CAREER PROGRESSION
The joint Task Force on Career Progression, with well over 20 volunteers drawn from the membership of the Association of University Presses, the Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP), and the Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers (ALPSP), continued its work throughout 2023. More than 1,000 qualitatively coded job descriptions were analyzed by two University of Michigan graduate students participating in the Rackham fellowship program, resulting in a robust anonymized dataset now available on the Deep Blue repository [link to https://doi.org/10.7302/8bwe-t091]. A senior capstone project team from the University of Michigan School of Information has begun work on a career-skills explorer proof-of-concept for use by the scholarly publishing community, task force leaders have drafted and submitted a research article based on the work done, and the three partner organizations are preparing to undertake unique projects to serve their memberships. For AUPresses, the goal is integrating equitable publishing job descriptions into university HR systems.
Charles Watkinson, Michigan, Chair
Angela Anderson, Marine Corps
David Aycock, Baylor
Rebecca Bostock, Ohio State
Catherine Cocks, Syracuse
Cason Lynley, Duke
Dominique Moore, Illinois
Amy Sherman, Pitt
Rich Schrader, Senior HR Business Partner, University of Michigan, Consultant
Lisa Bayer, Georgia, Board Liaison
Brenna McLaughlin, Central Office Liaison
UNIVERSITY PRESS WEEK
The University Press Week Task Force led an exciting University Press Week campaign in November 2023, focused on a #SpeakUP theme. It was a record-breaking year during which the UP Week Gallery promoted the work of 103 university presses (surpassing its goal of 100 submissions), and the annual blog tour boasted more than 80 entries, including an amazing array of voices and subjects. Our 2023 celebration was supported by a new Publisher Toolkit which outlined the week’s activities, offered reasons why other member publishers participate, and described AUPresses resources designed to make participation easy. Additionally, other resources were improved and updated, including bookseller and social media toolkits. Publicity highlights included impressive UP Week firsts: a sponsored University Press feature in Publishers Weekly that spotlighted the work of 21 presses and a mention of UP Week on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” during an author interview. Other features appeared in LitHub, Publishing Perspectives, and Feeding the Elephant blog; New Books Network and Next Big Ideas Club podcasts; and interviews on Texas Public Radio, WLS-AM Chicago, WESA-FM Pittsburgh, and Groks Science Radio. More than two dozen UP Week events spanned the globe from Seattle to Bristol, UK, and Chicago to Florida. The UP Week Task Force is already well into planning for UP Week 2024, November 11-15.
Gigi Lamm, Pennsylvania, Chair (2024)
Carrie Adams, Chicago, Chair (2023)
Julie Atkins, Bristol
Erik Beranek, Princeton
Catherine Hobbs, Columbia
Cate Hodorowicz, North Carolina
Mary Beth Jarrad, NYU
Kayla Kiteley, Toronto
Micah Kleit, Rutgers
Elisia Snyder, Alberta
Nicole Utter, Michigan State
Kevin Worrall, Edinburgh
Colleen Lanick, Harvard, Board Liaison
Annette Windhorn, Central Office Liaison
McKenzi Thi Murphy, Central Office Staff Support
2024 AI Advisory Group
The AUPresses Board of Directors requested that the Association discover where our member community stands in relation to AI, and what information, education, or services needs the Association might be called upon to provide. The Advisory Group was convened to help Association staff shape a survey or other intelligence-gathering process that will address this request. A membership survey is underway in spring 2024, from which staff and advisors will develop new resources and consider new programming.
Amy Brand, MIT
Alan Harvey, Stanford
Andrew Joseph, Wits
Barbara Kline Pope, Johns Hopkins
Sarah Weicksel, American Historical Association
Peter Berkery, AUPresses (staff)
Brenna McLaughlin, AUPresses (staff)