Trinity University

Susie P. Gonzalez
susie.gonzalez@trinity.edu
210-999-8445
Aug. 9, 2011

Trinity University Joins Open Access Coalition of Open Access

Prestigious Network Includes Harvard, Stanford, and Duke Universities

SAN ANTONIO - Trinity University has joined 19 other institutions of higher education in support of an Open Access collaboration that endorses the sharing of faculty research with audiences beyond those with academic journal subscriptions.

Known as the Coalition of Open Access Policy Institutions, or COAPI, the group will collaborate and share implementation strategies and advocate on a national level for institutions with Open Access policies.

Trinity University Librarian and Professor Diane Graves, who was instrumental in 2009 in urging the Faculty Senate to adopt Open Access policies, voiced excitement that Trinity is "part of such a prestigious group of forward-thinking institutions."   

"The broad range of size and type of institution - from small, liberal arts colleges like Trinity to Research I universities - demonstrates that Open Access is important to all members of the higher education community," Graves said. "The Coalition will work together to introduce best practices, continue to inform colleagues at institutions just beginning to investigate Open Access and the question of scholarly publishing models, and finally, negotiate consortially with for-profit publishing entities.
Many institutions with existing Open Access policies regarding faculty research published in peer-review journals took part in a teleconference in July to discuss the possibility of organizing. The discussion led to the formation of the COAPI. The next steps, expected to take place during a conference call in September, and at the Berlin 9 Open Access Conference in November in Washington, D.C., are to develop more formal membership qualifications, a governance structure, and the official agenda for the group.

Lorraine Haricombe, dean of libraries at the University of Kansas, who called the university representatives together, said,  "Society depends on universities for the creation of new knowledge, so we have a responsibility to disseminate and share that knowledge to gain the most benefit for science and society."

 "The formation of COAPI sends a strong signal that higher education institutions increasingly consider providing open access to the scholarship produced on their campus a critical element in achieving their core mission," said Heather Joseph, executive director of the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition. "Institutions who have broken ground with established, effective open access policies have crucial experiences to draw upon. COAPI will provide an important new channel for sharing these experiences, strengthening current policies, and encouraging other campuses to adopt such policies."

 COAPI members with established open access policies include:

1.       Arizona State University

2.       Brigham Young University

3.       Columbia University

4.       Concordia University

5.       Duke University

6.       Emory University

7.       Gustavus Adolphus College

8.       Harvard University

9.       Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)

10.    Lafayette College

11.    Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

12.    Oberlin College

13.    Oregon State University

14.    Stanford University

15.    Trinity University

16.    University of Hawaii-Manoa

17.    University of Kansas

18.    University of North Texas

19.    University of Northern Colorado

20.    Wake Forest University

Trinity University, founded in 1869, is one of the nation's top private undergraduate institutions. Noted for its superior academic quality, outstanding faculty, and exceptional academic and residential resources, Trinity is committed to the intellectual, civic, and professional preparation of its students.