University Presses launch EvenUP initiative

The University Presses of UK and Ireland are pleased to announce the launch of EvenUP, an initiative inspired by the work of Association of University Presses, (AUP) Coalition for Diversity and Inclusion in Scholarly Communications (C4DISC) whose first Toolkit for Equity in Scholarly Publishing was launched in August 2020.

EvenUP demonstrates the commitment of UK and Irish university presses to equity, diversity, inclusivity and belonging in our workplaces, in who we work with and in what we publish.  Recognising that different presses and parent institutions have their own EDI initiatives but eager to collaborate in order to amplify them, we undertake to:

1. Share best practice for EDI across presses.
2. Commit to using either the AUPresses survey tool to collect demographic data, or our own surveys of comparable quality, in order to assess and understand areas in which we can improve, benchmarking across presses where appropriate.
3. Create and share an ongoing programme of training and events, such as guest speakers, webinars, online symposia.
4. Promote and demonstrate transparency and equal opportunity in recruitment and career progression processes in university presses, including:
   1. paid internships,
   2. listing salaries/salary bands on all entry level roles and on all recruitment advertising, subject to commercial or confidentiality requirements,
   3. inter-press career mentorship for colleagues from under-represented groups.
5. Work together to raise awareness of career opportunities in our presses with groups that are currently underrepresented in scholarly publishing.
6. Have a designated lead for equality, diversity and inclusivity in our organisations and have those leads meet regularly.
   
   

The University Presses involved in this initiative are: Bristol, Cambridge, Cork, Edinburgh, Goldsmiths, Harvard (UK office), Liverpool, University of London, Manchester, MIT (UK office), Oxford, Princeton (European office), University College Dublin, University College London, Wales and Yale University Press London

Quotations from some of the participating publishers:

"As mission-driven publishers it behoves all university presses to strive for greater equity in the scholarly and publishing ecosystems.  Individually we can all play our part but by working together we can amplify our efforts and hasten change."
Anthony Cond, Chief Executive, Liverpool University Press

"I am delighted that Edinburgh University Press is participating in this important initiative. Committing to the principles of EDI is vital to our identity, in terms of who and what we publish, as well as the ways in which we recruit and support our staff."
Nicola Ramsey, CEO, Edinburgh University Press

"I welcome this joined up commitment from the university press community on EDI initiatives, investigating how we can reduce the barriers that exclude people from participating in scholarly communication and employment, as well as educate colleagues on addressing these inequalities."
Chris Hart, Head of Marketing, Manchester University Press

"This declaration acknowledges that, like the wider publishing industry, academic publishing needs to change to become more diverse and inclusive. We have made some practical commitments as a necessary first step, and I believe that collaboration, including with host institutions and researchers, has the potential to open out scholarly publishing and communications."
Sarah Kember, Director of Goldsmiths Press

"As university presses we are committed to supporting greater equity across academia through more diverse and inclusive academic publishing. These principles are a starting point for each of us to make tangible and positive changes that welcome diversity of thought, perspective and approach to our publishing as well as creating an inclusive environment for our own teams. This need not be an area where we compete: instead, we can achieve greater progress through open collaboration."
Mandy Hill, Managing Director, Cambridge University Press

"This is an important collaborative initiative.  We are looking forward to working together with our colleagues across the university presses and commit to accelerate change towards broader representation and greater diversity.  We hope to reinforce an inclusive and open culture in the broadest sense."
Heather McCallum, Managing Director and Publisher, Yale University Press London

“Working together university presses can make a tangible difference to equality, diversity and inclusion through our publishing, policies and processes. This shared commitment is a springboard to positive social change.”
Alison Shaw, Chief Executive, Bristol University Press