American Schools of Oriental Research
Committee on Publications
Draft Guidelines and Procedures
November 11, 2002

1. Summary Statement and Introduction

1.1. The Committee on Publications is an operating committee of ASOR headed by a Chair elected by the membership in accordance with Article 5, Section 3 of the ASOR By-laws (see Section 6). COP is composed of 15 members, including editors of journals and book series and six at-large members, elected from the membership of ASOR (see Section 7 for details). COP oversees the publication functions of the organization (see Sections 2-5). The committee meets at least once annually at the ASOR Annual Meeting (see Section 8). COP and its Chair are responsible for the appointment of journal and book editors (see Section 11). The following document outlines and describes in more detail the tenets governing the committee's operations.

2. Mission

2.1. Mission statement

2.1.1. As directed by its mission, ASOR supports a deliberately focused publication program. COP shall serve the membership of ASOR by providing means and venues for members to publish quality scholarly and popular works in journals and books. It shall also serve to promote and encourage support of ASOR’s activities in service to both the scholarly and non-specialist audiences.

2.2. COP and ASOR

2.2.1. Publication has been an integral part of ASOR and is one of ASOR's oldest, most continuous services to its members, institutions, and the general public. It is therefore incumbent upon COP and its staff to promote the respect, interest, and cooperation of the organization and membership that it serves. All of its activities and these Guidelines and Procedures shall be consistent with the By-Laws of ASOR, as adopted and amended by the Board of Trustees on November 20, 1999.

2.2.2. Upon adoption, these Guidelines and Procedures shall constitute the official rules for the conduct of COP, its members, editors, and staff.

2.2.3. COP may recommend amendments or changes of this document to the Board of Trustees. In doing so, COP will seek review and comment from the ASOR Personnel and Executive Committees. In turn, COP may be requested to amend these guidelines from time to time in accord with changes to the ASOR Policies and Procedures.

2.3. Mandate of COP

2.3.1. COP shall oversee the production, promotion, and purveyance of all ASOR academic and educational publications.

2.3.2. Publications under the purview of COP include the Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research (BASOR), Near Eastern Archaeology (NEA), the Journal of Cuneiform Studies (JCS), the ASOR Newsletter, the Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research, the various book series as approved and authorized by COP, the publications portion of the ASOR web page, and the discussion forum on the Internet.

3. Duties and responsibilities of COP

3.1. Confirm the appointment of all editors

3.1.1. COP shall confirm and obtain ASOR Board approval of all appointments of editors of ASOR’s journals and books and shall announce new appointments in the Newsletter and on the web site.

3.1.2. It shall encourage the editors in their management of the content and physical appearance of the publications.

3.2. Budget and auditing

3.2.1. COP shall create and administer an annual budget for its activities. Upon approval of the budget by ASOR Executive Committee and the Board of Trustees, COP shall ensure rigorous tracking of income and expenses and prepare progress reports for review and approval by the ASOR executives and trustees.

3.2.2. The Director of Publications (see Section 10) is normally charged with oversight of the administration of the budget, performing the tasks associated with budget preparation and reporting. All records of transactions shall receive daily attention and shall be shared automatically with the ASOR Executive Director or delegated official (such as the accountant/auditor) for account reconciliation and line advisement.

3.2.3. Quarterly reports shall be sent to the COP Chair four times a year for review by the COP Executive Committee and submission for approval by the ASOR Executive Committee and Board of Trustees.

3.2.4. Budget oversight requires particular attention to items that might create major financial exposure to the ASOR organization. COP will respond to ASOR requests for special reports and bring any significant deviations in budget matters to the ASOR Executive Committee and the Board of trustees for approval.

3.2.5. Official auditing shall be accomplished through the ASOR auditor from the confirmed and reconciled accounts in the ASOR Office and any other reports from the Office of Publications.

3.3. Oversee and implement the COP budget

3.3.1. Income

3.3.1.1. The main sources of support for COP activities are journal subscriptions, sales of books, and fundraising projects. Subscriptions are linked to membership fees and all ASOR publications are available to the general public. Thus, COP and its Publications Office shall cooperate with other ASOR entities in the promotion of memberships, sales of ASOR publications and general fundraising activities.

3.3.1.2. COP may adjust the various categories of distribution of funds up to 10% of the annual budgetary determination. Any adjustments above that percentage will require approval by the Executive Committee and Board.

3.3.1.3. COP shall approve a fair formula for the distribution of budgetary funds among all its entities. These are then constituted as "Publishing Budgets."

