Senior honors thesis writing groups offer opportunities for students to develop their individual theses in a supportive community of fellow writers. Facilitated by a faculty member from the Expository Writing Program, these groups complement the work students are undertaking in their own departments in ways that offer support and resources related to the principles of thesis writing as well as the process of writing. Groups are generally organized by department and meet in the late fall and spring, becoming especially valuable as the year progresses and thesis writers move further into their independent work.
What to Expect
Groups are limited to 4-6 students and are generally arranged by department.
Most groups begin in the late fall, with 2 sessions, continuing with about 4 sessions in the spring. Students who join a group commit to attending all sessions.
Meetings are scheduled at a time convenient to all group members, usually lasting about 1.5 hours.
Each session focuses on students’ work-in-progress, which is shared beforehand and discussed collaboratively during the session. The EWP faculty member facilitating each session also distills shared principles at the end of each session, offering additional resources to the group as needed.
Thesis writing group students are also invited for additional thesis write-in’s offered in the Spring and may make individual appointments with consultants in the Writing Center as well.
Groups Offer Support Related to the PRINCIPLES OF THESIS WRITING
Support and Resources: feedback, resources and support related to elements of thesis writing (including, developing an interesting research problem, literature review, integrating empirical research with theory)
Scholarly Conversation: learning to identify the intellectual context for one’s thesis and understand the genres into which one is writing and the conversations one is joining through original research and inquiry
Developing Voice and Agency: developing confidence in one’s voice and argument to be able to contribute to the scholarly conversation(s)
Groups Offer Support for the PROCESS OF WRITING
Progress and Accountability: a structure of accountability through group meetings that helps sustain progress in one’s project
Community: community in the groups, providing important support and camaraderie
Self-Reflection: through group meetings, revision, and critical reading of one’s own work and that of peers, learning how to effectively reflect on one’s own writing and identify areas for further development (structure, problem, work with sources, integration of theory, etc.)
Learn More
If you are a faculty member interested in learning about a writing group for your department, please contact Natasha Zaretsky, who can provide more information about the program and schedule a visit to your department or seminar.
If you are a student interested in joining a group, please contact Natasha Zaretsky to find out about available groups.
The Senior Honors Thesis Writing Groups Program is supported by the Writing Center and Writing in the Disciplines at the Expository Writing Program.