Under Pressure to Prove ROI, a University Closes Its Press

"Since the announcement in August, which a pending faculty motion has labeled an "extraordinary breach of shared governance," the Association of University Presses, the American Society of Eighteenth-Century Studies and the Goethe Society of North America have joined Bucknell faculty in writing letters to university administrators, decrying the decision and asking them to reconsider. They argue that despite what the administration has suggested, Bucknell University Press is part of the university's value proposition-even if it's not a cash cow."

""For decades, it has promoted the name and brand of Bucknell University far and wide, amplifying the university's influence beyond that of similarly sized peers without presses and expanding recognition of the high value of a Bucknell degree," the AUP wrote in a statement in September, noting that it has offered to help the university. "We remain hopeful that a mutually beneficial reimagination of the press will be possible.""

Bucknell University announced the unilateral closure of its long-standing academic press, prompting faculty and academic-press advocates to oppose the decision. Several professional organizations, including the Association of University Presses, the American Society of Eighteenth-Century Studies and the Goethe Society of North America, have written administrators urging reconsideration and offering assistance. Critics contend the press contributes to university reputation and faculty careers despite limited profitability. Similar closures at other universities have been reversed after sustained outcry. University presses remain rare but influential, serving as curators of international scholarship and mechanisms for scholarly recognition and career advancement across the professoriate.

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