3.3.1.4. Committees and other entities of ASOR are requested to work through COP, its Chair, and the Director of Publications regarding any needed services in the publications area.

3.3.2. Expenses

3.3.2.1. Expenses shall mean any costs related to the production of ASOR's publications. These costs include the production of the various journals and books as managed by the respective editors, the salary and benefits of the Director of Publications and any authorized assistants, a negotiated amount to the ASOR budget if COP uses the services of any entity of ASOR outside COP, and any other publication expense.

3.3.2.2. Expenditures shall not exceed the approved budget without an expressly voted action of the Board of Trustees/Executive Committee.

3.4. COP Executive Committee

3.4.1. COP may appoint an Executive Committee to conduct its business outside duly called sessions as a sub-committee of COP.

3.4.2. The committee shall include the Chair of COP (who shall function as the Chair), the editors of BASOR and NEA, one book editor, one at-large member, the Chair of the COP Development Committee, and the DP (non-voting). The at-large member may be a lay member with a business background. COP shall elect the book editor and the at-large member. Terms of service for the elected members shall last for three years or until the member’s term on COP ends.

3.4.3. The Committee's primary service will be to assess the status of COP activities and propose improvements for ASOR's publications services. The Committee will also provide interim assistance for editors and the DP regarding COP fiscal decisions, publishing budgets, the book manuscript queue, and other like matters as the Chair deems needed.

3.4.4. The Committee may request participation by other ASOR leaders and consultants.

3.4.5. Any actions recommended by the Committee to change the status of operations, personnel, or budget shall be sent to the entire Committee for review, comment, and approval.

3.4.6. The Committee may conduct its business in regular sessions of attendance or by conference call or e-mail with voting by the entire committee also by any of these means.

3.5. COP Development Committee

3.5.1. COP may establish a Development Committee as a sub-committee of COP to pursue aggressively various publishing aspects of outreach, grant writing, increasing subscriptions, marketing books, and fundraising.

3.5.2. The activities of this committee shall not conflict with those of the ASOR Development Committee. To ensure that they work in tandem, COP may recommend to the Chair of the Board of Trustees that the Chairs of the COP and ASOR Development Committees affect an exchange of membership. Further, the COP Development Committee shall obtain authorization from the ASOR Development Committee prior to inaugurating any such fundraising activities and shall seek the advise of the ASOR Development Committee before approaching the Executive Committee and Board of Trustees for approval of additional fundraising ventures.

3.5.3. COP shall appoint the Chair of the committee who shall also be a member of COP.

3.5.4. Three to five other ASOR members may be nominated by the Chair and elected by COP to serve on the committee as advisors and active participants. The DP shall serve ex officio. Non-members may be used as consultants.

3.5.5. The Chair shall report to COP at its annual meeting and to the COP Executive Committee in the interim.

3.6. Ad-hoc committees and consultants

3.6.1. COP may form interim sub-committees whose members shall elect the Chair of each committee, but may leave recruitment of members to the Chair.

3.6.2. The COP Chair may elect to utilize the services of professional consultants to assist any activity of ASOR publications, provided that such services and reimbursements, if any, are approved by and included in the reports of the entire committee.

3.7. E-Mail voting

3.7.1. The Chair may organize e-mail votes when issues requiring a vote of COP arise between duly called meetings. E-mail votes may also occur with the COP Executive Committee.

3.7.2. If the Chair proposes a motion in an e-mail vote, the person who sends the first positive response shall be considered the member who moved the motion; the second person with a positive response shall constitute the member who seconds the motion.

4. Lines of Accountability

4.1. Oversight

4.1.1. COP shall construct and monitor a budget covering Publications activities. The COP budget is subject to approval by the Executive Committee and full Board of Trustees as part of the overall ASOR budget, which is then administered by the President, Treasurer, and Executive Director of ASOR.

4.1.2. Any emendation of the COP budget that may change the final balances must be recommended by COP for approval by ASOR's Finance and Executive Committees and Board.

4.2. Relationship to the Board of Trustees/Executive Committee

4.2.1. COP shall operate in cooperation with the Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee of ASOR and shall observe the ASOR Manual of Policies and Guidelines. COP may, however, recommend changes to the Manual to the Board of Trustees/Executive Committee.

4.2.2. If COP makes major changes to publishing budgets, these must be approved by the ASOR Executive Committee.

4.3. Representation on the Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee

4.3.1. The Chair of COP is an ex-officio voting member of the Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee. COP may recommend to the Chair of the Board of Trustees that the COP Chair or appropriate representatives be included on the Finance Committee and the Development Committee.

