Kuali Foundation
 | |
| Founded | March 2005 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Indiana University, The University of Arizona, the University of Hawaii, Michigan State University, San Joaquin Delta Community College, Cornell University, NACUBO, rSmart Group |
| Type | 501(c)(3) |
| Focus | Enterprise resource planning software for educational institutions |
| Website | www |
The Kuali Foundation is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation that develops open source enterprise resource planning software for higher education institutions. Kuali modules include Student, Financial, Human Resources, Research Administration, and Library.
Founding partners are Indiana University, The University of Arizona, the University of Hawaii, Michigan State University, San Joaquin Delta Community College, Cornell University, NACUBO, and the rSmart Group.
History
Around 2003, Indiana University administrators were considering alternatives for replacing the existing financial information system. They looked at retooling the current financial system or buying vendor software. In 2004, Indiana University chief information officer Brad Wheeler wrote a paper about the state of open and community source software development in education.[1] This paper helped coalesce a movement among higher ed institutions to create a community source enterprise resource planning software suite.
Beginning with MIT computer scientist and free-software pioneer Richard Stallman, open source solutions disrupted traditional notions of property and came to embody the right to share and distribute.[2]
Wheeler's preliminary work assessed higher education's readiness for a community source financial system project and its applicability across colleges and universities through a planning grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) in 2004. In March 2005, after more than a year of evaluation, partner coalescing, and preparatory work, the Kuali Financial System (KFS) received a $2.5 million grant from the Mellon Foundation to help complete the software development.[3] Colorado State University and San Joaquin Delta College became the first to host large-scale installations of the full KFS in 2009.[4] Kuali modules now include Student, Financial, Human Resources, Research Administration, and Library.
Due to increasing budgetary strain in higher ed,[5] community source solutions saw a quick rise in popularity, and Kuali membership swelled.[6] By 2014, Kuali had demonstrated open-source ERP systems could be built and operated, with total Kuali membership approaching 100 institutions.[6]
See also
References
- ^ "Open Source 2007: How did this happen?". 2004.
- ^ Weber, Steven (2004). The Success of Open Source. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP. p. 52. ISBN 0-674-01292-5. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
- ^ "Financial-Software Project Gets $2.5-million and New Members". 1 April 2005.
- ^ "Kuali: The next open source movement". 6 July 2009.
- ^ "Is Your College Going Broke? The Most And Least Financially Fit Schools In America". 24 July 2013.
- ^ a b O'Neil, Megan (28 April 2014). "Open-source software for college administrators reaches 'tipping point' after 10 years". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved 3 March 2015.