–Post originally created by Margaret Galavan for OpenCUNY.info
OpenCUNY is a a student-based and student-organized digital, open-source platform. The folks behind it seek to empower students to create content to share and to collaborate. Students on OpenCUNY are participants—not users. They can shape the governance documents and actively take part in the community. Here are five participatory features of OpenCUNY:
- Terms of Participation: This short, plain-language document shapes OpenCUNY’s governance. While the OpenCUNY Coordinators and Board Members maintain it, OpenCUNY participants can weigh in on the language of the document and any proposed revisions must be ratified through the plenary body of the Doctoral Students’ Council.
- Learn with OpenCUNY at events, over email, and in one-on-one meetings: OpenCUNY organizes a wide array of workshops and events on topics related to open-source technologies. The three graduate students who work as OpenCUNY Coordinators also provide more direct support and learning tailored to your specific digital project, through detailed emails and in-person meetings.
- Follow and interact with OpenCUNY content: When participants publicly create posts on their website, that content is syndicated to the OpenCUNY Activity page, which publicizes the content through the OpenCUNY Twitter feed and OpenCUNY Facebook page. We encourage OpenCUNY participants to connect with us on those social media platforms and continue the conversation.
- OpenCUNY.info: While the main OpenCUNY.org website contains information about the structure, governance, news, and events of OpenCUNY, OpenCUNY.info is a repository of features and tips. This site contains information on how to further develop and build your OpenCUNY site, including the always popular information on how to use your own domain with an OpenCUNY website and how to add non-Graduate Center participants.
- OpenCUNY Board: If you’re excited about OpenCUNY and interested in taking a more active role in shaping the medium, consider running for a spot on the OpenCUNY Board during Doctoral Students’ Council annual elections in May. The four OpenCUNY Board members meet at least twice during each semester about general issues related to the OpenCUNY experience and often weigh in on OpenCUNY plans throughout the year.
Comments by Paul