The forms of argument, analysis, invention, and communication that take place through writing are vital to scholarship and innovation in every field at the university. The Faculty Writing Initiative offers a suite of programs to support the writing process that drives faculty research and helps it assume a public voice. The Manuscript Review Award offers faculty members in-depth peer engagement with a scholarly manuscript so that it becomes a leading and field-changing book. Our Scholarly Publishing Symposium aims to demystify an industry undergoing rapid change. We also facilitate Peer Grant-Review Workshops, Public Writing Series, annual Writing Retreats, ongoing weekly Writing Support sessions, One-on-One Consultations, and a Summer Writing Boot Camp.
The expertise in the room ranged from gun violence to the origins of life, from digital marketing to transnational feminism, from organic chemistry to renewable energy.
Hundreds of faculty members from all university chancellor units—including part-time faculty and postdocs—convened in late August at the Rutgers Inn and Conference Center in Piscataway for a two-day Writing Retreat. This kick-off to the Fall 2022 semester marked our first in-person gathering in more than two years, an opportunity to dedicate space and time to write without distraction amid a community of scholars.
Faculty members, grateful for the uninterrupted quiet time, reported significant progress on their work. Many said the energy in the room was palpable.
Our office took care of the details—coffee and lunch and a room with a view. While our primary goal was to offer quiet time for productive work, we also facilitated a lunchtime networking session, scheduled one-on-one consultations with publishing experts from Rutgers University Press, and led a crowd-sourcing support exercise to share strategies for conquering a resistance to writing.
Thanks to Micah Kleit, director of RU Press, retreat participants received a complimentary copy of The Book Proposal Book by Laura Portwood-Stacer.
The Manuscript Review Award, offered to six scholars annually, helps faculty members publish thought-provoking, field-changing books. Awardees receive a formal manuscript review plus a workshop/seminar led by an external senior scholar.
Key Insights from Experts, Editors, and Authors
Our annual April symposium features interactive workshops, in-depth practical advice, scholarly roundtables, and opportunities to meet with publishing experts.
Storytelling. Opinion pieces. Podcasts. Social Media. A practical series for faculty seeking to share their expertise with a mainstream audience.
Two-day retreats offer uninterrupted writing time in the company of colleagues. We host three Writing Retreats each year, open to all faculty universitywide, with lunchtime guests offering inspiration and writing advice.
Our consistent dedicated support includes four annual Writing Retreats, weekly Write-On-Sites and Writing Accountability Groups.
Our weekly virtual writing sessions offer dedicated writing time amid the collective energy of colleagues. Join us on Mondays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
A four week faculty summer program offering practical workshops and dedicated writing time amid a community of scholars.
We schedule twenty-minute faculty sessions with publishing experts at Rutgers University Press during many of our in-person and virtual events. These popular consultations offer faculty guidance at any project stage.
For more information about this initiative, contact Teresa Politano or Karen McCarthy.