Last week, we dropped in on one of the Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs)—the Wednesday Writing Circle—to dive a little deeper into the impact our faculty are having around campus. Dr. Nicole West, Associate Professor and Assistant Director for the School of Special Education, Leadership and Professional Studies, started the Wednesday Writing Circle in the fall of 2020.

Creating a Community

Dr. West’s vision for her FLC was clear from the start, and her goal was twofold. “Originally, the group was called the Women Faculty Writing Circle,” Dr. West explains. “The original intent was to create a space for women faculty to come together to be able to carve out time to focus on their research and scholarly productivity.” Dr. West’s research focuses on the experience of Black women in higher education, from student experience all the way to faculty and staff experiences. The idea for the group grew out of her research which, along with a body of work from other researchers, points to a trend that some may recognize all too well—women faculty members are burdened with service obligations at a disproportionate rate. “What that means is, they tend to have less time for things like engaging in research… This group was a way to say, “Okay, we’re going to carve out two hours once a week, and this will be dedicated time for you to focus on your research.”

But, carving out time for women faculty to engage in their research wasn’t Dr. West’s only objective. She explained, “The second goal had to do with building community for women faculty, because [at the time of the group’s creation] I had been here for two or three years, and—other than my work friends—I didn’t find a place that I could get to know faculty that were outside my discipline, or outside my college.” The group was to be a space that allowed for relationships and connections to be built amongst faculty all across campus.

The second year that the group was active, it was renamed to the Wednesday Writing Circle. Surprisingly, the name change didn’t bring much difference in the makeup of the group. Dr. West attributes this mostly to the fact that the group had already formed a core group of returning members, and these members brought their own friends or colleagues. This ended up expanding the group in the same direction it had initially began in, even though the group is (and has always been) open and welcoming to all Missouri State faculty.

Impacting Faculty Professionally…

The Wednesday Writing Circle meets every Wednesday from 1:00-3:00, and for that block of time, attendees work on a variety of personal and professional projects in a supportive environment amongst their peers. That support comes in many forms, but from a productivity standpoint, it often looks like allotting members the time to focus on their many projects. Dr. Julia Troche, an Associate Professor in the History Department and a long-time attendee of the Wednesday Writing Circle, has two book contracts that are due at the end of this year, and credits the group with assisting her in staying on course during the writing process. “This [group] has been really helpful in keeping me on track, and making sure that at the very, very least, two hours every week I’m thinking about my research and my writing,” Dr. Troche explains. “It’s one of those places where it allows me to put everything else aside and just focus on writing, which is a true gift.”

“It’s one of those places where it allows me to put everything else aside and just focus on writing, which is a true gift.”

– Dr. Julia Troche

Dr. West says that she’s also been able to get a lot of the heavy lifting done for various projects during the group meetings. One particular project involved her co-editing a monograph that is widely cited in her area of research. Dr. West partnered with a colleague at another institution to essentially update this monograph, a hefty project that demanded time and focus. Of this project, Dr. West says, “The group really helped me stay on target with the timeline, because we were on a pretty tight timeline with the publisher to get it done.” Another tangible result of the work Dr. West has done in the Wednesday Writing Circle involved the completion and submission of her tenure materials. Through the course of her work completed during her time with the group, she was successfully promoted and tenured.

Dr. Ginney Norton, Assistant Professor in the School of Special Education, Leadership, and Professional Studies, is new to both the Wednesday Writing Circle and MSU itself this year. She is on the tenure track, which means publications are important, and Dr. Norton is using her time in the group to plan and draft projects towards that end. When asked about her beneficial experiences in the group, she highlighted not only the time, but the responses from the group as well. “For me, it’s been kind of a both-and,” She stated. “It’s been space for me to write, but it’s also been a place for me to receive guidance, mentorship, and feedback so I’m not on my own trying to figure things out. It’s been really supportive in that way.” This element of mentorship among members has also helped to grow the group’s personal connections and fostered a culture that wasn’t entirely expected at the time of the group’s creation.

