We’re excited to announce our summer 2025 writing support initiatives! This summer you can participate in two events:

June Writing Retreat (Thu June 5 – Wed June 11)
Start off the summer term with focused writing time and peer support from colleagues across the college!

Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks (all summer)
Break down the writing process into small, manageable steps, and complete your journal article by the end of summer!

All full-time and part-time Hunter faculty, staff, and doctoral students are welcome to participate. 

Sign up here for the ACERT summer 2025 writing programs

About the June Writing Retreat

Join us on Zoom from Thursday June 5 to Wednesday June 11 for writing tips and inspiration, community and accountability, and above all plenty of dedicated time to get your summer writing projects moving forward! Group time and check-ins are scheduled on weekdays (Thu 6/5, Fri 6/6, Mon 6/9, Tue 6/10, Wed 6/11) at 9am. We’ll leave the Zoom room open until 12pm for those who prefer quiet writing time together. 

About the Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks

Participants in this program will follow the step-by-step “Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks” method by Wendy Laura Belcher to complete a journal article over the summer. By the end of August, participants will have submitted a journal article for publication. The program will run for 12 weeks from Thursday May 29 to Sunday August 24, right before the start of the fall 2025 semester. Group check-ins are scheduled on Thursday mornings from 9-9:30am via Zoom or asynchronously. Participants will receive a copy of the writing workbook. 

The Writing Retreat will be facilitated by Julie Van Peteghem. Gina Riley will facilitate the Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks program. 

Summer Writing Retreat Q&A

Q: How is the retreat structured?
A: We meet every weekday at 9am for 15-30 minutes to share our daily writing goals and progress. The rest of the morning (until noon) is quiet group writing time.

Q: Are we meeting during the weekend?
A: Nope! You can keep writing or take a break, but there are no group check-ins or group writing sessions on Saturday and Sunday.

Q: I can’t make it every day. And some days I can join only at 10am.
A: That’s fine! Join us when you can. Just keep in mind that quiet writing time starts between 9:15-9:30am.

Q: Is there an option to join in person?

A: This June we’re doing all check-ins and group writing online. If you’re looking for a quiet place to write on campus, the Faculty Center on the 5th floor of the Library is a wonderful place to work. There are comfy chairs and several outlets. The Faculty Center is open during Library hours.

Q: Can I work on ____ during this writing retreat?
A: YES! Past and current writing group members have worked on articles, conference abstracts, translations, dissertation chapters, cover letters, novels, websites, newsletters, grant proposals, teaching materials, presentation slides, blog posts, correspondence, … you name it! There’s no set rule about what you can work on. Reading is writing, too. Use this time to make progress on your writing and projects, whatever form that takes.

Writing Your Article in 12 Weeks Program Q&A

Q: Do I need to have a draft of an article to start the program?
A: No, because you will be drafting during the process. You do need to have a concrete idea. If your work relies on data analysis, then make sure you have the data set ready at the beginning of the program. 

Q: How is the Writing Your Article in Twelve Weeks program structured?
A: We will follow the chapters and tasks of Wendy Laura Belcher’s writing workbook. Participants will receive an email from Gina every Sunday evening, which includes the focus for the week to come as well as a helpful tip. On Thursday morning we’ll check in with each other about our progress on the task of the week. These meetings will be either held on Zoom (9-9:30am) or asynchronously on Padlet. On most Thursdays we’ll keep the Zoom room open for quiet writing after check-ins until 10:30am.

Q: How much time should I expect to dedicate to the weekly tasks? Will it take me five full work days a week to stay on track with the tasks?
A: No – setting aside even 1 hour each weekday will bring you significant progress towards your goal. Some weeks you may need more time, some weeks less.

Q: What if I can’t make some of the Thursday meetings?
A: No worries. There will always be an opportunity to share progress asynchronously.

Q: I’ll be on vacation for a week or two. Can I still join?
A: You deserve some time off! Of course you can still join. Follow the instructions of the Sunday emails as best as you can, and we’d be happy to help you figure out a way to catch up on missed time.

Q: I participated last year in the Twelve Weeks Program. Can I join again?

Of course you can! If you already have the workbook, please indicate this on the sign-up form. 

Q: Can I participate in both the Writing Retreat and the Twelve Weeks Program?
A: YES!

Do you have any further questions? Please contact us at acert@hunter.cuny.edu.