The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Office of Equity and Diversity partnered with Sisters of the Academy Institute (SOTA) to host a writing retreat for UTC faculty. At this retreat, participants had access to coaches and facilitators who provide advice and feedback on dissertations, manuscripts, reports or book chapters.
The mission of SOTA is to serve the academic, professional and personal needs of African American women scholars who are pursuing master’s and doctorate degrees as well as graduating with these degrees and entering the academy as professors and administrators.
“UTC shares this same vision and we are excited to maintain this partnership for the last four years. With this program, we hope to create an environment where scholars are engaged in their writing projects and network across disciplines and universities,” Anna Green, Finance Chair of the SOTA Committee, said.
The writing retreat offers participants the opportunity to receive mentoring and edited feedback on their writing projects by a facilitator three weeks prior and culminates in a weekend retreat with face-to-face coaching and workshops. One of the purposes of the retreat is to enhance publication opportunities by creating research and writing timelines and preparing drafts of scholarly publications.
“Partnering with SOTA is great for UTC because it energizes our retention and recruitment efforts among African American women and other scholars. This national professional development platform is provided, on our campus, at no cost to our faculty. Additionally, members will become familiar with UTC, which enhances our visibility and recruitment opportunities,” Dr. Bryan Samuel, Director of the UTC Office of Equity and Diversity, said.
