General operations refer to activities carried out to advance the work of the Clearinghouse as a whole. These activities include the advancement of efforts to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, accessibility, and access; establishing and maintaining partnerships with other organizations, such as professional groups and publishers; oversight of financial decisions and operations; and promotion of Clearinghouse publications, resources, events, and activities at conferences and through various social media and communication venues.
The Clearinghouse is built on the principle of open access for all. By extension, and as a fundamental part of our overall mission and our efforts to provide publishing and editorial opportunities to all members of the writing studies community, the Clearinghouse is committed to work that embraces the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, accessibility, and access. This includes a commitment to the work involved in designing and maintaining a website that allows all visitors to access its contents without barriers and to navigate it easily. We endeavor to design publications that are accessible to all readers and to share information about new and existing publications and resources made available through the Clearinghouse. Organizational leadership regularly reviews and updates policies that reflect our commitment to building a publishing collaborative that reflects the diversity of the writing studies community and the writers, teachers, and researchers it serves. We believe that diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, accessibility, and access are evolving practices, and not established and immutable standards. Therefore, we welcome feedback on our ongoing efforts in this regard.
3.2.1 Website Maintenance, Security, and Accessibility. The website, which is currently delivered through the open-source Masa Content Management System and the Lucee open-source CFML server, is viewed as a work in progress. As changes in web technologies (HTML, XML, CSS, and so on) evolve, we strive to ensure that we are addressing the challenges facing all web developers and database designers, such as SQL injection attacks, cross-site scripting exploits, and various malware attacks. In other words, we do our best to keep our site up-to-date, accessible, and as easy to use as possible. This entails assessing our overall design, our delivery platform, and our efforts to ensure that our web content reflects evolving standards and capabilities related to accessibility.
3.2.2 Accessibility of Books, Journals, and Resources. As the capabilities of the tools we use to publish our books, journals, and resources have evolved, we have worked to ensure that our publications and resources reflect the current state of the art regarding accessibility. This includes the use of Aria labels in our ePub documents, the use of structured HTML and XML in our PDF and ePub documents, and the use of elements related to accessibility in HTML documents. As these tools and standards evolve, we will work to ensure we are using their capabilities in ways that increase accessibility to our publications and resources.
3.2.3 Enacting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Accessibility. Because a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and accessibility (DEIJA) is a key part of the Clearinghouse’s values, volunteers should seek opportunities to integrate these values within and across projects. For example, journals and book series should maintain statements that encourage submissions from historicaly underrepresented or marginalized scholars, as well as scholars working on projects that extend the field’s knowledge of DEIJA. Similarly, volunteers should strive to diversify editorial boards and staff via targeted outreach to individuals and groups (e.g., CCCC Caucuses) when recruiting members. Journals and book series should use or adapt the antiracist scholarly review heuristic (available at https://tinyurl.com/reviewheuristic) into their reviewing workflow as well.
The Clearinghouse creates partnerships with other organizations. Partnerships are initiated or preliminarily approved by the publisher and then approved by a majority vote of the Clearinghouse editorial board. All partnerships should be guided by MOUs or similar agreements.
3.3.1 Association for Writing Across the Curriculum. The WAC Clearinghouse entered into several partnerships with the Association for Writing Across the Curriculum (AWAC). Most are governed by an MOU signed in 2020, which is available in the Appendix. This MOU includes the development of the WAC Repository, which includes a section accepting submissions of peer-reviewed articles. The WAC Repository partnership involves shared representation on the WAC Repository’s editorial board, which in turn manages article submissions, facilitates the development of collections and exhibits, and collaborates on regular reports and communication initiatives (e.g., flyers, direct solicitation of submissions, etc.). The MOU with AWAC also includes designation of Across the Disciplines as the official journal of AWAC. It addresses collaborations on publications, and the offering of the WAC Awards at the IWAC Conference.
The WAC Clearinghouse is also partnering with AWAC to sponsor the WAC Exemplary Awards series. This partnership involves the recruitment of review committee members from both organizations, shared responsibility for marketing and communications, and collaboration on developing and executing award packages for winning programs. While the WAC Clearinghouse hosts and maintains the awards website, submission portal, and profiles of award-winning programs, AWAC supports institutional memberships for the programs, and the mentoring committee organizes a professional development session featuring the winners.
3.3.2 University Press of Colorado. The Clearinghouse partners with the University Press of Colorado (https://upcolorado.com) on several of its book series. An MOU specifying the publishing agreement governs the partnership.
3.3.3 Parlor Press. The Clearinghouse partners with Parlor Press on the Reference Guides book series. A publishing agreement specifies the terms of the partnership.
3.3.4 National Council of Teachers of English. The Clearinghouse partners with the NCTE and CCCC on the Studies in Writing and Rhetoric book series.
