Senior Leadership Keynote §
Pattern Summary §
Secure keynote presentations from senior university leadership at open source conferences to demonstrate institutional commitment and to elevate the profile of open source activities on campus.
Problem / Challenge §
Open source initiatives within universities may struggle to gain institutional recognition and legitimacy.
Open source work may also be viewed as peripheral to the university's core academic mission.
Without visible leadership support, open source conferences risk being seen as niche technical events rather than strategic institutional priorities.
Pattern Category §
- Demonstrating value as an OSPO
- OSS Advocacy & Policy
- Raising awareness
Context §
A university with diverse departments of varying levels of OSS expertise and needs.
An OSPO has been established.
Forces §
An OSPO with the capacity to organize / co-organize events.
A conference has been organized by the OSPO and a program committee is in place.
University leadership wants to demonstrate innovation and forward-thinking approaches.
Leadership schedules are extremely limited and competitive.
External attendees and partners value seeing institutional commitment from the top.
OSPO staff and/or supporters have developed relationships with leadership.
Solution §
Approach senior university leadership (president, provost, or relevant vice president) to deliver a keynote address at the open source conference.
The theme of the proposed keynote will focus on how open source aligns with the institution's mission, values, and strategic goals.
The OSPO provides talking points and background materials to support leadership to craft a message that resonates with the conference audience.
Resulting Context §
The leadership keynote signals strong institutional backing for open source initiatives, lending credibility and importance to the event.
Faculty and staff see that open source work is valued at the highest levels, potentially increasing their willingness to participate in OSPO programs.
External attendees, including industry partners and other academic institutions, recognize the university as a serious player in open source.
Media coverage often highlights the leadership participation, raising the university's profile in open source communities.
Additional learning from Carnegie Mellon University OSPO §
The presence of a program officer or director from a funding agency is an important draw for university senior leadership.
Known Instances §
- Carnegie Mellon University OSPO, CMU Libraries, Carnegie Mellon University
- Johns Hopkins University OSPO, Sheridan Libraries, Johns Hopkins University
- GW Open Source Program Office, The George Washington University
References §
Johns Hopkins University OSPO’s FOSSPROF Summative Event 2024
Related Patterns §
- Co-hosting student events
- Facilitate connections at Open Source Conferences
- Host an Open Source Conference
- Informal OSPO focus group sessions at Open Source Events
- Piggyback onto a larger conference
- Secure Sponsorship for an Open Source Conference
- Student Showcase Sessions at OSPO Events
Contributors & Acknowledgement §
In alphabetical order
- Bill Branan, Johns Hopkins University, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4735-6624
- Ciara Flanagan, https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3153-7673
- Megan Forbes, Johns Hopkins University, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2611-1441
- Sayeed Choudhury, Carnegie Mellon University, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2891-0543