For more than 30 years, the Collegiate Network has supported independent college newspapers, magazines and journals that serve to focus public awareness on the politicization of American college and university classrooms, curricula, student life, and the resulting decline of educational standards. Each year publications across the country enjoy the benefits of a membership with the CN. Member publications have earned reputations for both in-depth reporting and witty commentary. They serve to raise the level of discourse on campus and provide an outlet for students to keep university faculty and administrations honest. Many prominent journalists have got their start by working for a CN publication.

The CN is a program administered by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute.
 

Organizational Policies

The opinions expressed in member articles, commentary, websites, photographs, graphics, or advertisements are solely those of the individual author(s) or publication(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CN. The CN does not exercise any control or influence over the editorial material of member publications, nor does it review prior to publication any of the contents.
 

Membership Requirements

Joining the Collegiate Network is easy, and best of all, free!

Who can apply? Any university student who has been inspired to start an independent publication dedicated to promoting the free exchange of ideas on campus, OR any existing independent student publication.

What are the restrictions? We do not support publications that engage in partisan political activity. Members adhere to a basic set of policies, such as staying in regular contact with the CN and submitting copies of all issues. We also expect members to uphold the standards of honest and responsible journalism.
 

How to Join

    1. Publish your first issue
    We will work with you via e-mail or phone, providing individualized logistical advice to help you print your first issue. We can also recommend sources of start-up funding!
    2. Submit request for membership
    After publishing your first issue, you must submit a request for membership. This must contain the following:
    3. Receive notification of membership status
    The CN will contact you after reviewing your membership request, generally within 2-4 weeks. Once admitted, you can start enjoying the benefits of membership immediately.
 

Benefits of Membership

The CN offers its members the following resources and opportunities:
  • Financial Support & Mentoring:
    • Eligibility to apply annually for a grant (averaging $3,000) to help offset printing costs
    • On-call tips and advice
    • In-person campus mentoring visits
  • All-Expenses Paid National Training Opportunities
    • Annual Editors Conference
    • Start the Presses! Conference
  • Professional Journalist Development
    • Paid journalism internships and fellowships at leading media outlets
    • Intern/Fellow Training Workshop
    • Journalist Salons and other fellowship events
  • Intellectual Resources
    • Free books from the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI)
    • ISI membership (Fellowship programs, honors program, conferences, lectures, debates and online resources)
  • Networking Opportunities
    • Access to the CN social networking site fuseBOX, which contains members-only blogs, forums, resources, contests, and more
    • Various alumni events
    • Access to a network of independent campus publications, dedicated alumni, and affiliated national publications and organizations that support independent campus journalism