Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Provides Transitional Funds for Highly Regarded Program
New York, NY—The Association of American University Presses is very pleased to announce a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support the continuation of its Residency Program through 2016. The Residencies are one the Association’s most effective professional development programs, providing opportunities for individuals to advance both their own professional knowledge and the operations of their home press.
The AAUP Residency Program, formerly funded by the Mrs. Giles F. Whiting Foundation, has sponsored 90 residents since 1997. The program gives selected staff from AAUP member presses an opportunity to observe operations at an appropriate host press for up to one week. AAUP members are diverse in size, structure, resources, and geography. Residents often come from small presses remote from a strong publishing community. Applicants sometimes request to visit presses that are experimenting with new procedures or that are strong in a particular department.
Grantees have answered key questions in applying for a Residency:
- What skills do you wish to learn or improve during the proposed residency?
- How will these new or enhanced skills benefit your development as a publishing professional and/or how would they benefit your home press?
- Why is the proposed host well suited to providing the desired environment?
- Are these goals uniquely able to be met through this residency?
AAUP’s Professional Development Committee evaluates applications and oversees the program.
A recent resident stated: “The Whiting Residency was unquestionably among the richest professional experiences I’ve ever had. University press staff tend to work in relative isolation; the closest university press might be in the next state, and we see our colleagues only once a year at the AAUP conference—for those of us lucky enough to attend. The residency put me in direct contact for an extended period with colleagues in so many departments at an exemplary and venerable university press; I can’t imagine a substitute for this program.”
After a recent realignment of grant-making programs, the Whiting Foundation notified AAUP that it would no longer be able to support the Residencies. The generous transitional support from the Mellon Foundation will allow the Association to continue this irreplaceable professional development, education, and networking program through 2016 while permanent funding is sought.
Applications for 2014 AAUP Residencies are due on May 29. More information about the program and application requirements can be found here: [http://www.aaupnet.org/resources/for-members/professional-development-programs/aaup-residency-program]
About AAUP
The Association of American University Presses (AAUP) promotes the work and influence of university presses, provides cooperative marketing opportunities, and helps its more than 130 member presses fulfill their commitments to scholarship and the dissemination of knowledge. Our members are active across many disciplines and are innovators in the world of electronic publishing. AAUP’s reach goes beyond our membership through scholarly associations, research libraries, independent book publishers, and many other affiliates.
Contact (for Residency Program): Susan Patton, spatton@aaupnet.org; 212.989.1010 x25
General Media Inquiries: Regan Colestock, rcolestock@aaupnet.org; 212.989.1010 x24