Reclaiming the Digital Commons: Apereo Helps Launch Call to Action for Higher Education
Apereo leads global initiative urging higher education to take back control of its digital destiny.
Atlanta, GA — Open source software underpins much of the digital infrastructure used across higher education today. Yet as dependence on this shared foundation has grown, coordinated leadership and strategic investment from higher education itself have declined. This shift has placed our critical digital infrastructure at risk while simultaneously limiting the strategic value that Open Solutions can provide to teaching and learning, research, and scholarship. As the academy enters the era of AI, fueled by data and, if unchecked, controlled by a few large companies, our very digital destiny is on the line.
With the release of today’s Open Letter, Apereo and partners of the newly formed Open Renaissance Group are issuing a direct call to action: for higher education to move beyond passive consumption of technology and instead actively steward the open digital infrastructure that underpins teaching and learning, research and scholarship, and institutional autonomy. Apereo invites leaders, faculty, technologists, and partners worldwide to share the letter, add their names, and help shape what comes next.
A Moment That Demands Leadership
The Open Renaissance letter argues that this moment demands renewed leadership from higher education itself: to strengthen the digital commons, protect institutional agency, and unlock new innovation grounded in academic values.
“Open source isn’t peripheral to higher education—it’s foundational,” said Patrick Masson, Executive Director of the Apereo Foundation. “The question is whether institutions will intentionally invest in that foundation and shape its future, or continue to depend on it without a collective strategy.”
From Dependency to Co-Creation
The Open Renaissance Group is calling on higher education to act: to move from consuming educational technology to collectively building and governing open, interoperable solutions in service of the public good. The letter outlines how coordinated action can help institutions:
- Accelerate innovation in teaching, learning, and research
- Reclaim digital sovereignty and reduce lock-in
- Strengthen data protection and transparency
- Lower long-term costs through shared investment
"For 25 years, Apereo has partnered closely with higher education institutions, proving that an intentional, strategic approach to open source strengthens teaching, learning, and research,” said Josh Wilson, Chair of the Apereo Foundation’s Board. “The stakes are higher now. Digital sovereignty, institutional control, and our collective future depend on moving from ad hoc adoption to strategic investment in open solutions. Please join us in building the digital infrastructure that higher education needs."
An Invitation to Act
As a founding partner of the Open Renaissance Group, Apereo is committed to helping convene institutions and individuals ready to lead this next chapter. Signing the open letter signals support for a growing global effort to sustain open solutions, share lessons learned, and mobilize new investment in community-driven innovation.
Read and sign the Open Renaissance letter via the the link below and join the movement to reclaim higher education’s digital future.
Digitally Sign the Open Letter
About the Apereo Foundation
The Apereo Foundation is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and advancing open source software for education. Founded in 2012, the Foundation serves hundreds of institutions worldwide and provides a trusted home for community-developed projects that support academic, research, and administrative computing.
At the heart of Apereo’s work are vibrant communities of practice that bring together higher education institutions, research organizations, and commercial partners committed to sustaining open source innovation across the academy. From faculty and students to campus staff and senior leaders, Apereo provides a collaborative home for the open source software and communities that emerge from educational and research pursuits.
Learn more about Apereo and our support at: https://www.apereo.org/
Media Contact
Michelle Hall
Communications Manager
community@apereo.org