The CRKN banding system has been developed to provide a relative measure of comparison of research and teaching intensity among consortia members and to give content vendors a consistent basis for setting prices. The banding system is also used to determine annual membership fees.
The banding system uses a rolling average of three data variables, equally weighted, to determine in which band each member institution currently resides. Each data variable is calculated as an average of the most recent three years. The data is updated annually to reflect the changing demographics of member institutions.
The data variables used in the Banding System are:
- Sponsored Research (data source: Canadian Association of University Business Officers)
- Student Full Time Equivalents (data source: Universities Canada)
- Full-time Faculty (data source: Statistics Canada)
Goals and Principles
Given CRKN’s diversity of membership, the banding system identifies CRKN members within bands of their peers as a relative measure of comparison in order to:
- Facilitate fair, predictable, and transparent pricing for all members
- Recommend relevant and representative pricing bands to vendors based on the teaching and research activities of members
- Have each member institution in the same band offered the same fee to participate in a given agreement
- Ensure that each member institution's pricing is independent of the participation of other member institutions
- Strengthen and affirm CRKN’s values by encouraging use and accessibility, and ensuring broad participation
- Continue to expand on the member engagement and consensus building that informed the development of the system