Keats discusses the development of OER at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in the most recent issue of Open Learning. Licensing choices are discussed, including their reluctance to use the NonCommercial clause. Like many institutions that have started at OER initiatives, budget problems at UWC was particularly acute. From the article:
The late 1990s were a tough time for the UWC. In the wake of democratic elections, budgets were decreased, and a sequence of events led to severe financial difficulty. Against this backdrop, a number of academics lobbied ‘the administration’ to take academic computing seriously. However, in 1998 we had a major blow in that a significant percentage of the academic staff were retrenched or given voluntary severance. Voluntary severance also had a severe effect on the Information Technology Department, and resources were stretched to the limit. The university only barely survived.
