Happy University Press Week! Help us celebrate university presses November 11-15. Since 2012, members of the Association of University Presses have participated in an annual celebration of University Presses. Following the example of the first University Press week, proclaimed by US President Jimmy Carter in the summer of 1978, this event recognizes the impact that a global community of university presses has on every one of us.

This year’s theme for UP Week is “Step UP.” This is meant to provide an opportunity for presses and their supporters to explore the myriad ways our community’s publications and platforms give context to current issues and events, offer solutions to global challenges, and present diverse voices in a broad range of disciplines.

The #UPweek blog tour today features “WHO #StepsUP at, with, or for your press?” Posts on today’s topic, exploring who steps up and encourages others to do so within the community, come from the University of Alberta Press, Temple University Press, Wilfrid Laurier University Press, Yale University Press, Syracuse University Press, University of Pennsylvania Press, McGill-Queen’s University Press, University of Vermont Press, SUNY Press, University of Illinois Press, Purdue University Press, University of Washington Press, New York University Press, and John Hopkins University Press.

For our contribution, Lacey Losh, Graphic Designer/Compositor for UNP, will discuss her important work as leader of the press’s Justice Equity Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) committee.

JEDI at UNP

Creating a welcoming atmosphere is a core value of the University of Nebraska Press (UNP). Our team is always looking for ways to celebrate diversity and make our books, journals, website, and exhibits more accessible. Staff members bring wonderful ideas to us by attending conferences and learning about diversity initiatives at other university presses, through training and education, and by talking to one another about ways we can be more equitable and inclusive.

One big step we’ve taken toward these goals at UNP was to establish a Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) committee at the start of this year. Committee members represent every department at the press and participate in team initiatives as well as other tasks well suited to individual departments and job responsibilities.

Our current team project is to define JEDI for UNP. We meet quarterly to work together on tasks like this, to discuss upcoming diversity training offered at the University and beyond, and to share progress on individual or small group committee tasks.

Some goals for individuals and small groups for the JEDI committee include making our exhibits more accessible, creating alt-text for digital ads, recruiting diverse staff, fellows, and interns, attracting diverse authors and freelancers, and finding ways to engage journal editors in our objectives.

There are several resources available to University of Nebraska employees outside of UNP to broaden perspectives and avenues so we can be more inclusive in our work. Among them is #NCLUDE: “The NCLUDE small learning groups offer a space to build community and belonging as a part of everyday interactions. The small groups are intended to leverage peer-to-peer learning and introspection to help students, faculty, staff, alumni and the larger community understand and embrace the opportunities to create a greater sense of belonging.”  

There are currently twenty-one fall semester sessions of #NCLUDE small learning groups being hosted by individuals and departments across campus. These learning groups have a wide range of topics and interest areas such as mental health considerations in teaching, advocating and empowering international students, community support to improve issues of food injustice and insecurity, diversity book discussion groups, and more.

The Organizational Development & Training Human Resources department is currently seeking employee and community volunteers to anchor #NCLUDE learning groups for the spring 2025 semester.

Another way to get involved in diversity initiatives on a broader, campus community level is to volunteer for one of the Chancellor’s commissions. There are currently five commissions, many of which meet monthly and report back campus-wide issues to UNL’s Chancellor. Individuals selected for one of these committees typically serve a three-year appointment. The five committees include the Chancellor’s Commission on the Status of People of Color, the Chancellor’s Commission on the Status of Women, the Chancellor’s Environment, Sustainability, and Resilience Committee, the Chancellor’s Commission of the Status of Gender and Sexual Identities, and the Chancellor’s Commission to Prevent Sexual Misconduct.

Ultimately our goal at UNP is to provide a safe and respectful environment for our staff and student workers, as well as our readers, authors, artists, editors, freelancers, vendors, printers, and campus, and community partners. We also strive to maintain high-quality materials, created thoughtfully and passionately, for all to enjoy.