A recent feature article in University Affairs, “The PhD Is in Need of Revision,” highlights the growing concern that thesis completion times are increasing in almost all disciplines, placing strain on graduate students’ mental health, supervisory loads, and university budgets. Writing makes up a considerable part of master’s or doctoral studies and is often the greatest hurdle in the process of doctoral completion.
Queens’ University has responded with a series of initiatives that address some of the challenges that graduate students face in their writing. For example, the week-long Dissertation Boot Camp immerses graduate students in a dedicated, distraction-free writing community; workshops and activities address common writing barriers and help students develop positive writing habits. The Thesis Writing Support Group uses a psycho-educational approach to supporting graduate students through weekly meetings in which they discuss their writing experiences and engage in activities with the goal of overcoming personal and writing process barriers.
At this interactive workshop, participants will discuss the barriers they have experienced in their own writing, and/or the barriers experienced by graduate students with whom they work; learn about the graduate student writing supports at Queen’s and how these programs address the common writing barriers faced by graduate students; and consider opportunities for supporting graduate student writing on their own campus.