The official publisher of scholarly work created at Clemson, Clemson University Press, is now part of the Association of University Presses, a distinguished international community of publishers committed to the highest caliber of research-based scholarship.
“Members of the Association of University Presses are expected to meet high standards of both professional publishing and editorial rigor. Our community of scholarly publishers is dedicated, knowledgeable, and generous and we are so pleased to welcome Clemson University Press and its staff into that community,” said Peter Berkery, executive director of AUPresses.
Director of CUP John Morgenstern echoed Berkery’s sentiment and said membership in AUPresses will help solidify Clemson’s position as one of the leading research institutions in the nation.
“Membership in this global community of publishers recognizes the quality and significance of the Press’s work in shaping scholarly fields and in publishing reliable information that promotes new ways of thinking and enriches lives,” said Morgenstern.
Dean of Libraries Christopher Cox said being accepted into AUPresses has been on CUP’s list for years and is one of the reasons the University Press moved to the Libraries from the English Department.
“This was a year in the making and will be another way to put Clemson University and Clemson Libraries on the research university map!” said Cox. “We join other R1 presses like the University of Michigan, Cornell, and the University of Virginia, and can now take advantage of educational programs, grants and be part of collaborative projects by the AUPresses.”
University presses are publishers. At the most basic level that means they perform the same tasks as any other publisher: acquiring, developing, designing, producing, marketing and selling books and journals, just like Random House or Sage. But while commercial publishers focus on making money by publishing for popular audiences, the university press’s mission is to publish work of scholarly, intellectual, or creative merit, often for a small audience of specialists or a regional community of interest.
“The mission of Clemson University Press is to publish trusted, high-quality scholarship and to promote Clemson as a center of learning and culture throughout the world,” said Morgenstern.
Morgenstern noted the Press has expanded in recent years, publishing approximately 30 books per annum as well as a growing list of scholarly journals in the arts and in Extension-related fields.
Regular membership in AUPresses, a prerequisite for some grant and partnership opportunities, signals that a press maintains the highest standards for scholarly publishing, especially for rigorous peer-review processes, said Morgenstern.
“Clemson University Press staff now belong to an international network of publishing professionals and have access to exchange programs and other forms of resource and information sharing vital to further growth and innovation.”