After adopting an open access resolution at the University Libraries Faculty Assembly in October 2013, the Libraries approached the University Senate to consider adopting a similar resolution. An ad hoc committee was formed to decide if an open access resolution would be beneficial for our campus community. Faculty from each college were invited to join the committee to ensure equal representation from the Summerville and Health Sciences campuses. The committee met to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of open access dissemination of scholarly activities, as well as the many methods of open access publishing. With a unanimous vote, the committee members agreed to draft an open access resolution. The resolution aimed to address four areas: copyright/authors’ rights, institutional repositories, increased dissemination of research, and economic barriers. The resolution was drafted and presented at the April 2014 University Senate meeting. The Senate voted to accept the “Support of Open Access Dissemination of Research” resolution. Notably, the resolution “calls on the University Libraries to provide educational opportunities that help faculty, staff, and students understand the system of scholarly communication, including authors’ rights, the process of submitting works to Scholarly Commons, dissemination of scholarly works through open access methods, and Creative Commons licensing.”