4.4. COP staff are ASOR staff

4.4.1. ASOR does not employ individuals directly. Its staff members are employed on a reimbursement basis by agreement with an affiliated institution and are best classed as management staff.

4.4.2. Any staff member operating under the supervision of COP shall be a staff member of ASOR. Contract terms and any association with academic institutions shall be negotiated by the Chair of COP and the Executive Director in consultation with the President of ASOR and then ratified by COP for final approval by the Board of Trustees/Executive Committee.

4.5. Editors

4.5.1. Editors will be appointed with ASOR Board approval to oversee the production of ASOR journals and books.

5. Editorial Policy

5.1. Preservation and protection of archaeological resources

5.1.1. All publishing entities of ASOR shall follow the Statement of ASOR Policy on Preservation and Protection of Archaeological Resources as voted by the Board of Trustees on 18 November, 1995 and as published in BASOR 309:2.

5.1.2. ASOR shall not publish any report of an archaeological excavation or survey carried out or licensed by an occupying Power except as permitted by the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, including its Second Protocol. Article 9 of the Second Protocol (dated 26 March, 1999) allows excavation and survey where it "is strictly required to safeguard, record or preserve cultural property." (For further information on the 1954 Hague Convention, see http://www.unesco.org/culture/laws/hague/html_eng/page2.shtml; for more on the Second Protocol, see http://www.unesco.org/culture/laws/hague/html_eng/protocol2.shtml.)

5.2. Editorial integrity

5.2.1. Journal editors shall have sole discretion on the acceptance of manuscripts, shall seek the evaluation of outside readers, and shall give timely notice of decisions to authors.

5.2.2. Book editors shall also subject manuscripts to review by outside readers and shall recommend manuscripts for publication to the COP Executive Committee. The Executive Committee, together with the book editor involved, shall assess the financial parameters and implications of acceptance and shall determine the final decision of acceptance within an annual publication plan.

5.2.3. The editors shall determine what suggestions and/or demands about content or style shall be sent to the authors and/or volume editors for emendation.

5.3. Editorial boards

5.3.1. Editorial boards of the journals shall consist of at least three individuals determined by the editor, serving terms of three to four years, which are renewable one time. Their terms shall be staggered.

5.3.2. The editor is responsible for soliciting candidates for the editorial board and presenting them for confirmation to COP.

5.3.3. The members of the editorial boards shall advise, facilitate, and promote the work of the journal by reviewing manuscripts for possible inclusion in the journal; advising the editor in terms of editorial policy; helping the editor with various problems that include relationships with authors, printing houses, the copy editor, etc.

5.3.4. The editor may call on a board member for assistance at any time.

5.3.5. Book editors may recruit editorial boards.

5.4. Associate editors

5.4.1. Editors of the journals are strongly urged to appoint Associate Editors to provide help in emergencies or who can take over as editor if need be. Such Associate Editors shall be approved by COP. Book editors may also create such positions.

5.5. Respect for authors

5.5.1. Editors shall seek to serve the authors (or volume editors) with respect. They shall communicate promptly, completely, and politely with authors about acceptance or rejection and any suggested changes or alterations to their manuscripts before publishing their work.

5.5.2. If an author has submitted a book manuscript in camera-ready copy, the author shall correct it based on suggestions from reviewers or the editor, or shall sign a contract allowing the Director of Publication (see Section 10) or a duly delegated person to make revisions and changes to bring the camera-ready copy into line with ASOR conventions and quality.

5.6. Promptness in the evaluation of submissions and book reviews

5.6.1. COP shall encourage and facilitate the editors to insist on prompt review of submissions to its journals and book series by outside readers.

5.6.2. Likewise, it shall urge editors of the journals to insist on promptness when books are sent for review.

5.6.3. Books submitted by publishers or others for review in an ASOR journal shall remain the property of the journal until the review manuscript has been accepted for publication. Editors may request that the books be returned if the reviewer does not meet the agreed deadline. COP shall stand by editorial decisions to ensure promptness.

5.7. Timeliness

5.7.1. Editors shall notify the COP Chair and their editorial boards if they are unable to maintain the publication schedule of their entities. COP shall attempt to help them by approving the appointment of associate editors, or by distributing some of the editorial activity to members of the editorial board, or to members of COP, or other ASOR members as COP and the editors see fit, or by adjusting the budget of the journal or book series if fiscal problems are the cause of the delay, or by any other means to regain the timeliness of the publications.

