Meridians

feminism, race, transnationalism

Meridians Bylaws

Established June 2022

  • ARTICLE I – REGISTERED NAME AND OFFICES
    • Section 1. Registered Name. The journal’s name is Meridians: feminism, race, transnationalism, hereinafter referred to as “the Journal.”
    • Section 2. Office. The Journal is housed at Smith College, hereinafter referred to as “the College,” currently in 18 Henshaw B2, Northampton, Massachusetts 01063.
    • Section 3. Press. The Journal is published by a university press, hereinafter referred to as “the Press,” under contract with the College.
  • ARTICLE II – EDITOR
    • Section 1. Powers. The Editor shall have the power to direct the publication of the Journal and to determine the Journal’s content; to promote research activities; to convene meetings and other events; to constitute and lead editorial boards; to appoint Guest Editors for special issues; to affiliate with other organizations; to cooperate with scholars external to the College; to receive, administer, and disburse funds; and to engage in other such activities as are in keeping with the purpose of the Journal.
    • Section 2. Qualifications. The Editor shall have a PhD in women’s history, gender studies, race and ethnicity, area and/or transnational studies, or closely related fields. In addition, the Editor shall have 1) demonstrated a commitment to intersectional feminist knowledge production; 2) excellence in multilingual and/or transnational scholarship; 3) have a record of successfully securing external funding; 4) supervisory experience or commitment to training; and 5) experience working successfully in a variety of scholarly communications media. 
    • Section 3. Appointment and Term of Office. The Editor shall be appointed by the College in consultation with the Editorial Advisory Board, hereinafter the “EAB,” and shall serve an initial term of three years, renewable.
    • Section 4. Resignation and Replacement. The Editor’s resignation shall be tendered in writing to the Provost of the College, the Press, and to the Boards. 
      • 4.1 Editors may resign at any time but shall give a minimum of six months’ notice; 
      • 4.2 In the case of resignation, the EAB shall initiate a process to identify and recruit a new Editor from the College faculty and shall present that candidate to the Provost for approval and appointment.
      • 4.3 In the event that a viable candidate is not identified before the resigning Editor steps down, the EAB shall elect one of its members to act as interim Editor.
      • 4.4 The interim Editor shall have all the powers and fulfill all the duties of Editor until a new Editor is appointed.
    • Section 5. Duties. The Editor’s duties are as follows:
      • Editorial Operations: Accountable for the scholarly rigor and excellence of all works published in the Journal. Responsible for solicitation, editorial review, acceptance and rejection of submissions. Oversee all aspects of the publication process including copy-editing, fact-checking, and copyright agreements, to ensure excellence in the quality of the publication. 
      • Communication: Serve as the primary institutional liaison with the Publisher. Communicate about and coordinate all aspects of the publishing relationship for the College. 
      • Budget Allocation and Goal-setting: Set strategic goals for the Journal in collaboration with the Provost / Dean of the Faculty, Associate Dean of the Faculty, and the EAB. Accountable for the overall allocation of the Journal’s resources in alignment with those goals, including staff time, student time, and budget, consistent with college employment and accounting practices. Promote the visibility of the Journal nationally and internationally. 
      • Board Development: Lead and coordinate the work of the Editorial Boards, including appointing board members, leading annual meetings and distributing submissions for review. Prepare reports annually for the EAB and the Provost / Dean of the Faculty on the Journal’s publishing record, budget, and progress towards strategic goals. 
      • Curricular Integration: Lead curricular development efforts to integrate the Journal’s operations with the undergraduate curriculum and/or teach or co-teach a Meridians-related course. 
      • Management and Reporting: Manage the Journal’s editorial staff consistent with the College’s current performance assessment process. Ensure the highest level of professionalism in the Journal’s workplace and operations. 
    • Section 6. Authority. 
      • The Editor shall have the authority to execute on behalf of the Journal all powers and functions of the Journal’s operations at the College, as defined in these Bylaws. 
      • The College establishes the Journal’s operating budget, and the Editor shall exercise expenditure authority over all such funds so allocated.
      • The Editor has the authority to establish guidelines for the creation and operation of such campus, national, and international affiliates as they and the EAB may desire.
    • Section 7. Annual Report. The Editor shall prepare an annual written report on Meridians’ marketing, publication activities, and standing for the previous fiscal year and present it to the Provost / Dean of the College and the EAB.
  • ARTICLE III – EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

