News

CHE: The Future of Campus Libraries? ‘Sticky Interdependence’

Oct 10, 2019, 11:28 AM

A deep dive by the Chronicle of Higher Education, explores this new "vision of a more codependent system in which research libraries pledge to preserve individual collection areas, allowing other institutions to allocate spending elsewhere. In a large, fully networked library system, users could more regularly get materials from other campuses, similar to an interlibrary loan, as individual collections would be more specialized and distinct. It’s an idea, long building, that acknowledges that the competition to acquire, acquire, acquire must change."

Big Ten Student Design Competition

Oct 3, 2019, 11:32 AM

Affordability and Accessibility: A Learning Technologies Virtual Conference

Sep 20, 2019, 14:57 PM

The Big Ten Academic Alliance Learning Technologies Liaisons group is hosting a virtual conference on Affordability and Accessibility for all interested staff at member institutions. This opportunity will bring together peers with a range of expertise to share ideas and knowledge. Affordability and Accessibility: Thursday, October 3, 2-4pm Central

SIO Professional Development Program on Internationalization

Aug 20, 2019, 14:43 PM

The Big Ten Academic Alliance Senior International Officers'-sponsored Staff Development Program is an eight-month opportunity for early-to-mid-career staff to learn about the internationalization of higher education and best partnership practices through a series of monthly online seminars and a capstone, five-day trip to Mexico City.

BTAA and ASERL Announce Library Accessibility Partnership

Aug 1, 2019, 09:34 AM

The Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) and the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL) have entered into a two-year partnership to advance accessibility for library electronic resources, with the goal of providing equal access to information for all library users. Since 2016, the BTAA has been conducting third-party evaluations of electronic resource platforms and collections, publicly posting the evaluations for review by vendors and libraries.

Less Commonly Taught and Indigenous Languages the Focus of $2.5 Million Mellon Grant

Jul 23, 2019, 10:29 AM

This is the second Mellon grant received by the LCTL Partnership, led by the Center for Language Teaching Advancement (CeLTA) at Michigan State University, to facilitate the teaching of less commonly taught languages at all Big 10 universities in partnership with the Big Ten Academic Alliance.

Sustaining Values and Scholarship: A Statement by the Provosts of the Big Ten Academic Alliance

Jun 10, 2019, 09:49 AM

The Big Ten Academic Alliance continues its advocacy for a sustainable and open ecosystem of publication. Collectively, our institutions’ more than 50,000 faculty are supported by over $10 billion (2017) in research funding, and our institutions have similarly invested significantly in our capacity to further our missions to advance knowledge. Together, we produce roughly 15% of the research publications in the United States.

Big Ten Academic Alliance universities join forces to advance liberal arts graduates' career success

May 10, 2019, 13:00 PM

Representatives from the Big Ten Academic Alliance liberal arts and sciences colleges will gather at the Big Ten Conference Center May 8-10 to discuss ways to advance the liberal arts as a path for career success. Or

Student Voices Shape Design of Educational Spaces

Apr 19, 2019, 09:43 AM

The Big Ten Student Design challenge, hosted by the Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA), was designed to bring student voices into the university space design process.

2019 Women in IT Virtual Conference

Jan 30, 2019, 11:48 AM

Lead From Where You Are is the first virtual conference sponsored by the Big Ten Academic Alliance Women in IT (WIT) peer group. Occurring Friday, February 8, 2019 from 1:30-4:15pm Eastern, the conference will include two keynote speakers, as well as a panel of three women at different stages of their IT careers.

The Big Ten Academic Alliance Welcomes New Staff

Oct 17, 2018, 13:11 PM

The Big Ten Academic Alliance is delighted to announce our new Project Coordinators, Lori Frost, Laurel Rosch, and Sharon Lee.

Libraries Addressing the Need for Sustainable Access to Scholarly Publications

Oct 10, 2018, 11:14 AM

The Big Ten Academic Alliance libraries are working to leverage their collective buying power and to use their influence to offset traditional publisher price increases and to provide alternative paths to publication for scholarly authors.

Big Ten–Ivy League Traumatic Brain Injury Research Collaboration

Oct 10, 2018, 11:14 AM

The Big Ten-Ivy League Traumatic Brain Injury Research Collaboration is a multi-institutional research effort whose mission is to better understand the causes and effects of sport-related concussion and head injuries. Collaborations and publications are continuing to emerge from the participants.

Increasing Accessibility Throughout Big Ten Universities

Oct 10, 2018, 11:14 AM

Making content and technology more accessible to individuals with disabilities is a focal point for staff across multiple functional areas in member institutions. From Chief Information Officers to Librarians to Procurement Directors, collaborative efforts are underway to share best practices, develop vendor guidelines, modify procurement practices, enhance compliance oversight, and foster a cultural change of accessibility.

Collaborating to Address IT Security Risks

Oct 10, 2018, 11:13 AM

A common struggle across institutions is balancing speed and thoroughness in performing security reviews of third-party software. In an effort to address this, the Big Ten Academic Alliance Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) recently joined forces and developed an innovative approach to increase transparency and collaboration.

Big Ten Student Design Challenge

Oct 10, 2018, 11:13 AM

As campuses expand their focus on learning spaces to include not just classrooms, but dorms, libraries, social spaces and other informal learning environments, a new opportunity sponsored by Big Ten universities and the Herman Miller Company seeks to engage students more deeply in the design of these spaces.

A Message from the Executive Director

Oct 10, 2018, 11:13 AM

Fall is a magical time at Big Ten Academic Alliance universities. New student orientations, move-in days, football games, homecomings, and marching bands on crisp autumn days herald a new academic year full of potential and promise. The fourteen Big Ten Academic Alliance universities have just welcomed almost 90,000 freshmen to their campuses, all eager to begin the educational and social journey that will shape their future in countless ways.

Speaking Truth to Power: Kim Armstrong on libraries and consortia joining together to advocate for change in unfavorable terms from publishers

Aug 15, 2018, 14:05 PM

In a wide-ranging interview, the Society of Scholarly Publishing's Roger Schonfeld interviewed the Big Ten Academic Alliance's Kim Armstrong on licensing, scholarly publishing, and the recent pushback by the BTAA and other consortia on Taylor & Francis' attempt to create a moving wall model to access backfiles.

2019 BTAA/Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Awards Announced

Jun 14, 2018, 11:32 AM

The Big Ten Academic Alliance is proud to announce the 2019 BTAA/Smithsonian Institution Fellowship awardees.

Big Ten Academic Alliance Impact Report

Jun 7, 2018, 13:14 PM

The Big Ten Academic Alliance's large-scale-solutions approach maximizes efficiencies and enhances purchasing power--all of which create a big impact and big savings for the collective enterprise.