In the Service of University Libraries

This article discusses the broad and complex funder open access (OA) policy environment in the UK and describes some of the challenges libraries face in providing frictionless services to support academic compliance. It offers a view on the actions of publishers in this policy environment, as well as outlining how strategic discussions have moved beyond the library to include the whole institution. Finally it outlines the work being undertaken at Imperial College London to develop a new OA policy and licence which could support academics and institutions with compliance and HEFCE Research Excellence Framework eligibility in a single step.

http://insights.uksg.org/articles/10.1629/uksg.292/

Colleges and universities are under increasing pressure to demonstrate their contributions to students’ learning and development. In fact, over a decade ago, all of the regional accrediting agencies in the United States agreed to emphasize college students’ learning as central to the accrediting process. Under these increasingly pervasive expectations to demonstrate students’ learning, fully 85% of Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) members reported that they have a common set of learning outcomes for all undergraduates. Additionally, nearly 90% of Association of American Universities (AAU) member institutions reported using quantitative data to collect information on student learning outcomes, with 70% reporting that they had one employee or office specifically charged with developing, coordinating, or implementing assessments of student learning.

http://publications.arl.org/rli290/5