Become an Editorial Board Member

February 2025

Call for Board Members

Overview

The editorial board of To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development (TIA), POD Network’s flagship peer-reviewed publication, invites members of the POD Network to self-nominate for the volunteer position of editorial board member. The Board, which serves to oversee the general health and prosperity of the journal, and includes members with a diverse range of both educational development and/or editorial experience. 


We aim to recruit 3-4 at-large Board members, to serve three-year terms with the possibility of renewing for one additional consecutive term. New Board members will join the current Board and actively engage with the Editorial Team.

Self-nominations must be submitted March 24, 2025 at 5:00 pm (PDT) for full consideration. The call for self-nominations is now closed.

TIA is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are especially interested in receiving expressions of interest from those whose voices are typically underrepresented in scholarship and publishing related to educational development. Please share this call with colleagues, especially those who identify as Black, Indigenous, Latinx, or Asian, disabled and/or neurodivergent, LGBTQIA+, and those colleagues who work in community colleges, HBCUs, and HSIs, or others who may have identities and lived experiences that can enrich and expand on conventional perspectives of educational development.


Editorial Board members provide guidance and leadership to the TIA Editorial Team by

  • helping set strategic directions and priorities for TIA;
  • ensuring overall adherence to ethical and professional publishing standards;
  • periodically reviewing the journal’s handbook, aims and scope, manuscript review criteria, and other journal-specific policies; 
  • supporting the review of governance (and where applicable operational) materials, manuscript review criteria, and other relevant policies;
  • resolving publisher, author, or reviewer disputes, and generally supporting the Editorial Team with conflict resolution; 
  • offering suggestions to the Editorial Team related to special issues topics, potential reviewers, Editorial Team members or Board members;
  • helping generally with outreach efforts, which may include recruiting Editorial Team members; contributing to POD-sponsored conference sessions;
  • liaising with POD Network committees and special interest groups.

Editorial Board members can expect to commit to 2 hours per month in their roles. This commitment includes:

  • hour-long Board meetings held online, usually once a month;
  • typically fewer than 1-2 hours between meetings contributing to Board initiatives and preparing for Board meetings.

TIA seeks potential candidates with existing and emerging: 

  • familiarity with the field of educational development and scholarship published in TIA;
  • ability to actively listen, ask thought-provoking questions, challenge the status quo, and contribute to conversations that prompt reflection or open up possibilities;
  • commitment to supporting and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion and other POD Network goals;
  • commitment to a developmental approach in the review and publication process;
  • ability to collaborate collegially.

Please note that active membership in the POD Network is required to serve as a TIA Board Member.


Individuals with one or more of the following characteristics are especially encouraged to submit applications:

  • extensive knowledge of educational development, knowledge of the field’s history, scholarship, theoretical frameworks, and practice;
  • record of engaging deeply with scholarly educational development, which might include actively using scholarly educational development literature to advance your own work, sharing literature with others, experience publishing in peer reviewed journals, and/or regularly reviewing manuscripts or serving as a guest or contributing editor;
  • knowledge of and experience with editorial processes for peer-reviewed journals, and particularly academic journals.


Recruitment and Application Process 

The recruitment and application process is led by the members of the  TIA Editorial Board, including ex officio Board members and past TIA editors-in-chief, Lindsay Wheeler and Michael Palmer, along with the POD Network President, Christine Rener.


We aim to provide transparency regarding the steps involved in selecting Board members. Below, we offer an overview of the process for individuals interested in joining the Board, including opportunities to learn more about the roles and activities of Board members in optional information sessions. 


Complete the online self-nomination form by March 24, 2025 at 5:00 pm (PDT) for full consideration. 

In the application, provide a current CV or summary of relevant experience, as well as brief responses (~1 paragraph each) to the following prompts:

  • Why do you want to serve as Editorial Board member of To Improve the Academy?
  • Describe your commitment to/experience with diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives/processes and how this would guide your editorial work.
  • Describe your familiarity with the field of educational development and scholarship published in TIA. 
  • Tell us about a successful collaboration you’ve had. What was your role, in what ways was it successful, and what contributed to its success? 
  • As relevant, describe any past editorial and/or reviewing experiences and how this may help you in the position. Please include any experiences where you supported the development of an author or reviewer.
  • If there is anything else you think would be helpful for us to know, please let us know.

Optional information sessions with current Board members will be scheduled for March 2025 (check back for more information as dates become available) These informal opportunities allow you to ask questions about the role and application process, learn more about TIA, and meet some of the current Board. Attending (or not attending) will not impact the selection process.

An individual’s selection to the Editorial Board will reflect how well candidates' expertise and experience will enhance the work of TIA and complement the diverse perspectives, knowledge, identities, and lived experiences of other Board members.

If you have questions about the selection process or would like more information please email tia@podnetwork.org