Creating Graduate Student Writing Programming

Abstract

Questions surrounding Ph.D. completion and time to completion are continually being addressed throughout the United States by degree granting universities as well as by larger, federal education organizations. With graduate students seeking support and advising in order to complete dissertations, and with universities limiting funding support and moving towards graduate students completing Ph.D. programs in record time, it is imperative that opportunities for support and community building are available across the university. By providing specific, sustained, and guided assistance to graduate students writing centers have the ability to aid graduate students in working towards timely completion and a community of support. This chapter details one university’s attempt at creating sustained writing programming geared at assisting dissertation writers toward completion.