The Clearinghouse currently operates with funding the comes primarily from charitable donations, direct institutional support, sponsorships, subventions, royalties, and sales of books. Funds are held in the following accounts:
These accounts are managed by the publisher, with support from staff at Colorado State University and the University Press of Colorado. Annually, a Financial Review Committee appointed by the Editorial Board conducts a review of operations. Guidelines for the review are found in the Appendix. At least one member of the committee shall be an associate publisher. The Committee also reviews and approves any expenditures by the publisher that (a) exceed $3,000 and/or (b) are out of the ordinary (e.g., not associated with hourly funding for support of the website or publications, not associated with copyediting and/or design work, not associated with marketing and advancement, or not associated with fellowships or research support approved). It is the responsibility of the publisher to seek approval from the financial review committee for such expenditures prior to making them.
3.4.1 Financial Review Committee Membership. The financial review committee shall be composed of at least five members, one of which must be an associate publisher and all of which must be members of the editorial board. Terms shall run for three years with staggered membership. Each member may stay on for an additional term. No member shall serve more than two consecutive terms.
3.4.2. Financial Review Committee Chair Duties. The members of the committee shall elect a chair. The chair shall have the following duties:
3.4.3 Financial Review Committee Objectives. The financial review committee shall set annual review periods (currently coinciding with the fiscal year at Colorado State University), establish and maintain reporting procedures and review processes, and put in place a process for addressing any concerns communicated by the publisher regarding requests for funding approvals.
3.4.4 Financial Review Committee Responsibilities. The financial review committee shall:
3.4.5 Financial Review Period(s). Currently, a financial review occurs once per year, corresponding with the fiscal year (beginning July 1st) at Colorado State University. The annual process is used to limit the impact on workload for finance staff members at Colorado State University. This period is subject to change with the agreement of the publisher or by the editorial board following a recommendation by the financial review committee.
| Action | Due Date |
| Financial documentation requested by the publisher | July 15th |
| Financial documentation shared with the financial review committee | August 15th |
| Financial review committee meets to review materials and draft report | August–October |
| Financial review committee draft report shared with the publisher | October |
| Financial review committee report shared with the associate publishers and editorial board | By December 15 |
Promotion of the Clearinghouse may occur through work at a conference or event, official announcements on social media and email lists, and personal announcements on social media and email lists. The sections that follow provide guidelines for carrying out these activities.
The Clearinghouse rarely advertises in conference programs or on websites. In cases where we are a conference sponsor, however, we may run ads in a program or provide content for a web page that recognizes our sponsorship. We may also staff tables that allow conference attendees to view Clearinghouse publications and ask questions about our efforts.
3.5.1.1 Advertising at Conferences. Generally, our approach to advertising through conference programs and websites is to do so only in conferences that align with our core mission, such as IWAC, CCCC, WPA, and so on. It may also be the case that a representative of the Clearinghouse might wish to advertise at a local or regional conference. If so, they should contact the publisher or the associate publisher for marketing and advancement.
3.5.1.2 Distributing Handouts, Flyers, and Postcards at Conferences. The Clearinghouse will frequently distribute printed materials at conferences. These might be distributed through a display table or at various locations at a conference, such as welcome tables. Occasionally, and particularly when the Clearinghouse is a conference sponsor, these materials might be provided through a conference packet. To obtain these materials, contact the publisher or associate publisher for marketing and advancement.
3.5.1.3 Staffing Display Tables at Conferences. While we rarely staff tables at conferences, we may be given the opportunity to do so at conferences for which we serve as a sponsor, such as IWAC, or at a conference in which one of our publishing partners has secured a table at no or low cost, such as CCCC or WPA. To staff a table, the associate publisher for marketing and advancement will issue a call for volunteers, determine what materials will be provided at the table (such as books and handouts), arrange for the transport of a Clearinghouse banner to the conference, and work with our publishing partners to ensure books and other materials are delivered to the conference. We do not sell books at a conference; instead, we make them available for folks to pick up and read. At the end of the conference, we will give them away.
In cases where a publishing partner is hosting a table at a conference, they may make books available for purchase. If so, a representative of the Clearinghouse should visit the table and thank the publishing partner for their efforts and, ideally, ask if they need any help staffing the table.
Periodically, WAC Clearinghouse volunteers will spend all or part of an academic conference or other event representing the organization. In some circumstances, the WAC Clearinghouse may reimburse volunteers for all or a portion of registration, travel, and lodging, up to $500. Prior to the event, please contact the publisher with the purpose for your travel and estimated expenses for registration, travel, and lodging. An application should be sent to the publisher via email.
3.5.2.1 Criteria for Funding Approval. At the discretion of the publisher (in coordination with the associate publishers), and depending on availability of funds, the WAC Clearinghouse may reimburse a volunteer for conference or other event attendance when their primary purpose in attending is to represent the organization for a substantial portion of the event. Most commonly, this would involve staffing a booth for the WAC Clearinghouse in a conference exhibit hall, but it may involve other activities such as professional development that directly benefits the Clearinghouse.
