On January 2022, MCTEN convened its first writing retreat. At the retreat, faculty were provided outdoor spaces both for meals and work. All attendees were provided with a comfortable folding/portable chair so they could work anywhere on the grounds.
During the retreat, faculty worked on grant applications, publications and collaborative research and scholarship having critical time to reset and refocus. Beside dinner and lunch hours, a campfire social was a great networking opportunity for the participants.
Twenty eight faculty (70% of MCTEN participants) attended the retreat. Based on the post event survey, participants rated the retreat an average of 4 on 1-5 scale a with 5 being Excellent, and were excited to participate in future retreats.
“This was such a wonderful way to focus on getting some important writing done and to connect with colleagues. I joined SDSU as a faculty member in August 2020, and one of the hardest parts has been making real connections with colleagues. It has felt like I have been researching on an island of one. I feel really grateful to have had a safe and low pressure way to get to know colleagues in person. I learned so much about how to find resources to support my success from colleagues on this writing retreat. It was also great to write around others! Thank you!”
“It’s so rare to feel truly completely supported in academia and the retreat did that for me. It just felt so nurturing. It was also amazing to just be trusted to do work and learn from each other and make community without a bunch of ice breakers or required structured activities.”
SDSU MCTEN WR Participant