5.8. Backlogs of submissions

5.8.1. If an up-to-date journal or book series has a backlog of manuscripts so that authors are waiting an undue length of time for their accepted submissions to appear (ca. more than one year), COP shall encourage the editor to be more selective, or alter the format of the publication, or adjust the budget of the journal or book if fiscal problems are the cause of the backlog, or by any other means to reduce the backlog.

5.9. Permissions to use illustrations

5.9.1. Unless arranged specifically with the DP, editors are responsible to ensure that authors have the proper permissions for illustrations used in their publications.

5.10. Outreach

5.10.1. COP shall encourage its editors to think of outreach possibilities for their journals and books. This is especially true for NEA and the book editors. It may be advisable to recruit book ideas that will be attractive to a larger audience than ASOR’s own scholars.

6. The Chair

6.1. Election of the Chair

6.1.1. Given the importance and scope of responsibilities of the position in the administrative and executive structure of ASOR, COP has arranged with the ASOR Nomination Committee, if possible, to propose at least two candidates at the appropriate term intervals, providing a choice for membership in electing the COP Chair.

6.1.2. Any member of ASOR may nominate another member to serve as the COP Chair. However, to enable the membership to cast an educated vote, candidates themselves must provide a short statement of their perceived goals and ambitions for COP as well as their qualifications suitable for the position. This is to be submitted to the Chair of the ASOR Nominating Committee at least two weeks prior to the election at the Annual Meeting to allow time for editing and posting on the ASOR discussion list. The chair of the Nominating Committee is expected also to provide printed versions for distribution at the beginning of the ASOR Membership meeting in which the election is held.

6.2. Rewards and benefits of the office

6.2.1. The Chair of COP is a volunteer service position and carries no remuneration or financial rewards.

6.2.2. Travel to meetings is taken, if necessary, from the COP budget (Travel line).

6.3. Term of service

6.3.1. The elected term of the COP Chair shall be three years, renewable by election for a second term. The same individual may not serve a consecutive third term unless mandated by the membership and approved by the ASOR Board.

6.3.2. If an individual has taken over the Chair in an interim capacity, that time shall not count as a term of service.

6.4. Conflict of interest

6.4.1. The Chair shall not serve as a regularly appointed editor of a publication or an elected or non-elected officer of any other ASOR entity outside COP. The Chair may serve as an associate editor or on an editorial board.

6.4.2. If needed in an emergency situation, the Chair may serve as an interim editor until a replacement is found if the COP Executive Committee so requests.

6.5. Evaluation

6.5.1. As with all ASOR volunteer positions, formal evaluations of performance are not required for the Chair. However, complaints of conduct including particularly malfeasance in the fulfillment of responsibilities may lead to investigation and dismissal.

6.6. Dismissal

6.6.1. The Board of Trustees at any time may dismiss the COP Chair. Notification of such dismissal must be given to ASOR Membership, which, by vote of the Membership, may override the Board decision.

6.7. Emergency replacement of the Chair

6.7.1. If the Chair vacates the office for any reason during the term of service, the Board of Trustees/Executive Committee shall consult COP or its Executive Committee and appoint a replacement for the duration of the term subject to a vote by the ASOR Membership at the earliest possible time.

6.8. Duties of the Chair

6.8.1. Chair COP meetings in a balanced, professional manner, avoiding partiality and facilitating the expression of views by COP members. The Chair may present agenda items but may not initiate or second any action.

6.8.2. Interface with the Board of Trustees/Executive Committee and the Members Meeting by attending, participating in, voting, and presenting COP reports at their meetings. The Chair of COP is a voting ex-officio member of the Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee. COP may recommend to the Chair of the Board of Trustees/Executive Committee that the COP Chair also sit on the Finance Committee and the Development Committee. If permitted by the Board Chair, the COP Chair may recommend representatives from COP to the Finance and Development Committees.

6.8.3. The Chair shall post annual reports of Committee activities on the ASOR web site at least two weeks prior to the ASOR Members' meeting.

6.8.4. Ensure that the ASOR Manual, including these Guidelines and Procedures, is carried out by all entities of COP and ASOR.

6.8.5. Ensure that all COP actions are executed.

6.8.6. Cast a deciding vote in case of a tie, although the Chair normally does not vote.

6.8.7. Distribute the agenda with supporting documents and minutes of meetings to all COP members by e-mail at least two weeks prior to meetings.

6.8.8. Communicate with ASOR officers between formal meetings of COP and ASOR as necessary.
6.8.9. Chair the COP Executive Committee.

