A First-of-Its-Kind Writing Week for Doctoral Candidates
Before the semester gathered speed, doctoral candidates were welcomed into the cozy confines of the Graduate School House for a week that brought dissertation writing to the center of campus life. Representing Public Affairs, Computational and Integrative Biology, and Childhood Studies, participants arrived at a stage where dissertation defenses can be measured in weeks and months rather than years. The response to the invitation was strong, and once the week began, the pace of writing quickened, shaped by protected time, shared expectations, and a collective focus on finishing well. As the inaugural Dissertation Boot Camp, the week marked the first time the campus set aside dedicated space and structure specifically for doctoral candidates at this stage of their work.
Each day paired sustained writing with programming that reflected the full set of institutional, scholarly, and professional considerations surrounding dissertation completion. Doctoral candidates received guidance on electronic thesis and dissertation approval from Rhonda Marker, Head of Open Knowledge Strategies for Rutgers University Libraries, grounding the work in the practical requirements of submission and compliance. Conversations about scholarly identity and long-term research trajectory were led by Stephen Danley, Director of the Center for Urban Research and Education and Associate Professor of Public Policy and Administration. Publishing expectations and strategies were addressed by Dan Semenza, Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology, Criminal Justice, and Sociology, while career pathways beyond the defense were explored with Cara Fantini, Career Management Specialist. Together, these sessions reflected the academic, institutional, and career-facing dimensions doctoral candidates must navigate simultaneously.
Just as important was how the week unfolded between sessions. Doctoral candidates wrote side by side, shared daily goals, compared progress, and broke for meals together, turning the Graduate School House into a shared working space rather than a sequence of appointments. Lunches became extensions of the writing day – informal, collegial, and productive – as strategies, encouragement, and perspective moved easily across disciplines. The week was coordinated by Assistant Dean Mitch Larson, who organized the structure and flow of the program. As a first offering, the boot camp demonstrated the value of intentional design: when doctoral candidates are given time, structure, and a true scholarly commons, progress becomes visible and the path to the defense feels meaningfully closer.
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