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Santa Clara UniversityUniversity Library

Open Access at SCU Library

This page provides a snapshot of Open Access initiatives supported by the University Library.

Open Access Alignment with SCU Library & University Strategic Priorities

Goal 3 of Priority 2 of the 2017-2020 University Library Strategic plan is to Demonstrate our strong commitment to Open Access

  • Objective 1: Broaden the role of the library in the Open Access ecosystem.
  • Objective 2: Engage with our community on issues of Open Access and the changing world of scholarly communication.
  • Objective 3: Implement an ongoing outreach program for Scholar Commons.

Tying OA to the University Strategic Plan

Goal 2 of Santa Clara University's Strategic Plan is to "cultivate within its students the knowledge, skills, ethical reasoning, global perspective, and desire to help fashion a more humane, just, and sustainable world."

  • Therefore, it's important that the University Library model a more humane, just, and sustainable path forward in scholarly communication, and we believe that Open Access is a key part of the future of academic publishing.

Goal 5 of Santa Clara University's Strategic Plan is to "recruit and graduate a broadly diverse community of highly talented students while striving to make a Santa Clara education more affordable."

  • According to SCU's 2018 Campus Climate Study final report, 61.8% of student respondents said that books and course materials were a financial hardship--second only to tuition (65.6%). A direct response to issues of textbook affordability is the Open Education Resources (OER) movement.
  • A large-scale 2018 study found that Open Educational Resources "improve course grades at greater rates and decrease DFW rates at greater rates for Pell recipient students, part-time students, and populations historically underserved by higher education.