6.8.10. Ensure that all journals and book series have qualified and active editors.

6.8.11. Encourage and advise the various editors.

6.8.12. Encourage and advise the Director of Publications as that person seeks to fulfill the actions of COP.

6.8.13. Serve as primary negotiator with ASOR officers and relevant committees for the contracts of the Director of Publication and other publications staff, and co-sign the approved contracts with the staff members and the ASOR President or his designee.

6.8.14. In accordance with ASOR policies, the COP Chair shall conduct an annual evaluation of the staff of the COP Publications Office. The Chair shall serve as the primary evaluator of the Director's performance; the ASOR President shall be the reviewer. The DP shall evaluate other staff in the office, with review/approval by the COP Chair. Evaluations of COP staff shall be conducted in a timely fashion and may be used for approval of any pay or status changes for staff members. COP will assist the Chair in monitoring the work of all publications staff.

6.8.15. Upon election and approval of the editors for ASOR publications, negotiate the service agreements for editors in concert with the Director of Publications and the ASOR Executive Director, and co-sign these agreements with the Executive Director.

6.8.16. Review vendors and other publications contractors’ agreements.

6.8.17. Solve COP emergencies by timely and appropriate means.

7. Membership

7.1. List of members

7.1.1. COP shall have at least 15 members. These shall include the COP Chair, the editors of ASOR publications, six at-large members, the Chair of the COP Development Committee and the non-voting Director of Publications. If the latter also serves as one of the editors, he/she may vote on issues relating to editorial policy.

7.1.2. Six at-large members shall be selected from the ASOR membership at large, and serve three year terms, limited to two terms, on a rotating basis.

7.1.3. ASOR Officers, the Executive Director, and associate editors (not editorial boards) may participate in COP meetings but not vote.

7.2. Procedures of nomination for At-Large members

7.2.1. Any member of ASOR may nominate another member to COP. No nomination shall be accepted unless that person has agreed to serve if elected.

7.2.2. COP shall review the at-large candidates and recommend the Chair appointments of at-large members for ASOR Executive Committee/Board approval.

7.2.3. Terms of membership

7.2.4. The ex-officio members shall serve COP for as long as they hold their respective positions as editors or officers.

7.2.5. The six at-large members shall serve not more than two three-year terms. Each year two at-large members shall be elected (or renewed) so that the terms of the six members rotate through a three-year cycle.

7.3. Duties of the members

7.3.1. Attend and contribute to meetings of the Committee.

7.3.2. Stay abreast of developments in ASOR Publications through the Newsletter and e-mail communications from the COP Chair and the Director of Publications.

7.3.3. Promote ASOR’s publications program as an outlet for research by ASOR members.

7.3.4. Represent concerns and issues of the membership at meetings.

7.3.5. Serve on ad-hoc or sub-committees that COP may form.

7.3.6. Help editors at various times when a need arises.

7.3.7. Supply ideas for and help with fundraising projects as needed.

7.3.8. Participate in COP activities as needed in any reasonable capacity.

7.4. Dismissal

7.4.1. Any member may be required to resign by a _ vote of the total COP membership. Any such member shall be granted an opportunity to be heard prior to the action and can appeal to the ASOR Board of Trustees and Membership for reinstatement.

8. Meetings

8.1. Number of meetings

8.1.1. COP shall meet annually. The Chair shall notify the membership two months in advance, including time, and place.

8.2. Times and locations of meetings

8.2.1. The meetings shall occur at and during ASOR’s fall Annual Meeting.

8.2.2. Because the Board of Trustees, the Executive Committee, the Finance Committee, and he Members’ Meeting must confirm some actions of COP, COP meetings shall precede them at each session.

8.2.3. The COP Executive Committee shall take care of any needs between annual meetings. This committee may conduct a short conference call with the rest of COP during the spring meeting to inform them of actions taken and to request a vote on more controversial issues.

8.3. Quorum

8.3.1. In concert with the by-laws of ASOR, a quorum of COP or any COP sub-committee shall consist of one-third of the voting members.

8.4. Attendance

8.4.1. COP members shall be encouraged to attend all meetings; members who do not attend consistently may be dismissed.

8.4.2. Because many of the issues discussed by COP are related to persons, complete discretion is demanded of all attendees.

8.4.3. Non-members must obtain the permission or invitation of the Chair to be present.

8.5. Agenda

8.5.1. To facilitate the committee’s work, an agenda, along with supporting documents, shall be distributed by e-mail to the members at least one week prior to the meeting. Late items may be added to the agenda at meetings only by a vote of the committee.