    • Section 1. Powers and Numbers. The Editorial Advisory Board will comprise members from the College and the Press’s college, currently Duke University, hereinafter referred to as “Duke,” ideally in equal numbers, and with equal standing. Members of the EAB will consult with the Editor on decisions that affect the Journal’s mission or general policies. The EAB also will nominate and help to select new board members from their respective institutions, as well as nominate and help to select members of the Transnational Advisory Board. Together with the current Editor, the EAB will identify a successor Editor within no less than six months before the end of the current Editor’s tenure, and will present their candidate to the College Provost in writing. 
    • Section 2. Duties. EAB member responsibilities may include but are not limited to: reviewing each issue of the Journal to select the Paula J. Giddings Best Article prize; screening or reviewing new submissions; and promoting the Journal and soliciting submissions. Members also may be called upon to serve on ad hoc subcommittees.
    • Section 3. Qualifications. EAB members shall have advanced degrees in women’s history, gender studies, race and ethnicity, area and/or transnational studies, or closely related fields. In addition, members shall demonstrate a commitment to intersectional feminist knowledge production; and/or excellence in multilingual and/or transnational scholarship.
    • Section 4. Selection and Term of Office. New EAB members are nominated by current members of the EAB and invited by the Editor in consultation with the Board. Members serve for three-year terms which may be renewed. 
    • Section 5. Quorum; Required Vote for Editor Action. A quorum consists of a simple majority with representation from the College and Duke members. The Editor shall serve as a tie-breaker in the event of a disagreement.
    • Section 6. Regular Meetings. Members will attend three or four meetings convened by the Editor, either remotely or in person. Meetings will be held during the academic year.
    • Section 7. Special Meetings. The EAB may hold special meetings at the call of the Editor. The EAB may also call special meetings in the event that issues related to Article XII or XIII arise.
    • Section 8. Removal. The Editor shall have the power to remove an EAB member for inactivity, abuse of staff, or professional ethical violation.
  • ARTICLE IV – CREATIVE WRITING ADVISORY BOARD
    • Section 1. Powers and Numbers. The Creative Writing Advisory Board, hereinafter the “CWAB,” shall primarily be composed of a minimum of three and a maximum of seven individuals from the College and Duke faculty, along with the Editor. Each member has equal voting rights and powers. 
    • Section 2. Duties. Elizabeth Alexander Creative Writing Award, General. CWAB members shall also undertake occasional rapid-screening and/or formal review of other creative writing submissions at the editorial office’s request. 
    • Section 3. Qualifications. CWAB members shall have advanced degrees and/or a record of publication in creative writing related to women’s history, gender studies, race and ethnicity, area and/or transnational studies, or closely related fields. In addition, CWAB members shall demonstrate a commitment to intersectional feminist knowledge production and excellence in multilingual and/or transnational scholarship and/or creative writing.
    •  Section 4. Appointment and Term of Office. The Editor may invite new members from the College, Duke faculty, and elsewhere to join the CWAB so long as they meet the qualifications listed in Section 3. CWAB members shall serve a term of three years, renewable.
    • Section 5. Quorum; Required Vote for Editor Action. A quorum consists of a simple majority with representation from the College and Duke members. The Editor shall serve as a tie-breaker in the event of a disagreement.
    • Section 6. Meetings. The Editor shall call at least three CWAB meetings convened by the Editor during the academic year.
  • ARTICLE V – TRANSNATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD
    • Section 1. Powers and Numbers. The Transnational Advisory Board, hereinafter the “TAB,” shall be composed ideally of a minimum of twelve and a maximum of thirty individuals from across the world, with two-thirds of the members residing and/or working outside the United States and located in most continents.
    • Section 2. Duties. TAB member responsibilities may include but are not limited to: screening or reviewing new submissions; promoting the Journal and soliciting submissions; organizing and/or hosting Journal events in their locations. Members also may be called upon to serve on ad hoc subcommittees.
    • Section 3. Qualifications. TAB members shall have advanced degrees and/or a record of publication or activism related to women’s history, gender studies, race and ethnicity, area and/or transnational studies, or closely related fields. In addition, TAB members shall demonstrate a commitment to intersectional feminist knowledge production and excellence in multilingual and/or transnational scholarship and/or creative writing.
