Office of the Provost hosts Summer Writing Retreat for Northwestern faculty

During the week of July 25, 28 members of Northwestern’s faculty convened in Evanston’s Hardin Hall for the first ever Summer Writing Retreat, a program focused on creating dedicated time for professors to catch up on work left incomplete due to pandemic setbacks. The week-long event also offered writing strategy discussions led by Director of the Cook Family Writing Program and Associate Professor of Instruction Elizabeth Lenaghan.

Weinberg College faculty who attended the retreat praised the effort and attributed additional progress on their work to the extra time the program provided.

“I submitted it and received reviewer reports last year but could not find any time to address their suggestions and revisions,” said Tracy Vaughn-Manley, Assistant Professor of African American Studies. “I am now confident that my article will be completed and submitted by the end of the Writing Retreat.”

“What I needed was protected time and space—two things I could not access in these last two-plus years,” said Kimberly Marion Suiseeya, Assistant Professor of Political Science. “Thus far, this retreat has provided what I needed most to reset productivity in my work. I didn’t imagine I could actually finish my revisions on this chapter this week, yet now I see the end in sight.”

Learn more about the new program in Northwestern’s article, “Faculty advance critical work during Summer Writing Retreat.”