HBCU Educators Gain New Insight into Academic Publishing During UNCF-Mellon Faculty Teaching and Learning Institute at Claflin University

It is widely acknowledged in higher education that faculty are expected to publish their research in scholarly influential journals – especially aspiring tenured professors. The often-used expression "Publish or Perish" summarizes this expectation. However, many faculty members don't know how to begin the competitive process of getting their peer-reviewed research article published.

Claflin University recently hosted "Publishing 200: How to Sustain Publications for HBCU Humanities Faculty Members in a Post-Covid-19 Era" to provide insightful and relevant information to help faculty navigate the competitive landscape of academic publishing. Faculty representing seven (7) Historically Black Colleges/Universities participated in the institute supported by a $30,000 UNCF-Mellon grant. The institute included workshops and discussions on strategies for planning, selecting avenues of peer-reviewed publications, setting realistic timelines for completing manuscripts, and collaborating to speed up and sustain publications.

"This was Claflin's fourth time hosting a UNCF-Mellon Faculty Teaching and Learning Institute," said Dr. Peggy Ratliff, interim chair and professor of English at Claflin. She is also the grant's co-principal investigator. "UNCF-Mellon started these institutes several years ago to provide opportunities for UNCF faculty to come together through workshops, institutes, and other programs to plan, share ideas, learn about best practices in teaching, and enhance their research.”

Through a competitive grant proposal, the UNCF-Mellon Foundation selects a few universities each year to host an institute. 

“After receiving the grant, the host college or university invites faculty from other UNCF schools to attend, participate and complete a project. Our first Teaching and Learning workshop was “Grant Writing 101” to assist faculty in the humanities with writing and securing grants."

This year's topic is highly consequential amid reports that faculty at small liberal arts HBCUs are teaching more classes as a growing number of their colleagues retire, find positions at other colleges or universities, or explore career options outside of higher education. For many faculty members, finding the time to complete a research project and getting it published -- while teaching a full course load and meeting service responsibilities is an enormous plan and challenge. However, for faculty pursuing tenure – not publishing is not an option.

"Publishing is critical in higher education because, in many cases, it's true – 

you publish, or perish.' Ratliff said. "Claflin lost several outstanding faculty because they did not have the minimum number of publications when they applied for tenure. The institute was a success and well-received by the participants. We had a publisher from the University of South Carolina Publishing Press and a publisher from a company in Charlotte, N.C. They took us through the initial steps to publication and provided information on royalties and contracts. We also had presentations from faculty who published and shared their experiences."

Dr. Catherine Adams believes the institute was impactful because it allowed representatives from different colleges and universities to network and hear about their goals and projects. 

"I received invaluable insight about the process of getting published that I may not have known had I not attended this institute," said Adams, an associate professor in African American Studies at Claflin. "We are building relationships that allow you to reach out to each other for useful information. The publishers gave us the nuts and bolts of getting published. Their presentations were compelling and very enlightening. They gave us ideas about research projects we may want to consider in the future."

Dr. Mitali Wong joined Ratliff as a co-principal investigator for the grant. Wong stated that after COVID-19, many colleges and universities experienced a drop in enrollment, leading to a hiring freeze on faculty positions. "Enrollment has improved, but some positions were not filled, and faculty at these schools teach a full course load. They are tasked with finding the time to get that first article or book published," said Wong, professor of English and special assistant to the dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Wong said the workshop inspired a collaborative forum on Microsoft Teams which expanded their ability to share ideas quickly with others. "We were able to talk face to face with publishers and ask them about the types of research they want," she said. "The publishers gave us the inside story about how to get published. The overarching message is that everyone can do it."

Dr. Paul Wilson, a professor in religion and philosophy at Shaw University, said he attended the institute to network with colleagues and participate in discussions on the broad spectrum of publishing opportunities. 

"I have published numerous journal articles during my 35 years in higher education," Wilson said. "I want to offer assistance, guidance, and encouragement to my colleagues who have not published and share what I have learned. The institute was extremely beneficial – especially for some of our younger colleagues. I hope this will continue in the years to come."