Graduate Students

The Center for Excellence in Writing has proven to be a powerful resource for graduate students.

One-On-One Writing Consultations

Feel free to come in with specific questions, for a brainstorming session, or to request feedback on a specific aspect of your work.  While we may not have a consultant in your discipline, sometimes a thoughtful outside reader can provide you with a valuable perspective about the clarity of your work.  There are times when just talking it out with a peer can help you unknot the inevitable tangles in your project.   

We can help you with a wide variety of writing projects including:  

Even though I had a rather difficult and exclusive topic, he took the time to understand necessary concepts in order to approach the essay.

The CEW helped me a lot in both my dissertation and drafts of my journal papers.

  • Course papers
  • Dissertations
  • Theses
  • Proposals
  • Job application materials
  • Conference Presentations
  • Group Projects
  • Journal articles

New Service: Dissertation Buddies

We're proud to announce a new program through which you can gain the benefit of regular feedback from a PhD level consultant combined with mutual support - a space to discuss  the "soft skills" of dissertation writing and co-create an accountability structure.  Let's do it together!

Get the details here. 

New program! Writing Group for Neurodivergent Graduate Students

Join us for a kick-off event on Monday, September 9, @ 6:30 in 17 Norton!

Neurodiversity has long been an animating force in research and innovation in higher education.  But the one-size-fits all process of attaining that degree can be a struggle for neurodivergent individuals, especially in the isolated, huge project management stage of the dissertation process. Existing dissertation support structures are not designed with everyone’s needs in mind, so let’s get together and discuss the kinds of dissertation support that would work for you!  Discussion groups?  Accountability partners?  Topical workshops?  Out of our kickoff event on Monday September 9, we hope to create community and support structures that will have you sailing through your program to completion and success!  Let’s do it together. 

Can’t make it to the kick-off event but would like to be involved?  Register anyways and leave your contact information. 

Click here to join the Accessibility Resources Newsletter. 

A Seat at the Table: A Writing Group for Graduate Students of Color

Dedicate time to focus on your writing with a group committed to fostering community, mindfulness, and productivity. All disciplines are welcome. Coffee and snacks provided! We invite you to join our weekly hybrid meetings each Sunday from 1:30pm to 4:30pm, beginning September 8th. Participate in person at the CEW (17 Norton), or Zoom in if you cannot make it to campus! We are also excited to share that we will be hosting a two-day writing retreat on October 26th and 27th (breakfast and lunch will be provided). Can't wait to see you there!

For more information please email brrice@buffalo.edu or sherikac@buffalo.edu.

Click here to access the group Zoom room. 

Dissertation Writing Group

Work on your dissertation or thesis in a structured group of like-minded graduate students! The hybrid group meets each Thursday from 6 to 9 PM in 128 Capen and over Zoom. 

Click here to access the group Zoom room. 

Other Dissertation Support Programs

For graduate students working on dissertations and other large projects,  the CEW hosts programs to provide space, accountability, and community to help you make consistent forward progress toward your goals.  Programs include:  

Writing Retreats4 to 5 days of intensive work on your project, framed by discussion, goal setting and experience sharing.  Participants report making surges of progress, breaking through obstacles, and finding newfound momentum in their writing projects.  In person or Zoom formats available.  

Mini-Writing RetreatsSimilar to regular retreats, but one day.  Keep your momentum moving forward over the summer with these opportunities for intensive work, community and accountability.  In person or Zoom formats available.  

Dissertation Café An opportunity to get together with others to explore effective strategies for navigating the process of dissertation writing.

Join our listserv (see below) to get the current schedule of events and to receive regular reminders of support programs.  Questions?  Email writing@buffalo.edu

Click here to subscribe to our Graduate Writing Support listserv to receive occasional emails about our various graduate writing and dissertation support programs and events.

Enter the listserv name "CEW-GRAD-WRITING-SUPPORT-LIST" in the box, then enter your UB email. If you are unsure whether or not you are already subscribed, email us at writing@buffalo.edu or check out the listserv FAQ page. You can also unsubscribe using the same subscription link above.

I like the retreat for hearing the collective struggles and successes of the group. It makes me feel part of a community of writers.

I would participate in this every day until my dissertation was complete, if it was available.

Using the GSA editing service in conjunction with CEW consultations

Since CEW consultants are not copy-editors and our work with writers is interactive, we encourage you to use a combination of CEW consulting services and the Graduate Student Association's free copy editing services.

The GSA can be used for straightforward copy-editing work that can be done outside of your presence. Working with a CEW consultant is best for planning revisions and making editorial changes that need to be discussed  to make sure your meaning is preserved. The CEW may also help you with stylistic revisions to make your work easier and more pleasing for your audience to read. 

If you need both levels of work, it is a great idea to use both GSA and CEW services. For example, you could get copy-editing out of the way before you meet with a CEW consultant. Or you can work with a CEW consultant first on revisions related to meaning and then send your draft out for copy-editing. CEW consultants can also help you to respond to revision suggestions made by the GSA copy-editor.

You can submit up to 50 pages at a time to the GSA..  For full dissertations, students should plan to submit chapters individually and several months in advance of the deadline.  Turnaround time for documents submitted to the GSA is roughly two weeks. The GSA also has a Live Chat feature in which you can speak to an editor for a quick copy-edit of a short document (300 words or less), or questions related to grammar and formatting. 

Here is the link to access GSA copy-editing services: 

https://ubgsaedit.wixsite.com/gsa-editorial

 

Write Through: Dissertation Inspiration!

Write Through: Dissertation Inspiration is an article series which tells the stories of all the unique ways UB alums have made their way through the dissertation journey - and in a timely fashion as well!  Strategies abound! 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions about our Graduate level writing and consultations services. If you can't find an answer to your question here, please reach out to us at writing@buffalo.edu.

CEW Events

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