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Events

Students studying in the Memorial Union

The Writing Center offers many events throughout the year aimed at helping writers gain and improve their writing skills. 

The types of events we offer include:

  • monthly workshops
  • regularly scheduled Write Nights for First-Year Composition, History 1483 and History 1493, and Gateway to Belonging
  • monthly writing retreats for graduate writers and post-docs
  • annual writing camps for graduate students beginning their thesis/dissertation and for graduate students finishing their dissertation

 

Note: The flier images used on this page may not reflect current dates/times for programming. Please check out events calendar via Engage, also linked below, for the most up-to-date programming information!


Register for Writing Center Events

Writing Center events on OU Engage

The Writing Center utilize's the University's ENGAGE system to post events, including workshops and writing camps. To register for a Writing Center event, head to our organization page below.

Note: Advanced registration is not required for all events but is always appreciated. Some events, like camps, may require registration.

Register on the Writing Center's ENGAGE Page


Write Nights

Write Nights are events that cater to specific general education courses. They are open to all students enrolled in that particular course, and take place many times throughout the semester. All Write Nights are free for OU students to attend.

FYC Write Night, English 1113 and 1213

When: several times each semester

Who: students enrolled in ENGL 1113 and 1213

First-Year Composition (FYC) Write Nights are scheduled around the major paper deadlines for both the ENGL 1113 and ENGL 1213 courses. Writing onsultants and course instructors are available to assist students as they work on their projects. The Writing Center space is also open for students to work on these assignments independently.

No registration required.

All FYC Write Nights take place in Wagner Hall, Room 280. They run from 5:00pm - 8:00pm on a first-come, first-served basis. There will also be a Zoom option available. Check out Engage page for the Zoom link.

  • Spring 2025 dates TBA
History Write Night for HIST 1483 and 1493

When: multiple times each semester

Who: students enrolled in HIST 1483 and 1493

History GTAs and writing consultants are available during History Write Nights to work with students from HIST 1483 or 1493 on their writing projects. Students are seen in the order in which they arrive to the Writing Center. The Writing Center space is also available for students to work on these assignments independently.

No registration required.

All History Write Nights take place in Wagner Hall, Room 280. They run from 5:00pm - 8:00pm on a first-come, first-served basis.

  • Spring 2025 dates TBA

Writing Camps/Retreats

Writing Camps/Retreats are offered for graduate writers. The Writing Center offers events for students at different stages of the thesis or dissertation process.

When: monthly during fall and spring semesters

Who: all graduate writers and post-docs

Registration required via OU Engage.

Graduate Writing Retreats are 6-hour events for graduate students. Retreats provide writers with a dedicated time to make progress on a current writing project, including theses, dissertations, conference papers and proposals, seminar papers, and article drafts. Throughout the day, writers will have time to speak with one another and/or Writing Center staff for feedback on their work. 

Typically offered both in person and via Zoom.

Spring 2025 dates TBA.

Camp Completion

When: yearly in May

Who: graduate writers finishing their dissertation

Cost: free to OU students

Camp Completion is a 3-day writing camp. It is geared for graduate students in the final stages (last 1-3 semesters) of their dissertation writing process, although graduate students at other stages of the writing process are welcome. This camp includes dedicated writing time, opportunities for feedback, and presentations on revision, goal-setting, and meeting important grad school deadlines.

Registration required.

Please check back in Spring 2025 for our next dates.

Camp Jumpstart

When: yearly in the summer

Who: graduate writers beginning the thesis/dissertation

Cost: free to OU students

Camp Jump Start is a year-long program that begins with a multi-day writing camp for graduate students in the beginning stages of their thesis or dissertation writing process. This camp includes dedicated writing time, opportunities for feedback, and presentations on setting SMART goals, understanding the thesis or dissertation as a genre, managing writing anxiety, effective task management, program management systems, and effective library searches.

The rest of Camp Jumpstart includes coordinated appointments in the fall along with writing retreats for participants each semester. This program aims to provide structured support during the early phases of thesis/dissertation work.

Registration required.

Please check back in Spring 2025 for our next dates.

Write Start

When: June and July

Who: all writers

Write Start takes place during the summer as a way to help writers stay engaged in their projects. It is dedicated writing time available both in person. Writers bring their projects and work independently. Writing consultants are not available during Write Start hours.

No advanced registration is required.

Please check back in Spring 2025 for our next dates.


Workshops and Other Events

The Writing Center offers workshops throughout the year that are open to all OU students and post-docs. Some of these workshops focus on technical aspects of writing, like grammar and parts of speech, while other workshops focus on genres of writing, like how to write a literature review or annotated bibliography. The Writing Center also offers workshops on topics more broadly related to writing, such as overcoming writing anxiety. Finally, the Writing Center also runs periodic events that are unrelated to writing, such as our Tasty Tuesday series, where all students are welcome to grab a treat and do not need to bring a writing assignment with them.

Below are the events being offered by the Writing Center for Spring 2025. Descriptions, Zoom links (if applicable), and registration links (as needed) for each event can be found on our events calendar via Engage.

Spring 2025 events will be announced in January 2025. Please check back soon.

Calendar


Below are some examples of events run by the Writing Center in the past

Event NameEvent Description
Tasty TuesdaysFree food offered monthly in the Writing Center. No need to bring a paper!
Managing Writing AnxietyMany writers, including graduate students, face challenges with anxiety about writing. Although this experience is difficult, you can overcome writing anxiety. This workshop provides tips and tricks for working through your anxiety toward completing those writing projects.
Understanding the Graduate Thesis or DissertationThis workshop helps graduate students understand the thesis or dissertation as a genre, including the audience and purpose of a thesis/dissertation, and common characteristics. 
Writing GroupsGraduate and Postdoc Writing Groups foster collaboration and conversation around writing and research, supporting students through their major writing projects.
Writing a Literature ReviewBy the end of this workshop, you'll understand what a literature review does and how you can make those moves in your own paper.
MLA and APA Citation StylesIn this workshop, we look at two of the most common citation styles-- MLA and APA-- to offer tips and tricks for citation success.

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