Celebrating 15 Years of Faculty Writing Retreat at U of G

2026 marks the 15th anniversary of Faculty Writing Retreat at the University of Guelph. Over the years, the retreat has supported hundreds of U of G faculty, staff, and postdoctoral scholars with a unique level of support for their writing. “This retreat provides participants with focused time to think deeply about their research and write with intention,” said Jodie Salter, writing specialist, McLaughlin Library.

Salter first piloted Faculty Writing Retreat in the summer of 2013 and has facilitated the program since. The week-long hybrid retreat has generated a group of highly engaged academics from across campus who return to the program each year. “Five of the original twelve participants have returned at least eight times,” said Salter. “The unusually high retention rate for this voluntary program is uncommon and has helped shape the continuity within this supportive campus-wide research and writing community.”

Attendees come from all areas of the institution – social sciences, humanities, health, STEM, and interdisciplinary fields – and their reported outputs include lead-authored papers, books and book chapters, secured grants, tenure and promotional materials, and peer reviewed journal articles. “Many participants are positioned at mid- to advanced-career research intensity, with their writing activity supporting not only publications, but also funding success, career advancement, and public impact,” said Salter. “Their self-reported successes underscore the Faculty Writing Retreat’s role in sustained research productivity, rather than as a one-off professional development opportunity.”

The program also sees participation from beyond traditional academic departments, highlighting its role in supporting research professionals as writers and strengthening the broader U of G research ecosystem. In May 2025, the program welcomed participants from all University colleges, as well as participants from the library and Office of Teaching and Learning, with 34 attendees in-person and 18 online. “This hybrid format enables participants to fluidly switch modalities throughout the week to best accommodate their work and life responsibilities," said Salter.

Faculty Writing Retreat happens each year during the first week of May to help folks organize and jump start their summer writing. It draws faculty, staff, and postdoctoral scholars into the library, where they not only meet colleagues from across campus, but gain greater familiarity with the library’s vast array of services and support. 

Attendees may also meet individually with writing specialists to map out research projects and develop project management plans, revisit writing that has sat for months or years, organize grant applications, create sustainable writing plans and realistic writing goals for sabbaticals, and discuss clarity, concision, and cohesion to polish drafts for submission and publication.

What your days will look like

• Structured writing blocks using the pomodoro method
• Goal setting and writing logs
• Optional workshops on a variety of writing-related topics
• Individual consultations with writing specialists and connections with Research & Scholarship librarians, and learning specialists

Testimonials from previous attendees

• “The faculty writing retreat has been an essential part of my development as a scholar for the last decade. Through attending each year, I have developed a series of skills for focusing on my research, organizing large-scale projects and setting and attaining writing goals. Through the years I have also developed a supportive group of colleagues whom I meet with throughout the year to write with. It helps build community at the university between researchers across different colleges. I recommend it to everyone!” Roberta Hawkins, Geography, CSAHS
• “I look forward to the Faculty Writing Retreat every year. It feels like going to summer camp, where you meet new people and renew old connections. It has become tremendously important for mentally shaking off the increasing demands of Fall and Winter teaching and service duties and preparing for a productive summer research term.” Stacey Scott, School of Computer Science, CCMPS
• “The Faculty Writing Retreat provides an annual opportunity for me to reconnect with my writing practice and to make research and writing plans for the upcoming year. The expert support offered by Writing & Learning Services provides the cornerstone for the retreat, and is an essential campus service for faculty, staff, and students.” Kate Parizeau, Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics, Guelph Institute of Development Studies, Social Practice and Transformational Change, CSAHS
• “The writing retreat was incredibly helpful for me and I plan to come back next year and likely every year that it is offered. I am going to recommend it to colleagues and also highly encourage my students to take advantage of the dissertation writing retreats.” Heather Murphy, Department of Pathobiology, OVC
• “The writing retreat and the community that stems from it has had a tremendously positive impact on my research success. This includes useful hands-on writing tips, designated concentrated writing time as well as the huge mental and emotional support from other researchers. I can strongly recommend the writing retreat for anyone.” Daniela Senkl, Department of Management, Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics
• “The retreat was amazing. I often struggle to give enough time to my research, and this week of focused time was absolutely invaluable. For those who are reluctant - the retreat doesn't need to be all about 'writing' in the traditional sense... I spent a huge amount of time doing data analysis that will likely yield a number of different papers, presentations, and workshops.” Julie Vale, School of Engineering, CEPS
• “The faculty writing retreat is an annual highlight for me. It's a well organized and collegial space where we can write and skill build together, developing strategies and writing colleagues that persist throughout the year.” Leah Levac, Political Science, CSAHS
• “I cannot say enough good things about the FWR. The spirit of community it creates is magical. I get to know people from Colleges and Departments all across campus and we support each other in our writing goals in really beautiful ways. I genuinely credit the retreat for much of my writing productivity over the years.” Erin Nelson, SOAN, CSAHS
• “Thank you for all that you do. Your work is highly valued and I believe FWR contributes to our campus being a better place for scholars at any level. You've built an incredible community of researchers.” Jackie Cockburn, Dept of Geography, Environment & Geomatics, CSAHS

Ongoing support

• Book regular writing consultations with professional staff to keep focused on writing during busy semesters, gain valuable feedback from a critical reader’s perspective, map out chapters and books, craft sustainable writing plans for sabbaticals.
• Receive support at each stage of the Research Lifecycle
• Request in-class instruction to support your students with topics like writing, learning, and information literacy

Questions?

Contact us. We're here to help.

 

License