Upcoming Communication Workshops!

OPD helps students and postdocs improve their writing and presenting skills through a variety of programs offered throughout the year.
 
Writing the “Good Enough” Dissertation
Tuesday, June 3rd - 2:45-4:00pm (515 Goodell)
A good dissertation is a done dissertation – but what makes a dissertation "done"? In this workshop, we'll discuss the difference between an in-process draft and the "good enough" draft that is ready for defense and submission. We'll also introduce research-based guidelines to help you communicate effectively with your advisor and reflect on your progress.
 
Summer Planning Clinic: Making a Strategic Writing Plan from Now to September
Friday, June 6th - 2:30-4:00pm (South College W245)
Getting your summer off to a strong start requires knowing where you want to go and how you plan on getting there. This interactive clinic will provide strategies to plan your writing work and give you time to make those plans. Bring planners, calendars, schedules of family members, access to email—anything you need to make a map of the semester.
 
5 Questions to Ask About the Comprehensive Exams
Tuesday, June 10th - 1:00-2:30pm (515 Goodell)
Preparing to take your Comprehensive Exams? Knowing what questions to ask—and who to turn to—will help you navigate the process of this important milestone. Come learn 5 key questions to ask as you prepare for Comps.
 
Public Speaking—for the Anxious and the Not-So-Anxious
Monday, June 16th - 12:00-1:00pm (online)
“There are only two types of speakers in the world: the nervous and the liars.”–Mark Twain. Speaking to an audience is important for your professional life, but that doesn’t mean we get a lot of training in it. Come learn the tips and tricks that will make you a more confident public speaker, convince your audience of your brilliance, and leave a lasting impression.
 
Summer Writing Sprint: A One-Day Writing Retreat
Tuesday, June 17th - 9:15am-4:15pm (515 Goodell)
Are you looking to fast-track your summer writing? While there are many benefits to a steady writing practice, a writing sprint can provide the push you need to get back into your research or wrap up that lingering project. The Summer Writing Sprint provides both accountability and strategies for making progress on your writing project! Join us for a structured day of writing, beginning with a communal warm-up activity at 9:15am and concluding with a cool-down at 4pm. In between, you’ll have plenty of time (and coffee and pizza) to make significant progress on your writing in a supportive and distraction-free environment! Please note that this is not a drop-in event; all-day participation will be expected. Space is limited, so we kindly ask that you sign up only if you’re confident you can attend.
 
How to Get More Out of Your Reading by Doing Less
Wednesday, June 25th - 10:00-11:15am (online)
Are you looking for tips on how to tame your reading list and take efficient notes on what you’ve read? In this workshop we will break the reading and annotation processes down into concrete steps that will save you time and help you to keep track of your reading.
 
Summer Graduate Writing Accountability Group
Thursdays, June 26th through August 14th - 10:00am-12:00pm (515 Goodell, accommodations can be made for occasional online participation)
Do you have ambitious writing plans for the summer? Maybe you’re tackling your comprehensive exams, drafting or revising an article for publication, or plugging away on your dissertation. No matter what you’re working on, you don’t have to go it alone! Experts agree that having a form of social accountability is a best practice for academic writing. In this Graduate Writing Accountability Group (WAG) we’ll meet for one hour, once a week to reflect on the previous week and set goals for the week ahead. We will meet in person from 10-11am (followed by an optional hour of on-site co-writing) on Thursdays between June 26 and August 14—that’s 8 weeks of writing accountability! Participants in the WAG must commit to attending the majority of meetings; exceptions can be made for occasional absences.
 
A Topic is Not a Question: How to Design a Research Question
Monday, June 30th - 1:00-2:45pm (online)
Determining a field or concentration for your research may be easy enough, but how do you transform a topic of interest into a specific and compelling research question? In this interactive workshop we will discuss the qualities of successful research questions and why the advice to “just keep narrowing it down” can do more harm than good.
 
Summer Writing Sprint: A One-Day Writing Retreat
Friday, July 11th - 9:15am-4:15pm (515 Goodell)
Are you looking to fast-track your summer writing? While there are many benefits to a steady writing practice, a writing sprint can provide the push you need to get back into your research or wrap up that lingering project. The Summer Writing Sprint provides both accountability and strategies for making progress on your writing project! Join us for a structured day of writing, beginning with a communal warm-up activity at 9:15am and concluding with a cool-down at 4pm. In between, you’ll have plenty of time (and coffee and pizza) to make significant progress on your writing in a supportive and distraction-free environment! Please note that this is not a drop-in event; all-day participation will be expected. Space is limited, so we kindly ask that you sign up only if you’re confident you can attend.
 
Crafting Slides for Engaging Presentations
Tuesday, July 15th - 10:00-11:00am (online)
Do you ever envy a presenter’s slick presentation? Do you wish you could convey your data simply and tell a great story that engages your audience? Join us to learn how to design slides that capture attention and convey your meaning!
 
Writing Literature Reviews
Wednesday, July 16th - 1:00-2:15pm (515 Goodell)
Many dissertations, research proposals, and articles require a literature review. But many grad students get stuck on this deceptively simple genre of scholarly writing. This session will demystify the lit review by discussing its purpose and strategies for critical reading and writing to make moving toward effective synthesis easier.
 
Drafting Clinic
Wednesday, July 23rd - 10:30am-12:30pm (515 Goodell)
All writers agree: drafting is hard. By “drafting,” we mean that blank-page moment between research and initial draft, when most sentences are being composed for the first time. This “clinic” will be a combination of workshop and writing session. We will learn about and practice three different methods for drafting academic projects. Think of it as a drafting boot camp, a chance to get a head start on the coming semester’s writing projects.
 
Summer Writing Sprint: A One-Day Writing Retreat
Wednesday, July 30th - 9:15am-4:15pm (551 Goodell)
Are you looking to fast-track your summer writing? While there are many benefits to a steady writing practice, a writing sprint can provide the push you need to get back into your research or wrap up that lingering project. The Summer Writing Sprint provides both accountability and strategies for making progress on your writing project! Join us for a structured day of writing, beginning with a communal warm-up activity at 9:15am and concluding with a cool-down at 4pm. In between, you’ll have plenty of time (and coffee and pizza) to make significant progress on your writing in a supportive and distraction-free environment! Please note that this is not a drop-in event; all-day participation will be expected. Space is limited, so we kindly ask that you sign up only if you’re confident you can attend.
 
Writing in Graduate School
Monday, August 18th - 1:00-2:30pm (online)
Writing plays a central role in sharing research and ideas in academia, yet it frequently becomes a source of worry and isolation for graduate students. This workshop serves as an "orientation" to a critical mode of communication that you will use daily while at UMass. You will be introduced to some academic genres, learn best practices for the four phases of the writing process, and discover tips to make your writing "sound more academic"!