Faculty “Writing” Groups (FWGs) provide you with structure and support to make steady progress toward your individual research and scholarship goals.
Faculty "Writing" Groups are co-sponsored by the Center for Faculty Development and the Office of Sponsored Projects.
According to Rockquemore, writing is “[a]ny project between conceiving of an idea to manuscript out the door” (NCFDD, n.d). We know that a “manuscript” might not be the evidence of scholarship that’s right for your discipline, and therefore, for our purposes
“Writing” encapsulates whatever is involved from the inception of your idea to the completion of the final “product.”
Producing such a wide array of scholarship naturally involves many more elements than just “writing.” For instance, you may be conducting:
All these elements – and many more – count as “writing” for the purposes of Faculty “Writing” Groups.
There is empirical evidence that Faculty “Writing” Groups help faculty progress with their scholarly work (Boice, 1989, 1997), and that is why we’ve been launching these groups since 2007.
The evidence suggests that faculty are more productive in their scholarship when they
Faculty “Writing” Groups put these ideas into practice. Groups are self-managed with the expectation that members will challenge and support each other, brainstorm how to overcome obstacles, promote accountability, and grow members’ confidence in their work.
These groups are intentionally interdisciplinary so that you remain the expert in your own field throughout.
It can be hard to get scholarship and research done for any number of reasons. One obstacle that many of us face is that we find it hard to make time for writing; juggling scholarship with our teaching responsibilities and our lives outside of Seattle U can be difficult. Others find that they can make the time, but they have trouble finding their voice or gaining confidence in that voice. It's easy to assume that research comes easily to everyone but you. It's not true. Many of us struggle with it.
Starting Fall 2022, we will set up groups on an on-demand basis. Sign up to join a group using this short online form, and once we have enough people to form a viable group (typically 3–4 people, all from different disciplines), we’ll be in touch to offer a time to meet with you all and get you started.
The model we’re using was developed in the UK and has worked well for SU faculty since 2007. It's known in the research literature as "Action Learning Sets" (McGill & Beaty, 2001; Brockbank & McGill, 1998). In this context, we’re simply calling them Faculty “Writing” Groups.
You'll be in an interdisciplinary group with 3–4 other faculty members. We suggest you meet fortnightly (every two weeks), during which time you set your own scholarship goals and hold one another accountable to those goals. The peers in your group will challenge and support you as you structure your time, brainstorm how to overcome obstacles, meet your deadlines, and find confidence in your voice. You'll provide the same kind of supportive challenge to them in return.
Sign up to join a group using this short online form. We’ll be back in touch once we have enough interested colleagues to create a new group.
Boice, R. (1989). Procrastination, busyness and bingeing. Behavior Research Therapy, 27, 605-611.
Boice, R. (1997). Strategies for enhancing scholarly productivity. In J. M. Moxley & T. Taylor (Eds.), Writing and publishing for academic authors (pp. 19-34). Rowman & Littlefield.
Brockbank, A., & McGill, I. (1998). Facilitating reflective learning in higher education. Open University Press.
McGill, I., & Beaty, L. (2001). Action learning: A guide for professional, management and educational development (2nd Ed.). Kogan Page.
After a long dry spell because of increased administrative duties, the Writing Group helped me stick to a writing plan and complete a manuscript within a quarter. I don't remember ever being so productive. Writing groups really help keep you focused.
Associate Dean Seattle UniversityThe writing group has had an amazing impact on my scholarship. I have submitted a book manuscript (just submitted the final manuscript), had an article published, and started a new project this summer. The group has been a safe and supportive space to discuss the challenges of finding time for writing as well as navigating the tenure clock.
Assistant Professor Seattle UniversityHelped me stay focused, organized, and become more productive. Having people to whom I am regularly accountable for scholarship was great. It was also wonderful to have encouragement for my work and people with whom to celebrate my successes!
Associate Professor Seattle UniversityWithout those gentle external nudges, it would be too easy to let all of my other work take priority.
Program Director Seattle University