Committee On Publications
Committee Guide Addendum
The Publications Committee is charged with serving as the editorial board for all college publications. However, the Committee differs from traditional editorial boards in several ways that are important for committee members and others to appreciate. First, although the Committee has the power to provide editorial advice, we do not have the ‘gatekeeping’ power that the editorial board of a journal or other publication has in having the final decision over whether or not something gets published. Secondly, also unlike other sorts of editorial boards, the QCC Publications Committee does not receive potential future publications of the college prior to their being published for consideration.
This state of affairs has presented both challenges and opportunities for the committee. Many challenges stem from the fact that our editorial work is done after the college’s publications have already been published—and, insofar as the Committee is only charged with making suggestions (rather than deciding what gets published), our editorial may be less influential than those of traditional editorial boards.
While presenting challenges, this state of affairs exists as it does for several good reasons. The preservation of academic freedom requires that academic departments have final control over what is posted on their respective websites. In addition, given that the college website has tens of thousands of pages requiring regular updating, it is not remotely feasible for all proposed changes to pass through committee review. A major ongoing focus of the Committee’s work is identifying and developing ways of serving as an effective editorial board within these distinctive circumstances.
There is another important difference that the committee has compared to traditional editorial boards that is important for understanding our current and ongoing efforts. The original charges of the committee reflect the pre-digital era, when the college’s publications would be prepared discretely, with distinct versions being issued all at once. By contrast, in 2024, the college’s publications consist, primarily, of pages on the QCC website. The website is, of course, updated continuously rather than discretely and in ways that range from minor to major. This current state of affairs provides both an abundance of opportunities and challenges for the committee. On one hand, the size of the college website and absence (and impossibility) of certain types of oversight mean that there is likely more of a need for editorial work than ever. At the same time, the fact that control of the website is somewhat decentralized means that much of the Committee’s work involves trying to identify and develop ways of effectively carrying out its charges.
Current and Ongoing Work
The Publications Committee continues to identify editorial issues with college publications and devise ways to report editorial recommendations in ways that will contribute to improvements on the college website, which is the primary college publication that the committee has focused on in recent years. Since 2023, the committee has worked on compiling and distributing recommendations concerning (1) departmental tenure and promotion guidelines and (2) the faculty handbook. These recommendations primarily concern inconsistencies in formatting, broken/incorrect links, and other issues of this nature.
In addition to identifying issues editorial issues requiring attention, the committee has explored ways to better communicate the necessary changes. This has involved attempting to identify the relevant parties responsible for updating particular sections of the website, and considering possible proposals for bylaws changes that would empower the committee to directly implement, rather than simply suggest, certain types of changes on the website.
Going forward, the committee is eager to work with Adam Volin and others in the Department of Strategic Initiatives and Digital Transformation as they begin an extensive overhaul of the college website. It is hoped that through this process, the Committee may be able to identify new opportunities for carrying out its charges and enhancing its effectiveness.
