Faculty Writing Community

Write. Connect. Build Community.

At heart, all campuses are communities of writers, and our faculty writing programming is designed to support Mason’s writing community. Through our shared digital space, all faculty at Mason can participate in our weekly sprints, writing retreats, and occasional panels about the academic writing life.

Our writing sprints and retreats offer uninterrupted work time where you can accomplish your writing goals and network with colleagues. Our writing challenges connect faculty asynchronously to set goals and celebrate successes, and our panels explore the rich culture of academic writing and highlight the many resources available to faculty at Mason.

All faculty, at all levels, with any kind of writing projects, are invited to participate and find a community of peers who will encourage you, intrigue you, and keep you on track! More information about our programming, including how to join, is available below.

Mason’s Faculty Writing Community is co-sponsored by The Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning, the Office of Faculty Affairs and Development, and Writing Across the Curriculum.


Faculty Writing Sprints: Fall 2024

After a few minutes of check-ins and goal-setting, we spend our time quietly working together. Add them to your calendar, tell your friends, and prepare to marvel at just how much you can accomplish in one or two-hours bursts alongside your fellow Mason writers. Following the sprint, stay to connect with colleagues, hear about their progress, share yours, and celebrate victories.

  • Days and Times: 
  • Join us: To participate in the sprints, simply connect to our Faculty Writing Community workspace in MS Teams and look for the meeting in the general channel. Or join us in Fenwick Library #1009.

Faculty Writing Retreats: 2023-2024

This multi-day event—co-sponsored by Writing Across the Curriculum, the Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning, and the Office of Faculty Affairs and Development—offers an active approach to uninterrupted writing time, a chance to learn from our guest speakers, and a supportive and collegial community of peers to boost your writing productivity. Participants work on a variety of research and creative projects at all stages of completion.

This year’s retreats will be held on the following dates:

  • Winter: January 8-9, 2024 (limited on-campus spaces available)
  • Summer: TBA

Schedule and Participant Commitment

Our schedule for each day of the retreat is as follows:

  • 9:00am – 11:00am Writing Sprint
  • 11:30am – 12:30pm Guest speakers, Networking, & Collaboration Opportunities (or a well-deserved break, that’s up to you)
  • 1:00pm – 3:00pm Writing Sprint

All we ask is that you commit to at least three of the five Writing Sprints, regardless of the days or time slots, but feel free to join us for the entirety of the event.

Registration

Registration is typically opened in late October for our January retreats.

Can’t make the whole retreat but want to learn more about the academic writing life? 

We open up select midday sessions to the broader Mason community, so consider registering for one or more. Information and registration is forthcoming, so keep an eye out.

Questions?

Please e-mail the retreat facilitators at wac@gmu.edu.


Faculty Writing Panels: Summer 2023

Each year, we open up our midday retreat panels to the wider Mason community for colleagues who can’t commit to the full retreat but would like to learn more about the academic writing life. Information about these panels including links to register is available below.

May 15 (Monday, 11:30-12:30pm): Lessons Learned: The Book Writing Process

May 16 (Tuesday, 11:30am-12:30pm): Grant Writing: Tips, Tactics, and Best Practices

May 17 (Wednesday, 11:30am-12:30pm): How to Effectively Navigate the Peer-review Submission Process

Interested in joining us for one or more of these panels? Sign up here!

Previous Panels

  • “Making the Most of a Writing Community” with Monique Van Hoek (COS), Charlotte Gill (CHSS), and Doug Eyman (CHSS)
  • “Faculty Portfolios across Contexts” with Crystal Anderson (Stearns Center) and Molli Herth (Faculty Affairs)
  • “A Conversation with George Mason University Publishing” with Arthur Rouner
  • “Write More, Stress Less: A Quick Introduction to the 12 Week Year for Writers” with Trevor Thrall (Schar)
  • “A Panel Conversation about Book Publishing in Academia” with LaNitra Berger (Undergraduate Education), Jamie Lester (CHSS), and Kathryn Jacobsen (Health Studies, University of Richmond)
  • “Every Summer Needs a Plan: Planning for a Productive and Balanced Summer” with Dra. Aurora Chang (Faculty Affairs)
  • “Developing & Sustaining Successful Collaborations” with Drs. Ali Weinstein and Jesse Guessford
  • “Grant Writing: Abstracts and Narratives”
  • “How to Increase Your Motivation to Write”