GRADUATE SEMINAR IN ACADEMIC WRITING
Each academic year, the University Writing Center offers three no-cost, five-week seminars in academic writing for UConn graduate students. These seminars feature some direct instruction and one-on-one writing conferences with the instructor, but the seminars also focus substantially on workshopping each participant’s writing. That is to say, the course adopts neither a lecture nor skills-and-drills format. Instead, the seminars function as a collaborative space that brings practical strategies to bear on specific in-process works of scholarship. Learning to write well takes time, commitment, and experience, and no single course can do the job alone; nonetheless, this seminar gives participants guided practice in becoming more skillful writers and communicators.
These seminars do not carry UConn academic credit, nor are they graded. We simply aim to help motivated graduate students improve their writing in ways that will serve them well in their academic and careers. The seminars are made possible through funding from the Graduate School and the University Writing Center.
The Spring seminar will run on Thursdays, 11am to 1pm, from February 9th to March 9th.
Applications are now open. Please submit your application by January 26th for full consideration.Important Details about the Seminar:
o Applicants must be degree-seeking UConn graduate students. International grad students are welcome.
o Participants are expected to commit 3 additional hours per week (outside of the meeting time) to complete assignments and to peer-review the drafts of others.
o Course enrollment is limited to 20 students per session. If we receive more applications than there are seats available (which is likely), we will make decisions about enrollment based on seniority, the degree of fit between the course and the applicant’s writing project, the application submission date, and the motivation of the applicant. Applications submitted after the posted deadline will be considered if spaces are available.
o Submission of a working draft (at least 5 double-spaced pages) is required of participants prior to the beginning of the session. Seminar work will be dedicated to improving this draft and using it as a model of how to implement writing strategies.
o Submission of a $100 promissory note is also required of participants. It will not be used upon satisfactory completion of the seminar, which is based on attendance and participation.
If you have questions about the seminar, please contact us at:
gradwritinguconn@gmail.com
For more information, contact: Eleanor Reeds at gradwritinguconn@gmail.com