8.6. Secretary

8.6.1. The Chair shall appoint the secretary for each meeting from the ASOR membership; it need not be a member of the committee. This person shall be notified in advance sufficiently enough to be prepared. This position carries no remuneration or benefits. Neither the Chair nor the DP shall serve as secretary.
8.6.2. The secretary shall record the minutes of the COP meeting and shall assist the Chair with related reporting.

8.7. Reports

8.7.1. Budget reports and recommendations

8.7.1.1. In keeping with the ASOR fiscal year which beings on July 1, the COP Chair will provide budget recommendations to the Finance and Executive Committees on a quarterly basis, and make formal presentation of reporting twice a year to the meetings of the Board of Trustees, and annually to the meeting of the ASOR Membership. Copies of the reports shall be distributed to COP members well in advance of such meetings for discussion and approval. The formal presentations by the COP Chair shall be distributed to the ASOR Executive Committee, Board of Trustees, and ASOR Membership at least one week prior to their respective meetings.

8.7.1.2. Amendments to the annual budget may be recommended to the Board of Trustees during the fall meeting.

8.7.1.3. The COP Executive Committee shall recommend the COP publishing budgets at the spring meeting and shall send an e-mail ballot to all COP members for ratification within two weeks of the spring meeting. The Chair shall direct such a ballot.

8.7.1.4. The Chair shall use these reports and budgets as the basis for COP’s formal report to the Board of Trustees/Executive Committee and to the Members Meeting.

8.7.2. Editorial reports

8.7.2.1. Editors shall present quarterly reports to the Director of Publications for use in the quarterly reports of COP to the ASOR Executive Committee and the bi-annual reports to the Board of Trustees. These reports shall include summaries of activities for the past quarter; anticipated production schedules for the next year in general terms; the financial state of the entity as of the immediately preceding fiscal year and the present quarter; a general assessment of the state and quality of their entity; any interesting challenges; and calls for help or advice.

8.7.3. Sub-committee reports

8.7.3.1. Any sub-committee or ad-hoc committee shall report to the fall meeting with summaries of their activities.

8.7.3.2. COP shall vote actions that incur the involvement of COP in any way at the time of the report.

8.8. Minutes

8.8.1. COP minutes shall be distributed within two weeks of the meetings. Distribution shall be by e-mail to members of COP, the ASOR Executive Committee, and the Executive Director; and posting on the ASOR web site for ASOR membership.

8.8.2. Minutes of the actions of the COP Executive Committee shall be distributed to COP members and ASOR officers and Executive Director not more than two weeks following the action.

9. The Office of Publications

9.1. COP shall have an Office of Publications to serve as the focal point of operational management of COP activities. This Office may be located within the ASOR Executive Offices or elsewhere; whichever is most advantageous and efficient.

9.2. The office staff will include a Director of Publications, who, in addition to other duties, will oversee the operations of the office and such other staff as may be authorized by COP and the Board of Trustees (see Section 10 below). ASOR staff members are technically employees of cooperating institutions. By formal agreement with ASOR, the institution (currently Emory University in Atlanta) will manage the personnel services and payroll of the Publications Office on behalf of ASOR, with funds disbursed from the ASOR/Publications budget.

9.3. The functions of the office are:

9.3.1. To facilitate the production, publishing, marketing, and sales of ASOR-sponsored publications.

9.3.2. To help editors ensure the quality of produced materials, and to advise on the format of productions when desired by the editor. (As noted above, the editors alone are responsible for content and conformity to editorial policy.)

9.3.3. To monitor closely the status of COP income and expenses, ensuring the maintenance of a balanced budget, conformity with COP and ASOR Policies and Procedures, accuracy of billings for services, timely production of financial reports and defensible budget requests for approval by the ASOR Finance and Executive Committees and Board of Trustees as part of the overall ASOR budget.

9.3.4. To maintain a mutually supportive relationship between COP and ASOR by cooperating with the ASOR Executive Offices, officers, and other committees or affiliated overseas institutions in the production and distribution of information to the membership and public regarding COP and ASOR programs and activities, as well as promoting new membership and subscriptions, etc.

9.3.5. To produce the quarterly Newsletter and maintain the Publications section of the ASOR web site and the Discussion Forum on the Internet.

9.3.6. To communicate regularly with the COP Chair in the coordination of COP day-to-day business and with ASOR headquarters staff and other ASOR entities as required, requested, and appropriate in order to ensure the smooth flow of COP and ASOR decision-making.

