Start Date

3-16-2020 1:00 PM

End Date

3-16-2020 2:00 PM

Author(s) Bio

Wendy Highby Wendy Highby is the Social Sciences Librarian/Associate Professor at the University of Northern Colorado. Wendy received her MLS from Emporia State University. She is currently the Subject Librarian for Africana Studies, Anthropology, Gender Studies, Hispanic Studies, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology departments. Letha Mellman Letha is currently working towards her Doctoral degree at the University of Northern Colorado in Technology, Innovation and Pedagogy. She received her MA from UNC in Technology, Innovation and Pedagogy. She currently works at the Graduate school as the Graduate Student Engagement Graduate Assistant. She has a few publications and has spoken on various innovative pedagogical practices throughout the country. Jane Monson Jane Monson is Digital Initiatives Librarian/Associate Professor and subject liaison for English and Film Studies at the University of Northern Colorado. After receiving her MLS from the University of Iowa, she began her career as the Digital Projects Librarian at Truman State University. She has published multiple publications, including two books, on the topic of digital librarianship. Maggie Shawcross Maggie is the Health Sciences Librarian/Assistant Professor at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. There she provides research assistance to students and faculty in the health sciences and teaches instruction sessions. Maggie’s previous library positions include working as a Consumer Health Librarian at North Colorado Medical Center and an Adult Services Librarian at the High Plains Library District. She has also worked as public health practitioner in a variety of capacities. She has a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Northern Colorado and a Master’s in Library Science from the University of Denver. Stan Trembach Stan is the Education Librarian/Assistant Professor at the University of Northern Colorado. There, he works as a liaison to the UNC College of Education and Behavioral Sciences and Center for International Education. Stan received his MLIS degree from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and his PhD in Library and Information Science from the University of South Carolina. His interests in academic librarianship include Information literacy and social justice, instructional pedagogy, library assessment, open access, and scholarly communication.

Keywords

Academic libraries, graduate students, research support, dissertation workshop, writing intensive

Description of Proposal

For graduate students, writing a dissertation can be an isolating experience. In 2018, librarians at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) Libraries collaborated with the Graduate School to organize and host the campus’ first Dissertation Prep and Writing Intensive workshop. Inspired by the examples of Simon Fraser University and Concordia University libraries, we aspired to offer a dissertation workshop that would provide writing support to UNC doctoral students at a crucial stage of their academic journey. Initially, the workshop to students who had completed oral examinations and submitted committee proposals. However, this stringent stage-related requirement was subsequently eased. Over the course of the three-day workshop, UNC librarians, faculty, and administrators offered information and advice on topics such as work-school-life balance, goal setting, time management, writer’s block, copyright, and methodologies of graduate research. Interspersed with these sessions were periods of intensive writing time and opportunities for the participants to engage in networking and peer review with fellow student writers. Due to the success of the 2018 pilot and positive feedback from participants, the workshop has become a biannual event at UNC. Over time, it has evolved into a more inclusive event that appeals to a wider range of students.

This panel presentation, consisting of UNC academic librarians and a graduate assistant for the UNC Graduate School and International Admissions, will provide an in-depth case study delineating the successes and challenges we encountered during the phases of preparation and follow-up of the Dissertation Prep and Writing Intensive workshop, from initial planning and marketing strategies to implementation and project assessment. We will highlight how a collaborative planning effort, which involved the UNC Libraries, the Graduate School, and several key units across campus, led to a widely successful inaugural workshop. We will also focus on the significance of working in partnership with a wide variety of stakeholders, including library administration, individual subject liaisons, the Graduate School, academic departments, and additional campus entities.

The impetus for, and implementation of changes during the subsequent iterations of the workshop will be discussed as well. We will then detail the workshop structure to highlight how each section did or did not contribute to creating a supportive research environment and positive impact upon the graduate student experience. In addition, we will share what we have learned as hosts and what remains to be discovered. We intend to demonstrate how the workshop’s value was evident in the creation of community and camaraderie through numerous opportunities for the participants to interact with peers and glean insights from faculty members on research design, academic publishing, and preparing for a career in academia. The presentation will conclude with a discussion of the workshop’s sustainability plan.

What takeaways will attendees learn from your session?

Participants will learn about best practices for collaborating with other units outside of the library for developing a dissertation program for doctoral students.

Participants will be able to describe a template for developing a dissertation writing workshop or a similar initiative at their institution.

Participants will articulate potential challenges and successes encountered that may be encountered in planning, assessing, and revising a unique graduate workshop or similar library offerings designed to better meet graduate student needs.

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Mar 16th, 1:00 PM Mar 16th, 2:00 PM

You Are Not Alone: Facilitating a Holistic Graduate Academic Experience through a Dissertation Writing Workshop

For graduate students, writing a dissertation can be an isolating experience. In 2018, librarians at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) Libraries collaborated with the Graduate School to organize and host the campus’ first Dissertation Prep and Writing Intensive workshop. Inspired by the examples of Simon Fraser University and Concordia University libraries, we aspired to offer a dissertation workshop that would provide writing support to UNC doctoral students at a crucial stage of their academic journey. Initially, the workshop to students who had completed oral examinations and submitted committee proposals. However, this stringent stage-related requirement was subsequently eased. Over the course of the three-day workshop, UNC librarians, faculty, and administrators offered information and advice on topics such as work-school-life balance, goal setting, time management, writer’s block, copyright, and methodologies of graduate research. Interspersed with these sessions were periods of intensive writing time and opportunities for the participants to engage in networking and peer review with fellow student writers. Due to the success of the 2018 pilot and positive feedback from participants, the workshop has become a biannual event at UNC. Over time, it has evolved into a more inclusive event that appeals to a wider range of students.

This panel presentation, consisting of UNC academic librarians and a graduate assistant for the UNC Graduate School and International Admissions, will provide an in-depth case study delineating the successes and challenges we encountered during the phases of preparation and follow-up of the Dissertation Prep and Writing Intensive workshop, from initial planning and marketing strategies to implementation and project assessment. We will highlight how a collaborative planning effort, which involved the UNC Libraries, the Graduate School, and several key units across campus, led to a widely successful inaugural workshop. We will also focus on the significance of working in partnership with a wide variety of stakeholders, including library administration, individual subject liaisons, the Graduate School, academic departments, and additional campus entities.

The impetus for, and implementation of changes during the subsequent iterations of the workshop will be discussed as well. We will then detail the workshop structure to highlight how each section did or did not contribute to creating a supportive research environment and positive impact upon the graduate student experience. In addition, we will share what we have learned as hosts and what remains to be discovered. We intend to demonstrate how the workshop’s value was evident in the creation of community and camaraderie through numerous opportunities for the participants to interact with peers and glean insights from faculty members on research design, academic publishing, and preparing for a career in academia. The presentation will conclude with a discussion of the workshop’s sustainability plan.