    •  Section 4. Appointment and Term of Office. The Editor may invite new members to join the TAB so long as they meet the qualifications listed in Section 3. TAB members shall serve a term of five years, renewable.
    • Section 5. Meetings. The Editor shall call at least one TAB meeting every three years, convened by the Editor during the academic year. TAB members shall attend those meetings either in person or virtually.
  • ARTICLE VI – PUBLICATION
    • Section 1: Publication. The Journal is published under the terms of the contract, hereinafter referred as the “Agreement,” between the College and Duke University Press, hereinafter referred as “DUP,” signed on July 31, 2017 and appended here (Appendix 1).  
  • ARTICLE VII – AFFILIATIONS
    • Section 1: Permanent affiliation. The Journal is affiliated with the College in perpetuity.
    • Section 2: Additional affiliations. So long as DUP publishes the Journal, the Journal shall also be affiliated with Duke and members of the Duke faculty shall be invited to join the Editorial Advisory Board, with all the rights and responsibilities that obtain thereto.
  • ARTICLE VIII – ENDOWMENT
    • Section 1: Purpose of the Fund. Endowed Funds for the Journal were established on March 27, 2022 (See Appendix 2). This restricted endowed fund was established by an anonymous donor.
    • Section 2: Disbursements. Annual income from this fund shall be used in support of the journal Meridians. Such income can be used for activities including, but not limited to: staffing, overhead, research, outreach, faculty development, and promotional costs related to the print and online publication. As long as the journal Meridians is guided by an editorial advisory board, it is desired that the EAB be consulted on spending priorities, but the Editor shall make the final determination on expenditures.
  • ARTICLE IX – BOOKS, RECORDS, BANKING, AND FINANCIAL AUTHORITY
    • Section 1: Books and Records. The Journal’s funds are allocated by the College’s Budget Office, which is also responsible for conveying and overseeing compliance with existing International Revenue Service regulations and College policies. The Journal’s editorial staff reports spending and submits records of the same via Expense Reports submitted to the College’s budget management system. 
    • Section 2: Banking. No cash or funds are kept in the Journal’s offices. The Journal’s funds are disbursed by the College’s Controller’s Office at the request of the Journal.
    • Section 3: Financial Authority. The Editor has the authority to use the funds allocated to the Journal as detailed in Article II, Sections 2, 5, and 6.
  • ARTICLE X – INDEMNIFICATION AND LIABILITY OF EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARDS
    • Section 1: Indemnification, Liability. The “Publication Agreement for Duke University Press Journals,” signed by all the Journal’s contributors, includes indemnification and liability clauses that cover the College, the editorial staff, and the Boards as Sponsors. 
  • ARTICLE XI – STAFF
    • Section 1: Editorial. The Journal staff currently consists of a part-time Editor (.25 FTE) and a full-time (1 FTE) Editorial Assistant.
    • Section 2: Interns. The Editor may recruit and employ paid interns from the College and “Duke” student bodies. These interns’ duties and responsibilities will be clearly conveyed during the interview and hiring process. The editorial staff shall supervise the interns, including assigning and evaluating work outcomes.
  • ARTICLE XII – SANCTIONS
    • Section 1: Non-performance of duties, Editor. In case of serious non-performance of duties (failure to adhere to the Journal’s mission, failure to adequately plan for and coordinate editorial production, problems with management of personnel, fiscal mismanagement, professional ethical violation, etc.), the Provost may remove the Editor after consultation with the EAB and DUP’s Director. At this point, the process would begin for nominating and appointment of a new Editor (see ARTICLE II, Section 4).
    • Section 2: Non-performance of duties, Board Members. The Editor shall have the power to remove an EAB or CWAB member in case of inactivity, abuse of staff, or professional ethical violation.
  • ARTICLE XIII – CONFLICT OF INTEREST
    • Section 1: Professional Ethics. The Editor, Guest Editors, and all Board members will adhere to recognized standards of professional ethics in the production of academic knowledge in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal. Any actual or potential conflicts of interest shall be disclosed to the Editor. The Editor will make the final decision on conflicts of interest. In the event that a potential conflict of interest involves one or more Board members or Guest Editors, three members of the EAB will be asked to form an ad hoc committee to decide on the matter.
  • ARTICLE XIV – AMENDMENTS
    • These bylaws may be amended, when necessary, by a simple majority of the Editorial Advisory Board and subject to the approval of Duke University Press and the College.