Q: is the RUP RIP?
I have received reports that the provost emeritus of Rice University has indicated to the funding community that Rice will end-of-life the Rice University Press. I have nothing publicly available in the way of press releases or other material to directly cite or confirm. The news is significant if affirmed because RUP was re-launched as a digital- only press, attracting significant attention for what was seen as a path breaking experiment in re-inventing the university press. For background on the Press: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_University_Press
http://ricepress.rice.edu/ I have heard that Rice University has described the Press as an experiment that has not been able to make itself financially sustainable without significant investment. The motivation is the expected, that budget cutbacks at the university resulting from the economic downturn necessitate shutting down the Press in order to reallocate resources to the core education and research mission of the university. This would be somewhat similar to the shuttering of the SMU Press, which had been scheduled for July 2010, but more consequential for university press considerations. For the SMU story, see: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/education/stories/050610dnmets... If RUP is indeed closed, it would be a sad outcome for a wonderful experiment.
http://ricepress.rice.edu/ I have heard that Rice University has described the Press as an experiment that has not been able to make itself financially sustainable without significant investment. The motivation is the expected, that budget cutbacks at the university resulting from the economic downturn necessitate shutting down the Press in order to reallocate resources to the core education and research mission of the university. This would be somewhat similar to the shuttering of the SMU Press, which had been scheduled for July 2010, but more consequential for university press considerations. For the SMU story, see: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/education/stories/050610dnmets... If RUP is indeed closed, it would be a sad outcome for a wonderful experiment.
