New Program to Help Faculty Achieve Their Academic Writing and Publication Goals

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Are the demands of teaching, research and administration getting in the way of your publication goals? If so, studies suggest that you are not alone: many faculty feel frustration as they strive to make time for writing articles, books and other academic publications.

Beyond personal publication goals, faculty also shoulder the expectations of the "publish or perish" culture that defines academic careers.

What can faculty do to navigate the high-stakes, low-support world of academic writing? 

The Office for Faculty Affairs, Writing Studio and Program in Rhetoric and Composition have joined forces to answer this question. Recognizing the need for more faculty writing support on campus, these offices pooled their knowledge and resources to create the new Faculty Writing Circles program.

We invite all interested faculty to the Faculty Writing Circle kickoff event from 4:30-6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, at the Faculty Collaborative in Harmon Garage suite 703. Join us for an informal Q&A and light refreshments. You will also have the option to sign up for the Faculty Writing Circles program. Please RSVP here.

The Faculty Writing Circles program will launch March 2023 offering a mix-and-match approach to writing support resources that allows faculty to tailor their support options to suit their individual schedules and needs. The program will address the mental and logistical challenges common to many academic writers.

"Writers need community, space and dedicated writing time to be successful," said Dana Blair, coordinator of the Writing Studio. "The Faculty Writing Circles program will create faculty writing support on our campus that mirrors the support offered at many other SEC institutions."

"The Faculty Collaborative is the perfect space for faculty to write individually or with a dedicated group of people. It has a small conference room, medium classroom and round tables for various size groups," said Stephanie Adams, director of faculty development.

If you have questions, please contact facdev@uark.edu.