The mission of the Writing Center is to meet not only the needs of students, but those of all writers across the university. In order to attract a strong community of faculty/staff writers, we offer a number of services for use in their classrooms and with their own writing.

Click the link to view our Scholarly Writing Initiatives for Faculty & Staff flier. This will provide more details on ways in which the Writing Center aims to support Faculty/Staff writers at GVSU. Feel free to print a copy for your office, a colleague, or save it to your computer for future reference. 

Faculty/Staff Writing Retreats

Structured as writing time with opportunities for individualized feedback, these 5-day retreats are an opportunity for faculty and staff to make extraordinary progress on a long writing project -- or several shorter ones. Writing center representatives will facilitate the retreats and be available to provide feedback to participants. 

We'll provide a work station, light snacks, and plenty of coffee and tea; you bring the materials you'll need to be productive on your writing project and your own laptop. 
Patrick Johnson, Director of the Writing Center, and/or Jerry Stinnett, Director of Writing Across the Curriculum, will be on hand to provide feedback if you'd like a personal consultation about your project.

If you are interested in attending an upcoming retreat, please complete this form and return it to Lisa Gullo (gullol@gvsu.edu). 

Scroll down the page for up-coming dates and locations.

Requested Peer Support

Faculty/Staff Writing Groups:

Meet with a small group of your colleagues from across campus to share drafts of your writing for feedback. For more information, feel free to contact us with your questions and/or requests. 

Click here to view our Scholarly Writing Initiatives for Faculty & Staff flier for details. 

Faculty/Staff Fridays

**Due to low attendance, the Writing Center is no longer offering Faculty Fridays, though we do support small Faculty/Staff writing groups, which provides a similar atmosphere. For more information about joining your own writing group, please contact the Director, Patrick Johnson, or the Writing Center at 331-2922

If you're interested in joining up for the up-coming faculty retreat, please email Lisa Gullo at gullol@gvsu.edu. Space is limited, so reach out as soon as you can.

Writing Retreat Materials

Details:

• Patrick Johnson, Director of the Fred Meijer Center for Writing, & Lindsay Ellis, Director of Writing Across the Curriculum, will facilitate the retreat.
• The Center will provide a laptop computer for your use, as well as writing resources and goal-setting activities to keep you focused.
• The Center will ensure you' are well nourished and alert by providing snacks and drinks throughout the day and lunch at noon.
• Participants are expected to spend at least seven hours per day on writing or writing-related activities and join other participants for lunch each day.

Additional Information:

• Inventory
• Form to be filled out ahead of the retreat to help participants gather their ideas and materials and show up ready to write. Daily Reflection Form
• Form filled out by participants at the end of each day to keep track of what they accomplished and where to pick back up in the morning. Resources and Reminders
• Guides participants to online and bookshelf resources, as well as other writing support. Retreat Evaluation Form
• Participants tell us what they think of the retreat.

Scholarship & Helpful Links

And here are some links to great pieces about writing as a faculty member:

• Inside Higher Education's "Writing for Academe" series
• "Retreating Into the Center: Supporting Faculty and Staff as Writers," by Ellen Schendel, published in Writing Lab Newsletter.
• "Writing Group as Sanctuary," by Lisa Botshon and Eve Raimon, published in Chronicle of Higher Education.
• More Helpful Links

Have other questions? Stop in and visit! Or call us at 331-2922.