Below are the current editorial board volunteer opportunities available to the association membership.
The Essentials editorial board plays an important role in the association’s ongoing efforts to provide excellent resources and services for members. Essentials is a monthly educational e-publication provided to AFA members to educate readers about a variety of topics, setting the stage for critical thought and discussion about cutting edge developments in the field.
Editions seek to start conversation around the way we approach our work and to illuminate innovative ways of pushing the fraternal movement forward. Editions are typically published on the third Wednesday of each month from February to November. Please note that pieces included in Essentials provide various perspectives across the field of fraternity/sorority life, and thus may not be reflective of the policies or positions of the association.
Essentials editorial board members are expected to produce a quality publication grounded in the Core Competencies for Excellence in the Profession.
The Essentials co-editors supervise the Essentials editorial board. The committee members will divide their assigned responsibilities to distribute creative and editorial functions.
Editorial Board Responsibilities & Commitment
- 8-16 volunteers, on 2 year terms.
- Co-leads 3-4 editions per year, which includes brainstorming with the co-lead(s), soliciting articles, communicating with authors, sending articles to editorial board members for copy editing, reviewing each article, and sending finished articles to the editor.
- Edits 2-3 articles each month.
- Assists in the brainstorming of new themes and potential authors.
- Maintains communication with authors submitting articles for your editions.
- Responds to board communications in a timely manner.
- Participates in board conference calls and email discussions.
Qualifications
- Prior experience writing and editing scholarly articles.
- Strong background in grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and AP Style.
- Utilize the resources of their institutions/organizations as well as their own professional development networks to create or solicit themes for issues and articles for publication.
The Core Competencies for Excellence in the Profession highlights the need for sound and credible research on fraternity/sorority life and professional practice. Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Life Research & Practice seeks to fulfill this need through the annual publication of two journal issues containing high quality research. The editor will lead the assistant editor, associate editor(s) and peer review board members as they recruit, review, and publish research to advance the fraternal movement and profession of fraternity and sorority advising.
The peer review board reports to the editor. The editor, assistant editor, and associate editor(s) will designate the peer review board member’s responsibilities and functions. The peer review board member may also be asked to submit monthly updates on the status of his/her goals on dates determined in consultation with the editor.
Editor Responsibilities
- Check back soon for more information.
Peer Review Responsibilities
- Review and edit articles for Oracle.
- Assist the editor, assistant editor, and associate editor(s) in promoting the journal and developing and recruiting research article submissions.
- Mentor and develop research appropriate for submission to Oracle.
- Act as a steering committee to guide the future direction of the journal.
- Participate in monthly conference calls.
- Participate in initiatives directed by the AFA staff or board of directors.
Qualifications
- Well versed in the role of research in advising fraternities and sororities.
- Established record of contributions to research.
- Prior editing and publication experience and a strong background in grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and APA Style.
Commitment Required
- Review at least 2 to 4 articles annually with a swift turnaround (no more than 21 days).
- Maintain contact with the editor and follow up with tasks as assigned.
- Contribute meaningful dialogue to editorial board discussions on regular editorial board conference calls.
- Prior to the submission deadline, the time commitment equals approximately 1 hour per week.
- During the editing process, the time commitment may be up to 5 hours per week.
Perspectives aims to provide a forum for research, ideas and information related to fraternities and sororities that is thought provoking and innovative; shares new information; highlights best practices; and challenges thought. Developed under the guidance of AFA staff, the publication relies on a committed and skilled volunteer base that operates year-round in an effort to publish three – four issues per year.
Each issue of Perspectives includes:
- Letters from the President & Editors
- Recurring sections with full-length articles
- Regular short features
- “What’s Your Perspective?”
- Spotlight on competencies
- Historical perspectives
- Research focus
- “From Perspectives to Practice”
Roles & Responsibilities
- Co-Editor: Responsible for editorial board management; serving as liaisons to the AFA staff; determining publication vision; oversight of content generation, author support, and editing processes; first and third round edits; and creating an engaging and meaningful volunteer experience.
- Content Developers: Responsible for regularly brainstorming and pitching article ideas; identifying and conducting outreach to potential authors; and serving as section writers that can help compile stock content throughout the year.
- Copy Editors: Responsible for copy and style editing; follow AFA brand standards and AP Style; fact and source checking; etc.
- Visual & Design: Responsible for reading each article and developing initial design concepts (i.e. cover design ideas, graphics, pull quotes, photography opportunities, storytelling methods, etc.) to be shared with the co-editors and AFA staff liaisons to help inform the layout and design process.
- Features: Responsible for developing ideas and generating creative content for 3 – 4 regular short features per issue.
Commitment Required
- Appointments are for a 2 year term with approximately half of the editorial board transitioning each year.
- Maintain contact with the editor and follow up with tasks as assigned.
- Contribute meaningful dialogue to editorial board discussions on regular editorial board conference calls.
- Prior to the submission deadline, the time commitment equals approximately 1 hour per week.
- During the editing process, the time commitment may be up to 5 hours per week.
All volunteers are required to be current members of the association during the terms of appointment. If you have not renewed your membership, please do so before applying for a position. Initial training and committee meetings will be conducted in January 2023.
