A Closer Look at College English’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The push for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives has been an ongoing conversation in the world of academic publishing. I recently interviewed my professor and co-author, Dr. Felicita Arzu-Carmichael, who is an assistant professor at Oakland University (OU) and an associate editor in College English (CE) about her role in the journal. College English is a prestigious journal in the field of writing studies under the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), and it has taken steps to advance DEI initiatives in scholarly publishing. 

In recent years, it became apparent that both Dr. Felicita Arzu-Carmichael and I were committed to advancing DEI initiatives in the field of writing studies. As a result, she and I started collaborating together on projects to further investigate issues in the field. We are actively co-authoring a book chapter on racial microaggressions where we analyze exclusionary educational practices that put early-career faculty and undergraduate students at risk. Drawing from our own experiences, we aim to shed light on the possibilities for social justice leadership, workplace activism, and student empowerment within writing classrooms. 

Dr. Felicita Arzu-Carmichael shared that DEI work at CE was initiated by the editorial team under the leadership of Dr. Lori Ostergaard, the editor of College English and a writing professor within the department of writing and rhetoric at OU. A few years ago, Dr. Lori Ostergaard decided to expand the journal into a collaborative effort among her colleagues consisting of three writing professors from the same department: Dr. Felicita Arzu-Carmichael, Dr. Jim Nugent, and Dr. Megan Schoen, who all serve as associate editors of the journal.

The editorial team at CE has taken actionable initiatives implementing practices that make the journal more diverse and inclusive. They also work with an exceptional and supportive editorial board, who offer insightful approaches for achieving those practices.

Here are some of the steps the team goes through during the publishing process: 

• Manuscript Review and Feedback

One of the first actions taken by the College English editorial team is a thorough review of manuscripts submitted for publication. Dr. Felicita Arzu-Carmichael and her colleagues assess whether a manuscript should be sent out for peer review and provide constructive feedback to the author. “Our key approach includes synthesizing feedback to support the writer without overwhelming them,” she says. Their team believes that it’s an important step in challenging the historical gatekeeping nature of academic journals and ensuring that diverse voices are heard and valued.

• Subscribe to Antiracist Practices

The team subscribes to “antiracist scholarly reviewing practices” designed to ensure that the assessment of manuscripts is not discriminatory based on race, gender, or background. Additionally, Dr. Arzu-Carmichael adheres to the principle of “Citation Justice,” identifying whether authors intentionally cite and consider the perspectives of people of color in their work.

This sends a strong message about the diverse perspectives and contributions they value. 

• Subscribe to Editorial Ethics

The editorial team adheres to a set of editorial ethics that prioritize supporting writers. The team recognizes that feedback from peer reviewers may not always align with the author’s goals, so they encourage authors to consider multiple perspectives. “I think this is more a compassionate approach that reduces the anxiety authors often face during the publishing process,” she says.

• Offer Mentorship Services

In order to be more inclusive, College English offers mentorship services to authors whose manuscripts are not an immediate fit for the journal or might benefit from additional revisions before going out for review. Instead of simply rejecting their work, they provide feedback and one-on-one mentorship services to guide authors in revising their work for future submissions. “We believe this approach can open up opportunities for authors that can help achieve their writing goals while also meeting the needs of College English readers,” she notes.

• Accept Alternative work

The team acknowledges the diversity in content different authors bring by accepting a variety of works beyond traditional academic papers. Authors are invited to share studies, course syllabi, or models for other instructors. The team recognizes that not everyone has the time or capacity to publish traditional academic papers and oftentimes scholars of color tend to take up many roles in academia that might prohibit them from publishing. By creating opportunities for different kinds of scholarship, it accounts for the many ways folx can participate actively in scholarly work beyond traditional academic papers. The team recognizes the diverse ways in which authors contribute to their fields. 

• Critical Race Theory Initiatives (CRT)

The journal is currently working on two special issues on “Heeding the Call: Insurgent Creativity, Eternal Stories, and Extending the Legacy of Critical Race Theory.” The first issue is guest edited by Dr. Aja Y. Martinez and Dr. Lou Maraj to be published in September 2024, and the second issue is guest edited by Dr. Aja Y. Martinez and Dr. Frankie Condon to be published in November 2024. This is meant to invite writing scholars to engage in conversations about the recent attack on CRT and what this means for the field of study. 

All in all, the College English editorial team’s commitment towards diversity, equity, and inclusion in scholarly publishing is exciting and commendable. They are making a difference in advancing social justice and ensuring that voices from all backgrounds are represented. It’s very clear that their commitment is not just a statement, but tangible actions being implemented.  It’s fair to pose the question: how can literary journals possibly implement these actions to ensure diversity of voices? 

• Implementation of Inclusivity in Literary Journals

While academic publishing and literary publishing differ in processes, writing styles and content, literary journals can take similar actionable steps to ensure the inclusion of diverse voices and representation. As a published author who has been rejected by journals and creative nonfiction editor, I suggest the following implementations for creating an inclusive space for all writers.

Here are some steps the editors can take to promote a more diverse and inclusive space during the publishing process:

• Diversity in Editorial Staff

The lack of diversity in editorial staff leads to many problems such as appropriation, misrepresentation, and the silencing of voices of writers from different cultures. Having a diverse staff from all different backgrounds can prevent these issues, ensuring more voices and nontraditional narratives are heard. There is a significant impact when the stories of marginalized communities are read and selected by editors who share these same backgrounds.

• Mission Statement

Literary journals can clearly establish their core values in a mission statement that is displayed on their website. A mission statement that explicitly and openly states the solicitation of marginalized communities can provide a sense of representation for writers whose narratives have been historically excluded, especially when they see their identities and backgrounds reflected in the journal’s mission. A mission statement can simply read, “we prioritize the voices of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), gender non-conforming and LGBTQ, immigrants, those living with disabilities and other historically marginalized groups.” It’s important to actively solicit pieces from these populations to reinforce this deep commitment.

• Guideline Flexibility  

Writers oftentimes feel constrained by strict guidelines such as specific word counts, themes, topics, and genres stopping them from seeking publication. While some of these guidelines serve practical purposes such as space limitation, being more flexible with the guidelines can allow for a broader range of voices to be heard.

• Offer Constructive Feedback

It comes as no surprise that numerous pieces get rejected and passed down for various different reasons. More importantly, most of them are passed down without being provided with any feedback. The reasons for rejection vary from editor to editor and journal to journals, all with different goals. This may be due to time constraints or lack of compensation, as some journals are run for free. However, as implemented by College English, journals can provide feedback or revision plans for writers to consider. This can ensure that writers are given an opportunity to improve their writing before resubmission. Editors typically have reasons as to why they reject a piece and sharing their reasons (respectfully) can be helpful to emerging writers.

Final Thoughts

These suggestions are not the only form of solutions as there are many practices and implementations literary journals can take to be more diverse and inclusive. The goal and commitment to ensuring a diversity of voices is certainly a slow process, but it’s such necessary work. This kind of social justice work is important because it provides a space for writers to share their stories–making literary journals platforms that validate these diverse voices.