Scholarly Writing Program

Learn more about the Scholarly Writing Program through this video:

Description of the video:

Yeah, I don't know who I would be as a scholar without the writing program.

It's probably the thing that has made me feel the most connected to IU as a school and the Bloomington campus specifically.

The Scholarly Writing Program at Indiana University was launched as an experiment in 2013.

It now serves the whole Bloomington campus with over 400 faculty each year joining faculty writing groups, writing retreats, peer review groups, workshops, and one-on-one consultations.

I think there are a lot of faculty who have indeed learned more about the campus and made connections and friends throughout.

What made me so excited about it was a chance to find community, to preserve space for writing, and to get a lot of work done.

I've met over 70 faculty members across campus.

We're super diverse at IU in terms of departments and structures. It's interesting to hear pieces of that diversity and how it connects to the larger institution.

I've developed friends and colleagues from multiple disciplines. I've had individuals I can bounce ideas off of.

If not for the writing group, several projects I had been working on probably would never have come to fruition.

I really appreciated getting to meet faculty and feel their enthusiasm about the program and the community it built.

I don't know IU without writing groups because I started them when I first got here.

Being in community is so important during the writing process. I learned this as a journalist in a busy newsroom.

But when you're doing your own research, it can be isolating. So this community environment is extremely beneficial.
At Woodburn, several groups of people sit together at the tables in the hall. These writing groups all seem to be working on their laptops that are open in front of them. Several members are looking off into the distance, seemingly deep in thought.
At the Scholarly Writing Program Retreat, two women sit at separate tables with their computers open in front of them. One of the women is staring out of a wide window and seems to be deep in thought.
A Scholarly Writing group of 3 people sit at a table. There are two women and one man, and each seems to be typing on their laptop.
A group of 31 people stands shoulder to shoulder on a wooden staircase facing the camera for the annual Scholarly Writing Retreat. It's a sunny day and everyone has big smiles on their faces.

Frequently Asked Questions

We run programs year-round. Faculty Writing Groups take place during Fall and Spring semester and run 14 weeks, beginning the second week classes are in session. We also run accountability groups in the summer from late May to July. Peer Review Groups run September-November and February-April and by request in the summer. We host full-day retreats on campus in August, November, and April as well as an off-campus retreat in May the week after graduation. We offer week-long intensives (4 hours of writing a day) in the summer. Promotion support is available year-round with drafting workshops in December and May. One-on-one consultations are available year-round.

We offer over 25 Faculty Writing Groups each semester Mondays-Thursdays with start times typically between 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Peer Review Group meeting times vary from semester to semester with 3-5 available days/times. Day-long retreats are on Fridays (8:30-4:30 p.m.) during the semester; in August, 3-4 different days are offered. Week-long intensives are available May-July. Consultations are available at pre-scheduled times Monday-Friday and by request.

Faculty Writing Groups are held both online and in a variety of spaces around campus, including Emeriti House, GISB, the Kelley School, Lindley Hall, Maxwell Hall, the SSRC, and Wells Library. Occasionally, other spaces may be used. Peer Review Groups typically meet in conference rooms in Wells Library in the SSRC. Retreats rotate between Franklin Hall and the Henke Hall of Champions. Summer programming takes place in Emeriti House and the SSRC. Consultations can be arranged anywhere that is most convenient for you! 

Scholarly Writing Program offerings are open to all full-time academic appointments on the IU Bloomington Campus. We welcome faculty writers across ranks and schools. New faculty are especially encouraged to join programs early and often, but we actively seek to build inclusive writing communities that also draw on the experience and insights of experienced scholars in all fields.

Having this community has been a wonderful source of support, accountability, and ongoing motivation. Hearing from others about their experiences with writing, and academia more broadly, is invaluable.

Quote from a faculty member who attended Faculty Writing Groups