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Tier 2 License: Step by Step

Tier 2 acquisitions are those initiated and negotiated by campus subject selectors in which four or more UC campuses participate. 

1. Inquiry, Negotiation, and Start-up Stages

Sponsoring Campus Responsibilities

  • Survey interest among other campuses through Common Knowledge Groups (CKGs) and verify current holdings.
  • Notify Li Ma, Assistant Director of Systemwide Licensing at the CDL that you are pursuing a Tier 2 negotiation. (important)
  • Negotiate with vendor on the following; consult with Li Ma at CDL if needed.
    • Content
    • Contract Term (time period, or effective date plus duration)
    • Access Conditions, e.g. unlimited simultaneous user access
    • How and whether perpetual access comes with your resource
    • Authentication, e.g. IP authentication
    • Fee, e.g. license fee (per year), ongoing fee, one-time fee
    • Price caps for multi-year contracts
    • Payment terms, e.g. a single invoice for annual subscription fee
    • APC discounts if applicable
    • MARC records for large collections of monographic titles?
    • Review CDL Standard License for other key terms, e.g. linking, ILL, usage statistics, training, etc. and incorporate as appropriate. See the Licensing Toolkit for links to the Standard License.
    • An option for including additional campuses in the future.
  • Work out a co-investment model among participating campuses. For example, dividing the costs based on an FTE model, or using the vendor’s pricing.
  • Obtain approval of each participating campus SCLG member (critical). The SCLG member of the sponsoring campus should send a proposal to the SCLG Proposals listserv in order to facilitate the formal approval process.
  • Work on the license (the Tier 2 Coordinator coordinates with the licensing staff at the sponsoring campus)
    • Use the CDL Standard License Agreement (CDL/internal version) as a guideline. Use the Standard License Agreement (public version) for vendor communication. See the Licensing Toolkit for links to the Standard License.
    • For Licensee, use “the Regents of the University of California for [campus and campus address]…” For example, “the Regents of the University of California for the University of California, Berkeley, a non-profit academic institution, with its principal offices at…”.
    • For licensing contact, use campus contact and address. For invoicing and technical contacts, use the CDL contacts as listed in the CDL model license.
    • For authorized sites, list all authorized sites and include “University of California, Office of the President” for administrative purposes.
    • Obtain authorized campus signatory.
  • Fill out the Tier 2 New Resource Form and send it to CDL Acquisitions. Contact Laura Fouladi at UCSD for assistance.
  • Request CDL to send current IP addresses to vendor (via cdlsupport-l@ucop.edu).
  • Send URL for access and vendor technical contact information to CDL Support.
  • Prepare an announcement for CDLINFO; including content description and campus availability and send it to CDL Support. (CDL may also sometimes write the initial draft and work with the Tier 2 Coordinator to finalize).
  • Forward a counter-signed license to Laura Fouladi at UCSD and Li Ma, the Assistant Director of Systemwide Licensing at CDL.
  • Send the invoice to CDL or supply CDL with the vendor’s contact information to request the invoice.
  • In summary, this information will be sent to CDL:
    • The CDO Approvals (copies of the emails forwarded)
    • The completed Tier 2 New Resource Form, including the campus cost shares
    • The fully executed license
    • Highlight any additional details about the deal or resource that are not already included elsewhere
    • Invoice or instructions for requesting the invoice from the vendor
  • If this is a continuing resource, go to Step 2: Maintaining a Tier 2: Annual Renewals

CDL Responsibilities:

  • Provide guidance on vendor negotiation and licensing terms as needed.
  • Maintain final copies of business terms and license agreements.
  • Provide IP Addresses directly to vendor and update as needed.
  • Work with the vendor to set up access.
  • Set up and catalog resources in Alma.
  • Add redacted license to the CDL license web site.
  • Provide technical support via CDL Helpline.
  • Process invoices for payment.
  • Recharge campuses.
  • Create official order record in Alma & CDL records.

2. Maintaining a Tier 2: Annual Renewals (License in place)

Sponsoring Campus Responsibilities:

  • Renegotiate the pricing or license as needed.
  • Obtain approval from each participating campus that they want to renew. If there is a significant price increase, changes to the package, or business terms, then obtain SCLG approval. These approvals should be forwarded to CDL during the renewal process.
  • If a campus does not want to renew, confirm the number of remaining campuses still meets the minimum of four to qualify as a Tier 2.
  • After pricing has been negotiated and approvals have been obtained, send the following to Laura Fouladi at CDL:
    • Any fully executed new license or amendment for the renewal
    • Any updates to the list of participating campuses
    • Any changes to the renewal cost shares
    • Approvals from each participating campus
    • Renewal invoice or the vendor’s contact information to request the invoice

CDL Responsibilities

  • Maintain current IP addresses with vendors; update annually or as needed.
  • Resolve access problems via CDL Helpline.
  • Maintain repository of business and license terms.
  • Verify accuracy of invoice and approve for payment.
  • Process renewal invoices for payment.
  • Recharge campuses.
  • Record any changes in status (e.g., cancellation or addition of a campus).