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Faculty Writers' Retreats

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In-person Summer Faculty Writer's Retreat

Two 1-week sessions:

June 19 – 23, 2023 or 
June 26 - June 30, 2023

Please contact Lourdes V. Andrade at lourdesa@stanford.edu for more information.

Program Description:

This successful early-career faculty program allows assistant professors to work on their writing projects in a quiet, comfortable space with a small group of colleagues.

The Stanford Faculty Writers' Retreat is a program for early-career faculty piloted successfully in the spring of 2015. The retreats offer a private, comfortable, and dedicated space to write, and a community to hold each participant accountable to their writing progress and goals.  

The retreats are held in week-long sessions that entail a daily commitment to attend and stay for the duration of the day (typically 9:00 am-3:00 pm, (lunch included).  We will try accommodating preferences/needs for participation in week one or week two. We will maintain a waitlist. 

To maximize productivity, we request that participants prioritize their writing projects. Past participants have created group agreements to minimize or disallow email, phone, texts, and other potential sources of distraction. Brief check-in on week-long writing goals and post-retreat writing plans and schedules are included.   We can address specific writing concerns by request.

Prior registration for each week-long retreat is required. Participation is limited and is based on space constraints.  Priority is given to assistant professors starting with first-year faculty and increasing in length of , then second. We will maintain a wait-list and 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the commitment?

If you know in advance of a conference or professional meeting conflict, we will ask that you make up the writing time; up to one such arrangement will be accommodated to continue in the program. Finally, if you have more regular obligations, we suggest you plan to take the Faculty Writers’ Retreat at another time (retreats are planned regularly).

Where is the retreat held? 

The Hume Center for Writing and Speaking, Building 250.

What can I expect?

Quiet time with a small group of colleagues who are immersed in their writing projects and an initial brief workshop to get you started, followed by coffee and tea, water, snacks, communal desk space, paper, pens, Post-its, printing, and daily lunch during the week. Past participants have reported meeting their writing goals (e.g., finishing manuscripts, progressing on various writing projects, etc.).

Who can participate?

Assistant professors who have not participated in a previous Faculty Writers’ Retreat are given priority. “Alumni” will be added to a waitlist and will be informed if we can accommodate them. Only members of the Stanford faculty can participate (no graduate students, postdocs, or staff).

Who is organizing this retreat?

The Hume Center for Writing and Speaking and the Office of Faculty Development, Diversity, and Engagement.
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