Update on Community Governance Transition

For the last two years, the Open Education Conference has been supported by an interim organizing structure designed to aid the conference’s transition to a fully community-owned event. As the transitional period nears its end, it is time to formalize a new governance structure to support a vibrant and sustainable future for the conference.

The conference’s Strategic Planning Committee has worked over the last year to build strong foundations for this transition. This summer, the committee developed a Strategic Vision in deep consultation with the community. Last month, the interactive plenary session at OpenEd21 gathered input on governance models.  

Next week, the Open Education Conference will announce a community election process for the formation of a twelve-member Board of Directors. 

The newly formed Board of Directors will take over from the current Steering Committee in January 2022 to guide the conference's future as a sustainable, fully community-owned event.

The election process will select six community members to serve on the board for a two year term. In order to preserve institutional memory and establish staggered elections, the other six seats will be filled by members of the current organizing committee for a one year term.

In next week's announcement, you will find full details of the election process and timeline, including a description of board member responsibilities, how to self-nominate, and how to vote. In the meantime, we have provided answers to commonly asked questions below.

How do I vote in the election? 

Anyone who has attended the Open Education Conference or otherwise identifies as a member of the Open Education Conference community is eligible to vote in the election. If you registered to attend OpenEd20 or OpenEd21, you are already registered to vote. If you did not register for either of these events, or would like to update your registered email address, please complete the brief form below. Ballots will be sent by email when voting opens in early December.

How do I become a candidate for the Board of Directors?

Full details on becoming a candidate will be announced next week. This will include information about the responsibilities, time commitment, and a link to the self-nomination form. Any individual who identifies as a member of the Open Education Conference community is eligible to self-nominate. The nominations form will be open for two weeks.

If you are interested in becoming a candidate and would like to receive extra notifications about the self-nomination process, complete the form below.

Where can I find more information about the process? 

Earlier this year, the Open Education Conference launched a strategic planning process to chart its future as a community-owned event, with the goal of developing the foundations for a sustainable, community-led governance structure to assume leadership beyond 2021. After undergoing a public consultation process, this Strategic Vision will serve as the foundational document from which decisions about the future of the conference will be made.

How can I be notified about next steps?

If you haven’t already, please sign up to the Open Education Conference mailing list using the link below. Information will be shared there, as well as on our social media channels.