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Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Commitment

The Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP) is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) and to our core values of Community, Inclusivity, Adaptability, and Integrity. A cornerstone of SSP’s strategic plan is to embed DEIA in our own work and to foster DEIA in our community through demonstrated leadership in the effort to expand the diversity of professionals working in scholarly communications.

SSP recognizes that we have a shared responsibility to create and maintain a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible environment for the benefit of all. We encourage a culture of inclusion through awareness, outreach, and striving for diverse and balanced representation across all programs.

Mission Statement

SSP’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Committee raises awareness around issues of DEIA, provides direction to SSP volunteers on issues of DEIA, and champions practices that will help build a more inclusive community for all SSP members and their workplaces.

The DEIA Committee has three main objectives:

  • Engage SSP membership to build communities that prioritize and value Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility.
  • Advance Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in scholarly publishing.
  • Support SSP’s strategic goal to embed Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in all that the organization does.

In addition, our Accessibility Working Group (launched in 2022) provides education and resources to members on the topic of accessible practices, and helps to ensure that these practices are embedded in all aspects of SSP’s work.

Programmatic and Operational Efforts to Date

SSP has been committed to building a diverse and inclusive community since 2017 when we convened our first Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, which became the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee in 2019. In 2022, with Board approval, the DEI Committee expanded its name and scope to include Accessibility, and is now known as the DEIA Committee. We actively infuse our work with equitable values, including providing leadership as a founding member of the Coalition for Diversity and Inclusion in Scholarly Publishing (C4DISC), an intraorganizational body of trade and professional organizations formed to discuss and address issues of diversity and inclusion. Furthermore, SSP:

  • Actively recruits diverse voices for The Scholarly Kitchen, webinars, and other SSP programming, including ensuring diversity among speakers and keynotes for the SSP Annual Meeting.
  • Creates educational content focused on DEIA for The Scholarly Kitchen, webinars, annual meetings, and other SSP programming each year.
  • Include DEIA Committee liaisons on all SSP committees and task forces to ensure prioritization of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility goals for all programs.
  • Advises SSP on inclusive recruitment for our early-career support programs like the SSP Fellows (24% international representation) and the SSP Mentorship Programs (participants from 18 countries to date).
  • Curates a Scholarly Publishing DEIA Resource Forum on our C3 community platform.
  • Abides by and helps to enforce SSP’s Code of Conduct, which underscores a zero-tolerance approach to racism and any other forms of discrimination or abuse.
  • Sets a proactive example for the industry at the highest level of SSP leadership through our diverse Board of Directors.
  • Sponsors the student-run GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing—which covers topics including diversity and inclusion, accessibility, peer review, open access, sustainability, publishing metrics, and equity—by providing access to resources and mentorship for students working on the journal.
  • Supports research initiatives to better understand DEIA issues in the industry.

Have suggestions? Get in touch with the DEIA Committee.

Funding the Work

The Generations Fund, a Board-approved endowment with a $500,000 goal, was established with the purpose of providing “sustainable funding for the Society for Scholarly Publishing’s initiatives and programs…[to] include the organization’s Fellowship Program, Mentorship Program, and the initiatives of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Committee.” Donations to the Generations Fund will continue SSP’s commitment to DEIA by also funding future initiatives in response to evolving issues.

Ways to Give

Scholarly Publishing DEIA Resource Forum

Driven by SSP’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Committee, the Scholarly Publishing DEIA Resource Forum is a place to share resources that will help our industry tackle multiple challenges as scholarly publishing adapts to a broader world. The forum is open to SSP members and non-members to share resources and ask questions. As these issues can be sensitive, please remember to be aware of the intent and impact of your speech. Please review the Terms of Use/Community Rules and Etiquette before posting.

Committee members are invited to visit the DEIA community on C3 to view member resources.