‘Left to Write’ a Dissertation

When Yvonne Lee was considering how to get graduate and doctoral students more involved in the programs that Lehigh’s Graduate Writers’ Studio offers, she turned to a “knit along” program for inspiration.

Newly into knitting, Lee joined a group last year at which knitting enthusiasts would each work on the same type of project, sharing their progress as they went along, asking questions during the challenging parts and sharing encouragement.

Lee, assistant director of the Graduate Writers’ Studio, who also holds a Ph.D. in literacy, rhetoric and social practice from Kent State University, introduced “From Left to Write” this spring, a program that follows the same principles and encourages students to participate by awarding points for qualified events. Participating students will earn a specified number of entries into a monthly prize drawing for free Lehigh “swag,” with a grand prize drawing on May 9 for $500. The more they participate, the more entries they earn.

Instead of the cheerful pink-and-orange socks Lee knit and purled during her knit along, by the end of From Left to Write, students will have crafted their theses and dissertations. The program will continue through May 6.

“You only write a dissertation once in your life, and until you have done that, I guarantee you 99 percent of people haven’t read a dissertation,” Lee said. “You want to step into it and expect you’ll be good at it. A lot of graduate students put that pressure on themselves, that they should be able to come to it and be good at it, but that’s just not true.”

Academic writing takes practice and each field has its own nuances, Lee said.

Lehigh’s Graduate Writers’ Studio offers programs such as one-on-one writing consultations, weekly Just Write sessions for students to work on their own writing, and a monthly Write In that’s held on a Saturday. The events are for both graduate and doctoral writers, and all worth various points for those who participate in From Left to Write.

There are also Weekend Writing Retreats, which occur once a semester and provide graduate students an opportunity to dedicate extended time to their writing projects, meet other graduate students and attend instructional workshops. The events also include breaks for crafts and other activities.

“We have about 2,000 graduate students, and I was seeing a very small fraction of those students, maybe 1 percent,” said Lee, who started at Lehigh in July 2020.

During Just Write sessions, Lee would see maybe two or three students, but she knew the need was much greater. Since launching From Left to Write–named after the direction in which people write–Lee regularly sees about 10 students per session. The most recent Saturday session had 22 students, the largest group ever.

“From Left to Write is allowing graduate students to have that emotional support,” Lee said. “Graduate students often feel very alone…This helps them feel like they aren’t alone, what they are experiencing isn’t just them. It isn’t because they aren’t a good writer. Good writers experience those things too.”

Some of the issues students face include time management, organization and potentially even frustration.

“Writing is a very emotional activity. Sometimes we love writing, sometimes we cry when we have to do it. We celebrate when other people say, ‘That was good.’ When you have something that’s putting a little piece of yourself out into the world, you need support,” Lee said.

In addition to the point system, Lee also started a Slack group for those who register for From Left to Write. Students can use the communication platform to chat with each other in real-time. The group has about 55 participants, Lee said. It’s a safe space to share their work and ask questions any time of day.

Lee also instituted a weekly video featuring student testimonials and a weekly writing tip. In March, for the first time, Lehigh will host a Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. Developed by the University of Queensland, 3MT gives graduate students the chance to explain their research in three minutes to a non-specialist audience. A panel of faculty and staff judges will choose first-, second- and third-place winners. The audience will also vote on a people’s choice winner.

Kadia Hylton-Fraser, a fourth-year doctoral candidate in education leadership and Fulbright Scholar from Jamaica, provided a recent testimonial for the Graduate Writers’ Studio. She estimates her dissertation on social justice and leadership beliefs within the Jamaican school system will be around 200 pages once it’s finished.

“It helped me and my friends set a goal for our dissertation process. We created a spreadsheet. We talked about how each stage went and how we felt,” she said. “It has really helped me make significant progress with writing.”

Tiffany Shimmel ‘15G, also a doctoral candidate in education leadership who is set to graduate in May, has attended five sessions at the Graduate Writers’ Studio since the semester started. The fourth chapter of her dissertation was recently approved after only two drafts, a feat she credits to the Graduate Writers’ Studio.

“They understand the task of writing a dissertation, no matter where you are in the process. They know the sacrifices and struggles it takes, and overall the program is keeping me focused on making all the deadlines so I can walk across the stage in May after so many years,” Shimmel said.

Just Write sessions are offered from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays, 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Wednesdays and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays. Students may attend the full session or stay as long as their schedule permits. For more information on Lehigh’s Graduate Writers’ Studio visit its website or email Lee at yrl219@lehigh.edu.