…And Personally

While the professional benefits of the Wednesday Writing Circle can’t be overstated, Dr. West’s goal of building a community for faculty to develop relationships across campus has resulted in a much deeper personal impact than initially anticipated. The group didn’t just provide a place for faculty to meet peers from across campus; it fostered supportive connections and relationships that have continued to flourish in and out of group meetings. “I think the group has exceeded my expectations.” Dr. West said. “I had an idea of what I wanted it to be, but it has taken on this culture of care that I don’t know that I necessarily expected.” The personal connections gained through the community came as an unexpected benefit to Dr. Troche, as well. “I wasn’t coming into this to find friends,” She remarked. “But I think the community and the friends that I’ve built through this learning community has been pretty surprising to me, and a really delightful, lovely addition.”

“I think the group has exceeded my expectations. I had an idea of what I wanted it to be, but it has taken on this culture of care that I don’t know that I necessarily expected.”

-Dr. Nicole West

The group has provided not only a place for faculty to meet to work on their own projects, but also a place for those projects (and the people behind them) to be supported. “It’s not just space to put aside and focus on writing, but also the opportunity to collaborate and learn from people, and be lifted up. It’s such a supportive, encouraging community that has really benefited me,” Dr. Troche added. The culture of the Wednesday Writing Circle is one not only focused on scholarly productivity, but also one of mentorship, encouragement, and guidance.

Retaining Faculty Through Community

Throughout our conversations with the Wednesday Writing Circle members, a trend emerged—the group has cemented itself as a prominent factor in the continuing decision of involved faculty to stay at MSU. This isn’t surprising; as someone who studies the organization and operation of higher education institutions, Dr. West understands the importance of community in retaining faculty. “From a retention perspective, this is more than just some women getting together to write.” That is important, she acknowledges, but the defense against isolation that the group provides is almost more so—especially for new faculty. “This group has been really impactful for new faculty to not feel as isolated, and to build relationships with people across campus. It’s easy to come in and find your people in your program or your department or collage, but to instantaneously have a network of people who are spread across campus, I think is very valuable.”

Dr. Troche also mentioned the importance of the group when discussing her connection to MSU, and Springfield as a whole. “I don’t have family in town. I don’t know anyone or have a background here. My husband is here with me, but we don’t have a community otherwise here. So, there have been times that I’ve thought about other institutions… but I’ve slowed down even looking at the job market, because I now have a space here that I feel like I belong in and can see myself continuing in.” The group has provided members a unique community that connects them to each other as well as to campus, which can be rare. The bonds that are formed through groups like the Wednesday Writing Circle provide emotional, communal, and professional fulfillment that may not be easy to find on other campuses. Dr. West offered a thought on this that is no doubt shared by many members, saying, “Honestly, when I think about leaving or going to another institution, I don’t know that I would find this there.”

“Honestly, when I think about leaving or going to another institution, I don’t know that I would find this there.”

-Dr. Nicole West

Continuing to Make a Difference

While the Wednesday Writing Circle most directly impacts the attendees, its influence reaches farther than only the core members. The experience that the Wednesday Writing Circle provides is inspiring faculty to carry what they’ve received to their own groups, communities, and beyond. When discussing this desire, Dr. Norton stated, “I feel like the mentorship I’m receiving, I want to pay that forward. I want to do research with my students, or find other opportunities for interdisciplinary research, but also think about how I can give this to my community or to other new faculty as I grow in this.” The long-term hope with any Faculty Learning Community is that the benefits gained by participants then go on to continue to be shared or implemented by those participants, bettering our campus community as a whole—a hope that the Wednesday Writing Circle realizes proudly. The impact of the Wednesday Writing Circle, and other groups similar to it that pour into faculty, will continue to trickle down through our campus community and positively affect faculty, students, and others, for years to come.

Interested?

If you’re interested in learning about other amazing FLCs like the Wednesday Writing Circle, you can visit our FLC page below to learn more about the various learning communities offered. If you’d like to stay up to date on events and opportunities like FLCs, follow us on Facebook below. 

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