The Apereo Foundation was founded in 2012 with a core mission to “assist and facilitate educational organizations which collaborate to foster, develop, and sustain open technologies and innovation to support learning, teaching, and research." To achieve this mission, Apereo engages peer organizations throughout higher education, open source, and education technology through various strategic initiatives.
Strategic Themes
The activities and objectives included within Apereo’s strategic themes are not intended as prescriptive instructions for the Foundation’s constituents but rather a series of programs for supporting those communities and the Foundation itself as well as the broader higher education and open source ecosystems. These themes and the initiatives they represent are reviewed annually to ensure continued relevance and execution.
1. Membership, Financial Health, and Fundraising
As an international, community-driven organization and fiscal sponsor of multiple projects and communities, Apereo relies on financial support from a global constituency. Core initiatives within this theme must focus on Apereo revenue model, recruiting Sustainers, Members, Partners, Affiliates, Sponsors, Friends, and Donors.
Initiatives
2. Community
Apereo is both a networked and a networking organization. Apereo seeks general collaboration, initiative-specific cooperation, and formal association with peer organizations with missions that overlap the Foundation’s or are complimentary. Related initiatives promote Apereo’s mission, support Apereo’s constituency, and build the reputation of the organization.
Initiatives
- Consortia Building
- AXIES
- EDUCAUSE
- ESUP-Portail
- LAMP
3. Recognition, Reputation, and Affinity
Apereo is a voluntary association collaborating to produce great educational resources serving open source software projects and communities in education. Within this voluntary organizational commitment, there are many individuals, discipline groups, and institutions recognized with specific subject-matter experience and expertise. Leveraging these resources develops, enhances, and validates Apereo’s reputation and engagement.
Initiatives
- Awarding
- Apereo Dolphin Awards
- Public Policy Observation and Reporting
- CRA
- Conference Programming
- FOSSY FOSS For Education Track Organizers
- MicroConferences
4. Awareness and Advocacy
Working with constituents where appropriate, Apereo will expand its awareness, advocacy, and adoption efforts across five principal audience axes - specific to role (CIO, Faculty, Learning Technologist, Student, Researcher), institution (i.e., Carnegie classifications), interest area (specific software, theme or topic), technology (infrastructure, systems, platforms), and geographical region or country.
Initiatives
- Annual Reporting
- Adoption of Open Source In Higher Education
- Open Source Jobs in Higher Education
- Open Source Courses in Higher Education
- Expert Evangelism
- Keynotes
- Expert testimony
5. Reflection and Assessment
It is essential that Apereo retains the ability to challenge accepted wisdom and groupthink and continues to grow against the backdrop of an evolving educational landscape. Apereo must ensure continued reflection and assessment of current practices to realize required capabilities and continuity in practice.
Initiatives
- Accounting and Financial Review
- Organizational and Operational Review