A Governance Structure for City & Community

The success of City & Community, the section journal, is indicative of the
intellectual vigor of our section.  Keeping a journal vital over a long period of time
cannot be left to depend solely on the fortunate choice of an editor every three
years, but requires appropriate and regular oversight from the community that it serves. 
Indeed, the “Guidelines for the ASA Publications Portfolio,” adopted by
the ASA Publications Committee in January, 1999, and by Council in the
following month, mandate the establishment of such a committee by the section.

The proposal to follow defines the nature of that committee and its relationship to 

the editorial leadership of City & Community.  It also stipulates basic parameters 

of the journal’s editorial team, such as terms of service.

The section Journal Oversight Committee

1.  The Oversight Committee will have six elected members, who serve 

staggered, 3-year terms.  Except when an unexpected vacancy occurs, two will 

be elected by the section membership every year.  The elected members may 

not concurrently serve as members of the section Council, nor be other officers 

of the section.  

 2.  It should have one ex officio member, who is also a member of the section 

Council.  This person, who is a voting member of the Oversight Committee, is to 

be chosen by the Council from among its members and serves a 1-year term, 

which is renewable.

3.  No member of the committee may serve concurrently as Editor, Co-Editor or 

Associate Editor of City & Community.

4.  The chair of the committee is designated by the section Chair from among the 

elected members, with the approval of Council.

5.  A quorum of the Oversight Committee consists of four members, one of whom 

may be the ex officio member.

6.  The Journal Oversight Committee will: receive and evaluate an annual report 

from the Editor or Co-Editors of City & Community; solicit nominations when a 

new Editor or new Co-Editors are to be appointed and make recommendations to 

Council about whom to appoint; approve upon the recommendation of the Editor 

or Co-Editors the incumbents of other editorial positions (Associate Editors, Book 

Review Editors, editorial board members).  The ASA guidelines specify further 

that the committee must review the viability of the journal “prior to the 

appointment of a new editor” and prepare a written report identifying strengths 

and weaknesses and providing recommendations concerning the latter.  This 

report is to be submitted to the section Council and the ASA Publications 

Committee.

7.  The annual report of the Editor or Co-Editors to the Oversight Committee 

must, at a minimum, provide the data that the ASA requires of its journals, 

including:  the numbers of submissions, rejections, revise-and-resubmits, and 

acceptances; the length of the review process;  financial data;  data on “scholarly 

use and demand”; and “commentary on the condition of the journal, indicating its 

strengths and weaknesses.” The Oversight Committee may request additional 

information.

The Editor or Co-Editors

1.  The Editor or Co-Editors serve three-year terms that may be renewed once.  

They must be members of the section.

2.  The appointment of the Editor or Co-Editor is made by the section Council 

upon the recommendation of the Oversight Committee.  

3.  The Editor or Co-Editors make appointments of all other editorial personnel, 

with the approval of the Oversight Committee.

The Associate Editors

1.  There will be at least two and there may be up to five Associate Editors.  They 

serve 3-year terms that are synchronized with the term of the Editor or Co-

Editors.  The terms of the Associate Editors may be renewed once.  If an 

Associate Editor must be named in the middle of an Editor’s term, then the term 

of the new Associate Editor ends when that of the Editor does.

2.  The Associate Editors are named by the Editor or Co-Editors and approved by 

the Oversight Committee.

3.  At least half of the Associate Editors must be members of the section.

The Editorial Board

1.  There will be at least 10 and may be up to 30 Editorial Board members. They 

serve staggered 3-year terms.

2.  The members of the Editorial Board are named by the Editor or Co-Editors 

and approved by the Oversight Committee.

3.  At least half of the Editorial Board members appointed in any year must be 

members of the section.