SUBMISSIONS

Writer’s Guidelines for Higher Ed HR Magazine

Higher Ed HR Magazine is CUPA-HR’s members-only publication for all things higher ed workforce-related. Here you’ll find articles, resources and briefs to help you meet your day-to-day and long-term strategic challenges. Higher Ed HR Magazine is published three times a year — January, May and September. The magazine is published in a digital format.

We welcome and encourage article submissions from CUPA-HR members. If your institution, HR department or team is doing something innovative or unique in any area, what better way to showcase your success than to share your story with 31,000+ higher ed HR professionals! Or if you have content ideas or would like to see a specific topic addressed in the magazine but would rather leave the writing to us, that’s fine, too! Send your article submissions or story ideas to [email protected].

Submission Deadlines*

  • Winter Issue (published in January) – October 20
  • Spring Issue (published in May) – March 31
  • Fall Issue (published in September) – July 21

*If you plan to submit an article, please send an e-mail to [email protected] a few weeks prior to the copy deadline stating the subject of your article and providing a general article synopsis. Deadlines are subject to change, so please inquire prior to submitting content.

General Guidelines

  • Articles should be well-researched, current and well-written.
  • Articles should be written in a style that is collegial and conversational, rather than academic and formal. Citations are not required, but when used, should follow APA style.
  • Articles should contain sidebars and graphics when warranted.
  • Articles should have creative titles and strong lead-ins to draw the reader in.
  • Use concrete examples, either real or hypothetical, to bring your article to life.
  • Articles should provide new information, ideas, advice, resources or concepts. Articles should be relevant to the field of higher education human resources.
  • Higher Ed HR Magazine editors reserve the right to edit all articles for style, clarity, length and content. We may also request that authors make specific revisions or additions to articles when necessary.

Best Practices for Using Artificial Intelligence

Our audience is made up of higher ed HR pros like you, who want to hear from their colleagues. Your own unique writing voice is always preferred over AI-written work. When used strategically, however, AI can be a powerful and time-saving assistant for writers. We encourage contributors to use AI for:

  • Brainstorming
  • Outlining
  • Rewording short phrases
  • Titling or subtitling
  • Asking AI to summarize your piece to help draft takeaways or conclusions
  • Reorganizing sections or paragraphs
  • Asking the AI chatbot: “Are there any key points about X topic I missed?” or “What are other perspectives I should consider that aren’t included here?”

There are many reasons to use AI sparingly when writing:

  • AI flattens out a writer’s unique voice, making all writing sound similar. AI also tends to recycle the same phrases over and over again.
  • You do not own copyright on AI-produced work. In the United States, only human-produced work can be copyrighted.
  • Freely available AI will not protect your data privacy. Unless you have internal or enterprise software with a privacy agreement at your institution, assume everything you share with AI is public.
  • AI often makes up facts that sound deceptively plausible. If you need accurate information, it’s best to consult an expert or trusted sources.

Further Resources on AI

Go beyond ChatGPT, and learn how to take strategic advantage of AI, in this blog post.

Check out our AI Toolkit.

Read more in depth about the pitfalls and potential of using AI in Higher Ed HR.

Additional Information

Features
Each issue of Higher Ed HR Magazine contains at least four feature articles. Feature articles run between 2,000 and 3,000 words. Feature articles typically showcase a successful HR practice at a specific institution, provide general knowledge on an HR-related topic or offer how-to advice.

Notification
Receipt of all content submissions will be acknowledged within five business days. Your article will then be reviewed for relevance, timeliness and fit with the magazine. You will be contacted via e-mail regarding whether or not your article was accepted for publication.

Compensation
As a nonprofit association, CUPA-HR does not compensate authors for their published articles.

Additional Questions
Send an e-mail to [email protected].