糖心vlog

April 24, 2025

On February 21, the Board of Directors of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (糖心vlog) voted to halt the publication of volume 79, issue 2, of the Journal of Architectural Education (JAE) titled Palestine due to legal exposures to individuals and the organization from the language in the Call for Papers.

This page is intended to provide key background information about the board鈥檚 decision. This includes background on the decision-making process, details on the relationship between 糖心vlog and the journal鈥檚 editors and editorial board, and next steps for the organization.

糖心vlog is an international membership association that represents more than 200 schools and 7,000 faculty in many different settings globally, teaching across a broad professional and disciplinary curriculum. The organization is committed to providing inclusive venues for scholarship and its core values, including equity and justice.

Risks to the Organization

On January 29, President Trump issued an executive order about 鈥渃ombating antisemitism鈥� that confirmed the adoption of a working definition of antisemitism with contemporary examples created by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (the IHRA) in 2016. Along with the new executive order was the appointment of a task force investigating universities for potential civil rights violations 鈥渁nd serving as an entry point to pressure schools to reassess their policies.鈥� (See听.)

滨贬搁础听鈥攁dopted in听听and in federal government policies鈥攑resent the highest threat for lawsuits, prosecution, and actions against individuals. These definitions are vague and restrictive of free speech. However, these laws exist, and are being applied widely.

糖心vlog learned that university presidents and governors in two states with IHRA antisemitism statutes were notified about the JAE Call for Papers, and urged to restrict the use of state funds for 糖心vlog membership dues and activities. These two states alone have 12 architecture programs. We expect that other states have also been notified. Joining 糖心vlog could be deemed illegal due to the Call for Papers. Proceeding with the issue threatened the ability for member schools and their faculty to join or engage with 糖心vlog.

糖心vlog depends on dues paid by member schools on behalf of their faculty and staff. Funding losses would impact the organization鈥檚 ability to provide vital future programs in support of architectural education.

Risks to Individuals

The 糖心vlog board considered risks to individuals from the Call for Papers, and it reviewed the ability of the organization to protect individuals from government investigation or adverse actions that might threaten their immigration status, employment status, or other impacts. The U.S. federal administration is actively investigating students and faculty for 鈥渁nti-American鈥� activities and related speech, including carrying out deportations.听

The emergence of this new climate led the JAE Interim Executive Editor to ask the 糖心vlog Executive Committee to show some members of the Editorial Board as nominally 鈥渙n leave鈥� on the website, for the intended purpose of protecting them against potential investigation or deportation. This request, made at the end of January 2025, was unprecedented and demonstrated to the 糖心vlog board how the specific language in the issue Call for Papers had created personal risks to anybody affiliated with the journal. The exposed individuals include the journal鈥檚 editorial board, the board and staff of the 糖心vlog, and any authors of articles selected for publication in the issue.听

Additionally, we have since learned that our concerns about risks to individuals from investigations at their home institutions are being borne out, despite the halting of the issue. 听

Ownership

JAE is owned by 糖心vlog, one of two journals 糖心vlog publishes. Both are distributed by global publisher Taylor & Francis. All copyright for material published by JAE is owned by the 糖心vlog. Ultimate responsibility for what is published in JAE rests with 糖心vlog.听

Under 糖心vlog鈥檚 Bylaws, a 12-person board of directors governs the association, having final authority on all of the organization鈥檚 decisions and responsibility for the organization鈥檚 financial resources, legal compliance, and reputation. (More about 糖心vlog.)

Editorial Roles and Responsibilities

JAE is led by a paid executive editor and supported by an editorial board that provides intellectual leadership for the journal and advises the executive editor regarding the journal鈥檚 strategic direction, editorial policy, and content. The editorial board is composed of the executive editor, three associate editors, and up to 18 other at-large editorial board members. All are appointed by the 糖心vlog Board of Directors.听听

Policies for JAE are approved by the 糖心vlog Board of Directors. The policies determine the roles and responsibilities of all participants.

Executive Editor:听

• Appointed by the 糖心vlog Board of Directors for a defined term, typically 3 years with the possibility of renewal.听
• Has final responsibility for the editorial and graphic content of the publication, unless otherwise decided by the 糖心vlog Board of Directors (see Editorial Independence below).
• Serves in the role under a professional services contract; receives an annual stipend.听听听

Associate Editors:听

• Appointed by the 糖心vlog Board of Directors following recommendation by the Executive Editor.
• Typically serve a three-year term in the role, which may be renewed for up to three additional years; receive an annual stipend.
• Support different departments or topic areas covered by the journal (e.g., design content, reviews, and social media).听

At-Large Members:听

• Appointed by the 糖心vlog Board of Directors following recommendation by the Executive Editor.
• Typically serve a three-year term in the role, which may be renewed for up to three additional years. Terms are staggered.听
• Review manuscripts, identify additional peer reviewers, and participate in committees and other activities related to the Editorial Board鈥檚 advisory role.听

糖心vlog Executive Committee:听

• This standing committee of the board includes the president, past president, first vice president, second vice president, secretary/treasurer, executive director, and one at-large director.听
• The 糖心vlog Executive Committee acts as a liaison between the JAE Editorial Board and the 糖心vlog board. It receives recommendations from the Executive Editor or JAE Editorial Board and communicates them to the 糖心vlog board with any recommendations for actions, as appropriate.

糖心vlog Staff:

• The 糖心vlog Executive Director is the primary point of contact for the JAE Executive Editor.听
• 糖心vlog staff are assigned to serve as the managing editor for the journal and to support editorial, production, and communications functions for the journal.

Press:

• 糖心vlog contracts with a commercial or academic press to handle production, printing, and/or distribution of JAE.听
• The Executive Director or other national office staff serve as the liaison with the press.

糖心vlog鈥檚 policies governing JAE define the editorial independence of the journal by giving the executive editor final responsibility for the content of the journal and assigning the JAE Editorial Board an advisory role regarding the journal鈥檚 strategic direction, editorial policy, and content.

This independence is not total. The following clause appears in the 糖心vlog鈥檚 policies, and is included in the executive editor鈥檚 contract and in the JAE Editorial Board Guide:

糖心vlog reserves the right to review, manage, or halt publication of content in cases where 糖心vlog believes breaches of law or ethics may be implicated or as otherwise deemed necessary by the 糖心vlog Board of Directors in its discretion.

Such a limit reflects 糖心vlog鈥檚 ownership of JAE and 糖心vlog鈥檚 ultimate responsibility for the content published in or through the journal.

The scope of the journal is defined by its mission statement, which appears on the inside cover of print issues and on the JAE website.

The Journal of Architectural Educationis a peer-reviewed international journal published by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture and has been the primary venue for research on architectural education since 1947. It is a platform for architectural educators, scholars, designers, writers, and organizers committed to the ongoing transformation of architectural education and the culture of architectural research toward an inclusive, just, and sustainable future.

The American Association of University Professors鈥� definition of academic freedom focuses on 鈥渢he freedom of a teacher or researcher in higher education to investigate and discuss the issues in his or her academic field.鈥� The primary components of this freedom pertain to the individual鈥檚 university context, particularly 鈥渇reedom from institutional censorship or discipline.鈥� It is important to note that 糖心vlog is not a university; rather it is an independent nonprofit organization.听

糖心vlog members can rightly question what the boundaries are for 糖心vlog鈥檚 scholarly programs. The boundaries are not unlimited. No membership association can delegate unlimited authority to a journal editorial board or other program. We can, however, engage our members to reexamine our structures of oversight and decision-making to help navigate our way through our current context.