Page History

...

Steering Group

...

...

...

• Operational oversight, including time-sensitive decision-making
• Development of strategic priorities, for approval by Leadership
• Recommendations for budget allocations, for approval by Leadership
• Assistance with fundraising
• Commissioning of and liaising with working groups
• Agenda-setting for quarterly Leadership Meetings

Composition of the Steering Group

• The Steering Group is composed of 10 voting members (9 elected members, plus a permanent LYRASIS seat).
• Elected Steering Group members serve for three-year, renewable terms.
• Steering Group members are elected by the Leadership, but can be from outside of the Leadership Group. If a Steering Group member is not also on the Leadership Group, they may still attend Leadership meetings in a non-voting capacity.

Meetings

...

Leadership Group

The DSpace Leadership Group approves the overall priorities and strategic direction of the program.  The Group’s responsibilities are:

• Approve the annual budget
• Approve the DSpace product roadmap and strategic plan
• Nominate and elect Steering Group members and DSpace Program Chair
• Vote on significant changes to strategic direction or product roadmap presented by the Steering Group
• Help to raise funds and secure other resources on behalf of the DSpace Program

Composition of the Leadership Group

The Leadership Group is made up of the following 3 groups:

• DSpace Program Member Organizations: The largest component of the Leadership Group are representatives of DSpace member organizations that contribute annually to the project. These representatives are either selected or elected according to the ratios noted below.
• LYRASIS: One representative of the DSpace Program's organizational home, LYRASIS.
• Community representation: Representatives from the DSpace Community-at-large who are particularly committed to the Project, including Service Providers.

DSpace Program Member Organizations

The composition of the Leadership Group reflects the different levels of membership outlined here.

• Platinum: Each Platinum member has an automatic seat on Leadership - 1 seat per member
• Gold: Gold members elect 1 representative for every 2 Gold-level member organizations.*
• Silver: Silver members elect 1 representative for seats for every 4 Silver-level member organizations.
• Bronze: Bronze members elect 1 representative for every 8 Bronze-level member organizations.

*DSpace Leadership has opted to allow an automatic seat for each Gold member in 2021 and 2022 Governance Years.

Other Leadership Group Members

• LYRASIS: As the DSpace Program's organizational home, LYRASIS retains one voting seat on the Leadership Group.
• Community-at-large representatives: 2 Leadership Group voting seats are held for members of the Community. Candidates for these seats are nominated by the DSpace community at large and elected by the Leadership Group.
• Registered Service Providers: DSpace Registered Service Providers each have one voting seat on Leadership.
• Ex officio and/or emeritus members: The DSpace Leadership Group may choose to invite others to join Leadership in an ex officio, non-voting capacity.

Current members of the Leadership Group may be found at https://duraspace.org/dspace/leadership-group

As maintainers of a global community of users support more equitable access to research and other digital content, the DSpace Program aspires to maintain a Leadership Group that is diverse in its representation of geographic regions, institution types, race, disability status, gender identity and sexual orientation.

Terms and elections

• The Leaders are elected for a 1-year, renewable term and there are no term limits.
• The Leadership Group term begins November 1 and concludes October 31.
• Membership organizations with an automatic seat (e.g. Platinum members) select an individual of their organization to fill the seat.

Meetings

• Meetings are held four times per year, with the first meeting of the governance year in November.
• Emergency meetings may be called by any Leadership or Steering member between established meeting times.
• Agendas and meeting notes from Leadership Group meetings are shared publicly.

DSpace Steering & Leadership Group Meetings 

...

Officers

DSpace Governance is led by a Chair and Vice Chair. These officers serve for both Leadership and Steering.

• The Chair and Vice Chair are elected by the Leadership Group.
• The Chair must be a member of the Steering Group. It is not required for the Vice Chair to be on Steering; in a case where they are not a Steering Group member, the Vice Chair may attend Steering Group meetings, but in a non-voting capacity.
• Role of the Chair and Vice Chair
  • The Chair facilitates Leadership and Steering meetings.
  • The Vice Chair facilitates meetings when the Chair cannot attend.
  • Together, the Chair and Vice Chair serve with the LYRASIS staff representative as a financial oversight committee.
• DSpace Governance encourages geographical diversity in selection of these two positions.
• Terms
  • The Chair serves for a two-year renewable term.
  • The Vice Chair serves for a one-year renewable term. The Vice Chair does not automatically succeed the Chair.

Committers Group

DSpace Committers have autonomous control over the code and are also the primary support team for DSpace. The primary responsibilities of Committers are:

...