As the pandemic hit higher ed across the globe the responses were often were grounded in reaction and panic, but at the City University of New York a long tradition of investing in local talent building open source solutions for creating online communities highlights the power of an alternative vision of educational technology. Both New York State and New York City’s investment in open education has not revolved around textbooks and things at CUNY as much as it has around creating and maintaining localized educational platforms where teaching and learning can and should happen online.

This conversation explores the ways in which the City University of New York has built out an open source infrastructure using tools like WordPress and Manifold, underscoring the larger questions around “why open technologies?” this a razor sharp attention to the broader struggle in higher education around funding the mission while acknowledging the long legacy of economic austerity and students and staff alike.