Contributing Editors support TIA by regularly contributing to the anonymized peer-review process for submitted manuscripts. Like general reviewers, contributing editors provide authors and the core editorial team thoughtful, unbiased feedback on the quality and suitability of submissions. Contributing Editors may review manuscripts as part of the normal submission process or in response to special calls. Contributing editors also provide feedback to the Editorial Board, when requested, on short- and long-range planning for the content and dissemination of TIA as well as the quality and quantity of work published in TIA.

As needed, the editorial team solicits self-nominations from the full POD membership and selects Contributing Editors from the pool of self-nominations based on their familiarity with educational development literature, experience with the peer-review process, and commitment to a developmental approach to reviewing. Contributing Editors serve 3-year terms, renewable for one additional term, and commit to reviewing 3-6 manuscripts each year. There are no more than 20 Contributing Editors at any given time. If you are interested in becoming a contributing editor but have limited experience reviewing manuscripts, we encourage you to start by first signing up to be a reviewer for TIA.

12 November 2025

TIA Contributing Editor Application 

Overview

The editorial team of To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development (TIA), POD’s premier publication, invites members of the POD Network to apply for the volunteer position of Contributing Editor. We aim to select a cohort of contributing editors who will serve 3-year terms and provide timely and constructive feedback for 6-10 anonymized articles per year as well as guidance to the TIA Editorial Board about the work published in TIA. We see this as an opportunity for both experienced and early-career POD members to contribute to the publication, to engage further in the POD Network, and to engage in professional growth.

TIA is committed to increasing access and opportunity in scholarship and we especially welcome applications from those whose voices are typically underrepresented in scholarship and publishing related to educational development. We welcome submissions that draw on scholarly expertise, practical knowledge, and/or lived experiences that can enhance the perspectives of educational developers.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities of contributing editors include…

• Responding promptly (i.e., within seven business days) to review requests and other communication from the editorial team;
• Supporting the editorial team by reviewing 6-10 submitted, anonymized manuscripts per year in a timely manner (within 30 days of accepting a review); manuscripts may be part of the normal submission process or in response to special calls;
• Providing authors and the editorial team thoughtful, constructive feedback on the quality and suitability of submissions;
• Providing feedback to the editorial board, when requested, on short- and long-range planning for the content and dissemination of TIA as well as on the quality and quantity of work published in TIA;
• Joining a dynamic group of contributing editors to share experiences, questions, and ideas during the onboarding period and potentially beyond.
• Being receptive and responsive to feedback from the editorial team. 

Candidate Qualifications

We are seeking candidates with these minimum qualifications:

• familiarity with the field of educational development and scholarship published in TIA;
• experience with the peer review process, either as a reviewer or author;
• commitment to, or experience with, a developmental approach to the peer review process;
• demonstrated commitment to increasing access and opportunity for multiple voices and perspectives in the field of educational development;
• time to devote to reviewing 6-10 articles each year, which includes 1-2 pages of written feedback for authors and approximately 1-3 hrs of time per article;
• current membership in the POD Network, or other demonstrated commitment to the field of educational development (If not currently a POD member, please describe commitments to the field under optional last question in the application).

Competitive candidates will possess some, though not necessarily all, of the following preferred qualifications. Therefore, we encourage you to consider applying even if you do not meet the criteria below. 

Extensive knowledge of at least one aspect of educational development scholarship; e.g., knowledge of the field’s history, scholarship, shortcomings, theoretical frameworks, and/or practices.
Record of reviewing for and/or publishing in educational development journals.

Application Process 

We aim to provide transparency as you consider whether to apply. Here is an overview of the application process: 

Complete the online application by Friday, December 12, 2025 at 11:59 pm PT for full consideration. 

The application asks for your CV as well as brief responses (~1 paragraph each) to the following prompts:

• Why do you want to serve as a Contributing Editor for To Improve the Academy (TIA)?
• Describe your familiarity with the field of educational development and scholarship published in TIA. 
• Describe your experience with the peer review process, your commitment to a developmental approach to writing and scholarship, and how these would guide your contributing editor work. You may speak from your experiences as a writer, as a reviewer, or both. 
• Describe how you might contribute to increasing access and opportunity to reflect the breadth of voices within the field of educational development in your contributing editor work.
• Optional: describe “How ... who you are shape[s] what you know about the world” (Tackas, 2003, p. 27). Responses to this prompt may allow candidates to provide information, particularly about lived experience, that informs how they approach educational development and scholarly review.
• If there is anything else you think would be helpful for us to know, please use the space below. (For example, contributions to the field of educational development, possible capacity constraints, etc.)

We also invite you to attend an optional information session with current members of the editorial team. More information about these sessions will be available shortly and posted on the TIA website.

These informal opportunities allow you to ask questions about the Contributing Editor role and application process, learn more about TIA, and meet the current members of the editorial team. Attending (or not attending) will not impact the selection process.

Final selections will be based on candidates’ materials submitted in light of the qualifications described above.

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David Takacs (2003), “How Does Your Positionality Bias Your Epistemology?” Thought & Action. Available at: https://repository.uclawsf.edu/faculty_scholarship/1264