Diversifying the Publishing Academy: Increasing Access to Scholarly Publishing Education for Graduate Students

Abstract

Introduction: This article highlights the importance of providing accessible scholarly publishing education and support to graduate students by presenting a case study of how the University of Louisville’s Publishing Academy was modified to be fully online and intentionally focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Literature Review: The literature review examines existing scholarship related to publishing support for graduate students, focusing on literature discussing the importance of publishing for doctoral students and describing successful publishing and writing support programs. Overview of Publishing Academy: University of Louisville’s Publishing Academy is a biennial scholarly publishing program for graduate students founded in 2016. Planning and execution of the spring 2021 iteration of the Academy occurred during the global COVID-19 pandemic and during a time of national civil unrest due to racial inequity and injustice. The context of the times necessitated changes to the Publishing Academy, including moving the Academy to a fully virtual format and intentionally focusing on DEI in developing Academy sessions and faculty panels. Next Steps: Next steps for the Publishing Academy are considered based on participant feedback and organizers’ observations.