9.3.7. To provide long-term storage and maintain archives of ASOR publications and other historical memorabilia.

10. The Director of Publications (DP)

10.1. The ASOR Board of Trustees may establish a position of Director of Publications (DP) to head the Office of Publications, carrying out the functions of the office as outlined above. The DP shall be considered a staff member of ASOR and is responsible for administering the Office of Publications, the functions of which are outlined above in Section 9. The DP reports directly to the COP Chair, is a nonvoting member of COP, and is responsible for fulfilling the directives of the Committee and assuming assignments as appropriate on behalf of the Chair.

10.2. Appointment of the DP

10.2.1. COP shall file an official job description and qualifications for the DP position with the ASOR Executive Offices, and participate in the search process.

10.2.2. Upon review of the candidates, COP shall nominate a DP for confirmation by the Board of Trustees. The COP Chair, in concert with the ASOR President and/or President's designee, shall negotiate and sign the final contract. The COP Chair shall ensure the approval of the Committee prior to implementation of said contract.

10.3. Oversight

10.3.1. The DP shall be under the direct supervision of the COP Chair. COP and its Chair shall oversee and ensure the effectiveness of the DP.

10.3.2. As An ASOR staff member/director, the DP also reports to the ASOR Board of Trustees/Executive Committee.

10.3.3. The DP serves as operational manager for and financial advisor to COP and, as requested by the Chair, may represent the Committee in identification and negotiations and contracting of persons and services approved by COP as required in support of Publications.

10.4. Basic responsibilities of the DP include:

10.4.1. Maintaining a balanced budget and reviewing COP accounts with the ASOR Treasurer to ensure expenditures are in keeping with the ASOR-approved budget for COP activities.

10.4.2. Maintaining good working relationships with editors, authors, and related entities engaged in the support and production of ASOR publications and promotion of ASOR membership and events. Contracts with authors and editors shall outline the procedures for handling published volumes in both written and electronic formats. The DP or COP Chair and the ASOR Executive Director shall sign these contracts.

10.4.3. Reviewing the accuracy of claims on COP/ASOR for payment of services, and forwarding such claims with authorization for payment by the ASOR Executive Office, as determined appropriate, in regard to specified categories of the COP budget.

10.4.4. Supervising the Office of Publications. This includes supervision of any approved staff, hired part-time assistants, and bank accounts and other agreements relating to the Office.

10.4.5. Ensuring that the activities of the Publications Office are in concert with COP directives and ASOR rules and regulations.

10.4.6. Contributing ideas to COP and supporting the development of revenue enhancement and cost-savings, with the objective of improving the quality of publications and related services.

10.4.7. Regularly reporting to COP and its Chair and alerting the Committee to potential difficulties of production and publishing schedules. As a non-voting member of the Committee, the DP also serves as financial advisor, and may be requested at times to serve as the Committee's representative in the negotiation of contracts and agreements in pursuit of COP business arrangements.

10.5. Specific duties of the DP include:

10.5.1. Assisting COP and ASOR headquarters in the identification, negotiation and contracting of persons and services approved by COP as required in support of ASOR Publications efforts. Such contracted services include agreements with authors, editors, publishing houses, printers, vendors, and other related entities. ASOR legal counsel and the COP Executive Committee shall approve all contracts in general before they are used for specific cases. All major contracts that could create significant risks to ASOR shall be passed to the President, the COP Chair, and the ASOR Executive Director for approval and shall be signed by the DP or COP Chair and by the ASOR Executive Director.

10.5.2. Working closely with editors and editorial boards to resolve issues and improve the processing and final production of materials for publications. For example, the DP is responsible for ensuring approval by ASOR legal counsel of all potential contracts with authors and publishers; handling copyright applications; approving and monitoring permissions for illustrations in ASOR book publications. Related services include informing book authors of how their manuscripts are proceeding toward publication and helping journal editors find suitable advertising.

10.5.3. Preparing quarterly fiscal reports and the annual budget for COP approval and presentation to the ASOR Executive Committee and Board of Trustees.

10.5.4. Regularly reporting to and working closely with the ASOR Executive Office in regard to financial and contractual transactions, and reconciliation of accounts.

10.5.5. Working with ASOR Officers and Chairs of other ASOR Operating and Board Committees on matters concerning promotional events, financial, personnel, and development requirements when related to publications and when authorized by COP or the COP Chair.

10.5.6. Managing the in-house fulfillment services.

10.5.7. Providing COP-related information for and coordinating the publication of the quarterly ASOR Newsletter as well as the ASOR discussion list on the Internet.

