WSIP offers writing institutes for university undergraduate and graduate students. We are focused on helping students hone their skills in writing as they prepare for successful academic experiences. For questions about any of our institutes, please contact ahholm@arizona.edu or writingskills@arizona.edu.
Academic Writing in The Borderlands
This program supports students’ awareness of themselves as scholars whose research and writing are shaped by their positionalities as students in the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands. Regardless of academic discipline and focus of study, their work is influenced by dynamics of our context. Our goal is to help them develop deeper thinking skills about their research and writing processes and accountability to the communities affected by their positionalities. They learn to think beyond writing conventions to consider how issues of diversity, social justice, integrity, equity, and responsibility manifest in writing. These skills promote the development of research and writing practices that support the U of A’s commitment to inclusive excellence. While we encourage focus on the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands because that is where we are located, this program models a framework that can be adapted for student scholars working in any Borderlands.
Graduate Writing Institute (GWI)
The Graduate Writing Institute (GWI) launched in the 1990s as a collaboration between the University of Arizona Graduate College and WSIP. It was a 3-week long program designed to support U of A graduate students, particularly those struggling to complete their thesis or dissertations. In the past thirty years, WSIP has assumed control of the program and grown it to serve graduate students from institutions around the world and working in all academic disciplines. Students joined us as they wrote thesis, dissertations, articles, proposals, grant applications, reports, and more. They participated in workshops, individual and small group tutoring, and writing sessions designed specifically to address issues related to graduate student academic writing. It is a rigorous schedule that includes writing; learning, thinking, and talking about writing; providing and receiving feedback; building relationships with peers and writing experts; and forging new writing practices for the future.
In 2018, former WSIP Graduate Coordinator, Dr. Leslie DuPont, launched hybrid sessions of the GWI, making it possible for students to participate both in person and online. This turned out to be ideal preparation for us when COVID forced the closure of in person events in 2020. We took the GWI fully online with great success.
In addition to the opportunities for personal growth and skill-building, the program has also created moments to build meaningful and lasting professional and personal connections. Many friendships have been born from the program, as have many collaborative relationships.
Visit our YouTube channel to view testimonies from past participants!
Writing Boost!
A one-week institute for undergraduate and graduate students to help students transition into college-level writing.