3.5.2.2 Grounds for Rejecting a Request. In general, the WAC Clearinghouse will not reimburse volunteers for commonplace conference-going activities, such as presentations of scholarship published in Clearinghouse venues or editorial roundtables. Likewise, volunteers staffing a WAC Clearinghouse table for a short period (e.g., an hour or two) are not eligible for reimbursement.
3.5.2.3 Application Content. Volunteers interested in submitting funding requests should send an email message to the publisher prior to attending the conference. The message should specify the following information:
3.5.2.4 Reimbursement Request. After the event, a report should be submitted to the associate publishers that includes the following sections:
The Clearinghouse often issues announcements on social media and email lists through accounts that are associatex with the Clearinghouse as a whole. In addition, some publication venues and other resources (such as CompPile and the WAC Repository) issue announcements on social media and email lists regarding their activities. And individuals who volunteer with the Clearinghouse sometimes make posts about Clearinghouse activities. The following sections provide guidelines for these kinds of communications.
3.5.3.1 Official Announcements from the Clearinghouse. Official announcements or messages about the Clearinghouse as a whole are typically issued by the publisher or the associate publisher for marketing and advancement. The goal of restricting these announcement to a small number of individuals is to ensure consistent messaging and a consistent look and feel for our communications. In general, we strive to convey the volunteer, scholar-driven nature of our open-access publishing initiatives. On social media, we strive for a simple, straightforward, but nonetheless engaging and attractive presentation of our posts and announcements. On email, we strive for a more conversational, low-key approach to our messages.
3.5.3.2 Use of Official WAC Clearinghouse Social Media Accounts. A limited number of individuals have access to official WAC Clearinghouse social media accounts, including the publisher, the associate publisher for marketing and advancement, and the news and information editor. Contact information for these people can be found at https://wac.colostate.edu/about/editorial-staff/.
To issue an announcement through an official Clearinghouse social media account or to have messages posted on behalf of a group or project within the Clearinghouse, please contact the associate publisher for marketing and advancement. The associate publisher will review and issue the announcement, post, or message.
All official WAC Clearinghouse social media accounts are the property of the WAC Clearinghouse. Individuals using these accounts on behalf of the WAC Clearinghouse should not claim ownership of any of these accounts, their content, or their contacts or connections. This includes unauthorized changes to passwords or account names without notifying other official account owners.
Those posting to official WAC Clearinghouse accounts should consider the Clearinghouse social media guidelines, which are available in the Appendix.
3.5.3.3 Communications Issued through Various Media Channels, Including Email Lists. Currently, the most common alternatives to social media for communicating to large groups are email lists. This may eventually include other channels, such as podcasts. To issue a message on an email list, please contact the associate publisher for marketing and advancement. The associate publisher will review and issue the message. In general, the message will be reasonably brief. It will include
Our goal with email messages is to avoid any implication that we are a corporate, for-profit entity. We strive to convey the clear and accurate impression that we are a group of volunteer scholars working to make scholarship and resources available to the writing studies community. Keeping the message as simple and straightforward as possible and avoiding slick corporate-style formatting is a reasonable way to pursue these goals. We don't, for example, rely on tools such as Constant Contact, Mailchimp, or Moosend (among many comparable products in this sector) and we avoid any indication that we're using a mail merge program to target individuals. We restrict our email communications, as a result, to a few email lists.
Book series, journals, and other resources published through the WAC Clearinghouse (for example, CompPile and the WAC Repository) have established social media accounts to advance their work. We encourage the managers of accounts for these venues and resources to contribute to social media in ways that will advance not only their particular publication or resource but also the mission and awareness of the Clearinghouse more generally. For example, linking to the Clearinghouse is encouraged, as is indicating that the activity advanced through a post or announcement is part of the larger Clearinghouse initiative. With this in mind, we encourage account holders to review and consider the Clearinghouse social media guidelines, which are available in the Appendix. Those sending announcements to email lists on behalf of WAC Clearinghouse associated publications and resources are encouraged to review Section 3.5.3.3 before sending.
We encourage members of the WAC Clearinghouse publishing collaborative to share news about recent publications, events, resources, calls, and staff openings in ways that will advance the mission and awareness of the Clearinghouse. In most cases, doing so will be seen (and will be intended to be seen) as a personal post or announcement. In some cases, however, you may be acting in your capacity as a leader or representative of the Clearinghouse. In such cases, please be aware that the content and style of your communication will reflect on the Clearinghouse. With this in mind, we encourage you to review and consider the Clearinghouse social media guidelines, which are available in the Appendix.
The Clearinghouse engages in limited fundraising activities. The majority of funds are raised by Clearinghouse leaders through personal contacts with potential donors. In addition, the Clearinghouse runs a fund drive every other fall. The fund drive runs from a Monday through a Friday. It is designed to be a low-key event that invites poeple to contribute without conveying any expectations that they will do so. The drive typically involves the following activities.