SUBJECT:

Open Access and the OA2020 Initiative

For the past several years, the Senate Committee on the Library (CoL)
has been exploring the growth of Open Access (OA) across the academy,
and studying how we could foster greater adoption of Open Access at UC
San Diego. During this time an international initiative called OA2020
has come together to serve as a community for institutions with shared
Open Access goals.

OA2020 is an international initiative that is exploring ways of moving
forward Open Access in partnership with scholars, libraries, publishers
and funding agencies. A number of institutions across the world,
including six in the University of California (UC) system (UCB, UCD,
UCLA, UCM, UCR and UCSF), have signed the OA2020 Expression of Interest.
By signing this Expression of Interest, these universities have
indicated a commitment to advancing open access through many possible
mechanisms. This affirmation is especially meaningful as UC negotiates
with publishers such as Elsevier to shift to Open Access as contrasted
with subscription-based models.

Upon the recommendation of the CoL and the Academic Senate Council, we
have agreed to sign the OA2020 Expression of Interest as a useful way to
express UC San Diego’s commitment to Open Access. In evaluating the
OA2020 Expression of Interest, the CoL sought input from representatives
from the Senate Council, Planning and Budget, Faculty Welfare, Academic
Personnel, Committee on Research and Academic Senate leadership,
including a presentation to the Academic Senate Representative Assembly
on January 15, 2019. As the CoL continues to focus on informing our
faculty about Open Access, we have asked that they continue engagement
with these committees to ensure that resulting actions in support of
Open Access are feasible, sustainable, and in the best interests of our
faculty. We look forward to the Library and the CoL continuing to make
progress on these and other areas in the coming year.

For more information on the UC’s support of Open Access, visit:
https://osc.universityofcalifornia.edu/open-access-at-uc/.

Elizabeth H. Simmons Executive Vice Chancellor Robert Horwitz Chair, Academic Senate San Diego Division