The University of Exeter’s student-run academic journal, The Undergraduate, has recently launched a crowd funding campaign in an attempt to raise money for further publication.
The journal is free to students and since its conception has been financed by the University’s Annual Fund. However, their three-year funding contract expires after the next issue, and there is a risk that printing will not continue past this year if the sufficient amount is not raised.
Crowdfunding works using a rewards-based system, with different rewards given out in relation to how much you donate. A donation of £10 will get you a bookmark, while one of over £100 will see you receive advertising space in print, for example. Their minimum target is £1000, which will allow for the publication of the February 2017 edition, and is needed by the 31st of May. The overall target of £4000 would pay for two issues of the journal, as well as a Fresher’s Guide alongside a possible expansion into the University’s St. Luke’s and Penrhyn campuses.
The Undergraduate was created in 2013 by Cameron Ho and Cherrie Kwok, undergraduates who “believed that the hard work of students deserves to be highlighted and rewarded”.
The journal is built on two key principles – accessibility and interdisciplinary research – and publishes two issues a year. The journal contains essays covering subjects ranging from English and Film to Business and Economics. It also has an online edition.
The Incoming President for 2016-17 Iris Gioti said: “The Undergraduate’s sole purpose is to promote undergraduate research and to make sure that our voices are also heard in the academic world. [This] is a cause that every undergraduate should take to heart. By supporting us financially with a small contribution, you are also supporting your fellow students”.
You can donate to The Undergraduate on Exeter’s crowdfunding website and you can support them on Facebook and Twitter.