Fall 2023 graduate writing groups

Meeting time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. CT
Format: registered (same attendees each week), plus drop-ins welcome if registered beforehand
Mode: in person
Location: Multicultural Student Center, Red Gym
Facilitator: Erika Gonzalez

This graduate writing group is intended to support students in any stage of their degree program, whether you are just starting your journey or nearing the end. The goal is to bring together students of color in community as we tackle the many writing demands of graduate school. Every week, we work alongside one another on our various writing projects, supporting and motivating each other to achieve our writing goals. The facilitator, Erika, will be available during the meetings for individual support and to answer questions.

Meeting time: 1 to 4 p.m. CT
Format: drop-in (attend when you’re available)
Mode: in person
Location: Helen C. White Hall, 6th floor
Facilitator: Antonella Pappolla

This drop-in graduate writing group aims to provide a supportive and generative space for graduate students who write in multiple languages. Led by a multilingual and international graduate student, this group especially welcomes graduate students who have experienced the benefits and complexities of working across language and cultural differences. Whether you’ve been writing in English for most of your academic life, recently started doing academic work in English, or anything in between, this group will provide you with a community of peers who bring a wealth of linguistic experiences and work towards similar academic goals. During the writing time, your facilitator, Anto, will be available in person for one-to-one conferences. At the end of each session, we will reflect on (and celebrate) what we accomplished during the session. We look forward to supporting you and your writing!

Meeting time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. CT
Format: registered (same attendees each week, attendance required)
Mode: online / fully virtual
Facilitator: Lisa Marvel Johnson

The Monday graduate morning writing group will connect each week at 9 a.m. on Google Docs, where you will note your goals for your writing. At 9:05, we will convene synchronously through Zoom to chat about a discussion question related to the writing process, time management, the technology we use to accomplish our writing tasks, and other relevant topics. We may answer these questions in small groups, through the chat feature of Zoom, or in large-group discussion. Between 9:15 and 11:45, you’ll get words down in order to accomplish your writing goals, and Lisa will be available for short one-to-one conferences. At 11:45, you’ll take a moment to note your progress on our Google Doc. Our final Zoom check-in will be from 11:50 to noon. In these closing minutes we’ll troubleshoot any writing issues that you may have encountered and will celebrate your accomplishments.

Meeting time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. CT
Format: registered (same attendees each week, attendance required)
Mode: in person
Location: Helen C. White Hall, 6th floor
Facilitator: Abby Letak

This graduate writing group is dedicated to fostering a supportive environment for graduate students to work on academic writing projects of any type and at any stage. Feeling isolated in the writing process? Looking for some weekly accountability? Each week we will meet in person, convening on the 6th floor of Helen C. White Hall. With a focus on the intersection of writing and wellbeing, we will open each session by setting writing goals as well as discussing and reflecting on the ongoing role that factors such as stress, guilt, boundaries, and self-care play in the writing process. We will then have sustained writing time for the bulk of the session, during which the facilitator, Abby, will be available to chat about your work one-to-one. We will close by sharing our progress and reflecting on the session.

Meeting time: 1 to 4 p.m. CT
Format: registered (same attendees each week), plus drop-ins welcome if registered beforehand
Mode: online / fully virtual
Facilitator: Ellen Cecil-Lemkin

Co-sponsored by the McBurney Disability Resource Center, this writing group offers a supportive community of writers for anyone who identifies as having a mental health concern, Disabled, chronically ill, neurodivergent, and/or are affiliated with the McBurney Center. (Being affiliated with the McBurney Center is not a requirement to join this group.) During our first meeting together, we’ll establish our group’s goals and structure beyond having dedicated time for setting writing goals and writing. Additionally, during the allotted writing time, the facilitator (Ellen) will be available for brief one-to-one conferences with participants to help them think through writing strategies, set goals, brainstorm ideas, and get an outsider’s perspective on their writing.

Meeting time: 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. CT
Format: registered (same attendees each week, attendance required)
Mode: online / fully virtual
Facilitator: Leslie Orrantia

This graduate writing group meets virtually each week and is dedicated to fostering a supportive environment for graduate students to work on academic writing projects of any type and at any stage. Led by a first-generation college graduate and woman of color, this writing group especially welcomes BIPOC and first-generation college graduates interested in furthering their writing skillset, developing their confidence with their writing process, and co-creating an encouraging writing community. The bulk of the session will be writing time (approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes) during which participants will have the opportunity to discuss their written work with the facilitator one-to-one. The opening and closing sessions will be dedicated to goal setting and reflecting on the progress that we make during our time together. We will also use opening and closing sessions to foster community, reflect upon our personal writing processes, share insights and best practices with one another, and further develop our skills for self- and community-care, through meditation, breathwork, celebration of our successes, and growing compassion for ourselves and others.

Meeting time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. CT
Format: drop-in (attend when you’re available)
Mode: hybrid / online participation via Zoom, with an option to gather in a physical space
Location: Helen C. White Hall, sixth floor, and online
Facilitator: Seth Umbaugh

The Friday morning graduate writing group will provide a flexible setting for graduate students to write in community with their peers. This writing group will meet in a hybrid format, with virtual participants joining the meeting via Zoom and in-person participants convening in 6172 Helen C. White Hall. Attendees can choose how to participate on a weekly basis. Synchronous opening and closing sessions will include both large- and small-group discussions of daily writing goals and topics related to the writing process. All participants will be given access to a shared goal-setting document. Seth will also be available for brief one-to-one conferences during this group’s meeting time over the course of the semester.