10.6. Evaluation

10.6.1. In accordance with ASOR policy, the DP is entitled to an annual evaluation of performance. Review and comment shall be sought from members of COP, and the Executive and Personnel Committees. As the DP's supervisor, the COP Chair shall serve as primary evaluator, and the ASOR President shall be the reviewer on the formal evaluation. The DP shall also provide comments on the evaluation and sign the document.

10.6.2. Consideration of annual and/or other interim increases in pay will be given upon recommendation of COP and its Chair, as approved by the ASOR Finance and Executive Committees and Board of Trustees.

10.7. Dismissal

10.7.1. COP may recommend dismissal of the DP to the Board of Trustees/Executive Committee.

10.7.2. ASOR has the right to terminate the contract agreement with the DP at any time, with or without cause. The DP must give 90 days notice to ASOR if resigning the position, and ASOR shall have the option to designate any date prior to the expiration of this period as the date of termination of service. Compensation, if any, follow in accord with the terms of the DP contract.

11. The Editors

11.1. Terms of service

11.1.1. Editors of ASOR journals and books shall normally serve for one term of three years, renewable for a second term upon a vote of COP and approval of the ASOR Board of Trustees.

11.1.2. An exception to this is that the Editor of JCS shall be nominated by the ASOR Baghdad Committee and shall not be subject to a term limitation, unless the Board of Trustees determines otherwise.

11.1.3. When possible, new editors shall be appointed at least six months prior to the end of the term of the previous editor. Any editorial consideration shall follow the terms of the editors. The time overlap is not considered the term of the new editor. Formal arrangements with new editors shall be spelled out in their specific service agreements.

11.2. Service agreements

11.2.1. Editors shall sign individual service agreements (contracts) with ASOR, defining the nature and responsibilities of their work and containing any expectations of financial or personnel support, as well as other items of mutual accord for the undertaking of the editorial assignment.

11.3. Editorial policies

11.3.1. Approval of the editorial appointments by COP and the ASOR Board will be contingent upon the selected editor's provision of a mission statement specific to each publishing entity, reflecting goals and conventions to be pursued in the conduct of the job. These statements shall be made consistent also with the overall ASOR mission, policies and procedures, the organization's editorial policy, and these guidelines.

11.3.2. Approved editorial policies shall be published at the ASOR web site. For journals, the mission statement and editorial policy may be published on the mastheads and the conventions may be published periodically (once every three to five years or when changes are made) inside the journal.

11.4. Procedures for book manuscripts

11.4.1. The procedures for the acceptance, editing, and production of book manuscripts are detailed in the brochure, "Publishing with ASOR." This is available on the ASOR web site or may be requested from the Office of Publications. Book editors shall work within those guidelines in relating to authors and the Office of Publications.

11.4.2. Editors of book series shall copy the DP on all letters of acceptance as well as those outlining any demanded or suggested changes to the manuscript upon which acceptance is dependent.

11.5. Publishing budget

11.5.1. COP shall provide a publishing budget for each journal based upon a fair ratio of COP’s income.
11.5.2. In the case of books, the budget shall be determined by the terms of a contract with a publisher and/or vendor, if an outside publisher is used. The DP shall negotiate contracts in close cooperation with the Chair.

11.5.3. If COP/ASOR publishes its own books, the budget for all book series shall be based upon the cost of goods sold.

11.5.4. COP shall work out a formula by which a certain percentage of each budget is returned to COP to provide the salary, benefits, and expenses of the DP and any assistants, as well as any overhead associated with the office.

11.5.5. Editors shall keep their own receipts of office expenses and present them or copies to the DP at the meetings or by mail on a monthly or quarterly basis depending on the dollar amounts involved. The ASOR accountant issues all checks.

11.6. Editorial assistance

11.6.1. Associate editors, editorial assistants, and managing editors may be appointed as required by the journal editors in consultation with the COP Chair.

11.6.2. Associate or Assistant editors shall not be entitled to remuneration by ASOR.

11.7. Evaluation

11.7.1. The Chair of COP and the COP Executive Committee shall evaluate the editors’ performance and shall advise and facilitate them when appropriate.

11.8. Dismissal

11.8.1. Any editor may be required to resign by ASOR according to the terms of the relevant service agreement.

11.9. Copy editors

11.9.1. To ensure the high quality of a publication, COP shall encourage editors to hire, if fiscally possible, professional and knowledgeable copy editors who shall work with the manuscripts following their acceptance by the editors. Arrangements for copyediting shall be a part of the specific editor’s service agreement.