On Aug. 28, faculty gathered in the Cook Center in Maxwell Hall to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Indiana University Bloomington’s Scholarly Writing Program (SWP), marking a decade of community, accountability, and research among IU scholars.
Current director, Gen Creedon, kicked off the celebration with a screening of a new video documenting the program’s history. The program was launched in 2013 by former associate deans Jane McLeod (the College of Arts and Sciences) and Joyce Alexander (Education) in collaboration with Laura Plummer, who became the inaugural director in 2015 when the program expanded to serve the whole campus under the auspices of the VPFAA.
Faculty shared stories of how the program shaped their research journeys and deepened their sense of belonging at IU. “I don’t know who I would be as a scholar without the writing program,” said Kathryn Engebretson, an associate professor in the School of Education, “…it’s probably the thing that has made me feel the most connected to IU and the Bloomington campus.”
The early writing groups were made up of women faculty, who shared strategies and spread the word. Participation doubled semester after semester, prompting campus investment to meet demand across schools. The SWP now serves over 400 faculty each semester and is a model for writing programs across the nation.
“The overt goal of the writing program was to help faculty get their writing done and have time left over for family, for themselves, and for the community,” explained Laura Plummer. Over the past decade, the program has grown to include writing retreats, peer review sessions, workshops, and one-on-one consultations. It has become a cornerstone of support for scholarly productivity and professional connections across disciplines.
That sense of community echoes throughout the video and the August celebration, as faculty spoke about friendships and collaborations that emerged through shared writing time.
“We’re so diverse at IU in terms of departments and structures,” said Christina Ludema, an associate professor in the School of Public Health. “Writing groups have given me a window into that diversity and helped me see how our work connects to the larger institution.”
