In a rapidly evolving academic landscape (and political landscape), conversations surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have become important and somewhat contentious. While we previously noted how some academic publishers and groups were scrubbing certain publications to comply with Trump administration policies on DEI, university presses should still be seen as a major proponent for fostering diversity. Because they operate within academic ecosystems and focus on mission-driven publishing rather than pure profit, university presses have often prioritized voices, topics, and research areas that may be overlooked by traditional commercial publishers.
And that isn’t changing despite the adversarial nature of the current presidential administration. The Association of University Presses voted at its Spring 2025 meeting to continue to promote the principles and mission of the Coalition for Diversity and Inclusion in Scholarly Communications (C4DISC). While groups like Columbia University Press and Princeton University Press have both made commitments to DEI on their official website.
But how can university presses accomplish this? Below are the primary ways university presses foster diversity — not only in academia, but in the broader discussion of ideas.
Publishing Underrepresented Voices
Commercial viability often drives mainstream publishing, which can unintentionally marginalize niche scholarship. University presses, however, are uniquely structured to publish:
- Emerging scholars from underrepresented backgrounds
- Research on marginalized communities
- Works originating outside Western academic centers
- Histories that challenge dominant narratives
By valuing scholarly significance over mass appeal, university presses create pathways for voices that otherwise might struggle to find an outlet.
For example, many presses have dedicated editorial programs for African American studies, LGBTQ+ history, Indigenous scholarship, disability studies, and global postcolonial literature. These catalogs diversify the academic archive, ensuring that future scholars inherit a broader range of perspectives.
Lifting Local and Regional Perspectives
A hallmark of university press publishing is the strength of regional lists — books focused on specific geographies, cultures, and communities. Presses at public universities often hold a mission to serve their state or region. For instance, here in North Carolina, UNC Press established its regional publishing program in 1922 and has been publishing content about the state and local areas for over 100 years now.
This matters because diversity isn’t only about identity; it’s also about perspective and place. Presses amplify:
- Local cultural histories
- Environmental justice concerns
- Community-centered research
- Regional arts and literature
- Local plant and animal life
These books enrich the cultural record and ensure that marginalized communities — urban, rural, immigrant, or otherwise — aren’t lost to homogenizing national narratives.
Championing Emerging Disciplines
University presses have historically nurtured fields that once seemed fringe or “non-traditional” including:
- Gender studies
- Queer theory
- Ethnic studies
- Border studies
- Critical race theory
- Disability studies
As these fields struggled for legitimacy early in the twentieth century, university presses offered homes for their earliest foundational texts. For example, the first gender studies program began at San Diego University, a public university, in 1970. That legacy continues today.
Supporting Global Scholarship and Translation
Many university presses maintain robust translation programs to bring international scholarship into English and vice versa. Translations allow ideas to travel, helping scholars and readers compare experiences across borders. For example, Oxford University Press licenses over 1,000 translations every year through their publishing arm. By translating works into multiple languages, these presses reveal the universality of some human challenges — and the uniqueness of others while helping authors find audiences in other foreign markets.
Furthermore, peer review helps ensure that international scholars are evaluated fairly, protecting against biases rooted in unfamiliarity or linguistic difference.
Providing Equitable Access Through Open-Access Initiatives
Increasingly, university presses are innovators in open access (OA) publishing — making digital versions of scholarly books and journals freely available online. Many university presses publish publicly funded research and work within the regulations of Plan S to help authors publish online at lower cost or no cost. For instance, Johns Hopkins University Press provide multiple options for free open access publishing on their website. By democratizing scholarly communication, university presses help ensure that economic privilege does not determine who can participate in academic discourse.
Building Inclusive Editorial Practices
Diversity is not only about what gets published, but how it gets published.
Many university presses are taking steps to improve inclusion at every stage of the editorial pipeline:
- Recruiting diverse peer reviewers
- Training staff on bias and equitable language
- Adopting inclusive style guidelines
- Conducting sensitivity reads when appropriate
- Supporting first-generation academic authors
These internal strategies matter. When editorial voices are diverse, so are the decisions that shape catalogs and scholarly conversations.
Facilitating Community Partnerships and Outreach
Unlike commercial publishers, university presses are deeply embedded in their institutional and local networks. Many collaborate with:
- Campus diversity initiatives
- Cultural resource centers
- Local museums and historical societies
- Academic associations
- Community activist organizations
Through public lectures, virtual events, reading groups, and author visits, presses create spaces where scholarship intersects with lived experience.
These outreach efforts allow research to influence — and be influenced by — diverse communities outside academia.
Diversifying the Historical Record
Decades from now, the academic books published today will serve as primary sources for historians. If the publishing ecosystem only reflects dominant voices, future history becomes skewed (history shouldn’t just be written by the winners).
University presses have helped to prevent historical erasure by documenting:
- Civil rights movements
- Indigenous sovereignty
- Immigration histories
- Global conflicts and transitions
- Marginalized artistic traditions
Their catalogs become repositories of cultural memory — archives that help future generations understand our moment with nuance.
Supporting Disability Inclusion and Accessible Formats
Many university presses now offer content in accessible digital formats, not only to meet compliance requirements but to increase reader access. EPUB and PDF accessibility standards continue to improve across the industry, often driven by mission-oriented publishers. Multiple presses have partnered with companies like Bookshare to provide accessibility options to readers with disabilities. Accessibility is diversity — and presses are building infrastructures to support it.
Conclusion
University presses may not dominate bestseller lists, but their influence on diversity is profound. By supporting emerging disciplines, championing underrepresented voices, facilitating global scholarship, and embracing open access, they shape the contours of knowledge itself.
In a world where complexity and nuance are essential, university presses ensure that scholarship reflects the full spectrum of human experience — not just the loudest or most commercially viable parts of it.
Their mission-driven work keeps academic publishing balanced, equitable, and forward-looking. And society benefits because of it.
By Chris Moffitt
Chris is a Managing Editor at Technica Editorial
