing the significance of open source software in academic research, teaching, and operations, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has funded the establishment of OSPOs at 12 US research institutions. These 12 Sloan-funded OSPOs are actively engaged in promoting best practices for open source collaboration, cultivating sustainable communities, and advocating for institutional investment in open source work. They also participate in broader open science networks, including CURIOSS and HELIOS Open.

Since 2023, Ithaka S+R has been working with the Sloan Foundation to identify which characteristics of university OSPOs make them most effective within and beyond their respective academic communities. Our research included two rounds of listening sessions with senior leaders, semi-structured interviews with OSPO staff and students, and focus groups with end users at each participating institution. These efforts have provided new insights into how OSPOs function within the broader strategic goals of universities, the challenges and successes in staffing and sustaining OSPOs, and the tangible value these offices bring to campuses and their communities. 

We are pleased to invite librarians, university administrators, and other higher education stakeholders to a webinar on March 20, from 2:00-3:00PM ET, where we will share initial findings from our study and hear from three panelists who have been instrumental in the establishment and operation of OSPOs at their institutions.

This event is an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding about the role of OSPOs in academia and to learn from institutions that are pioneering efforts to institutionalize open source engagement. We look forward to your participation in this important conversation about the future of open source in higher education.

Panelists

Robin Delaloye, Associate Dean, Student Success and Scholarly Technology, George Washington University

Kendall Fortney, Program Director, Vermont Research Open Source Program Office, University of Vermont

Francesca Vera, Technical Community Manager for OpenSource@Stanford, Stanford University

My colleague Claire Baytas and I will moderate this session, and we are eager to further engage with the OSPO community.