Wikipedia:Education Program/Structure proposals/Diana Strassmann proposal

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Diana Strassmann (Dpj363)

What idea(s) do you have for what the new structure for the U.S. and Canada Wikipedia Education Programs could look like?

It may be premature to get universities to sign on whole scale at this point, since university administrators still need to be convinced of the value of participating at most institutions. Therefore, initially, the new organization will need to identify and support more faculty at universities interested in participating. At a later stage, university-wide chapters may be feasible. So the new structure will need to accommodate the current situation and also be flexible with regard to fuller involvement at a later stage. A nonprofit linked to the Wikimedia Foundation, perhaps a subsidiary with its own board of trustees, may permit such flexibility and evolution in the work.

How would you ensure this new structure involves all key stakeholders, including academics and the Wikipedia community?

A carefully designed governance structure for the new structure will be crucial. It will be important to have representation on the board of directors of key groups, both from academia and the Wikipedia community, as well as with participants that have organizational skills and who represent diverse constituencies to avoid systemic bias in the structure’s governance. I recommend that the initial organizers engage in careful strategic planning and also get advice on best practices from an international law firm willing to work with the organization on a pro bono basis.

What are potential pitfalls of this approach?

A potential concern is that work for Wikipedia is not currently recognized as valuable in University reward systems. Some key younger participants may be on the tenure clock; therefore the system needs ensure mechanisms more likely to encourage broad participation, even from such scholars, to avoid systemic bias. Consequently, staff support may be needed for some activities; longer term this should be provided by university partners; in the short term, such support may need to come from the Foundation.

Any other comments about your proposal?

If a new, but linked, nonprofit is to be set up, how will it be funded? Would fundraising be joint with the foundation, or would the new structure need to do its own fundraising? Surely, there will be some expenses; sustainability, outreach, provision of materials, etc. will require some funding. The best key to a sustainable future is starting with a flexible and carefully structured organization.