United States Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Association
2022
Title: Creating a Thesis Dissertation Writing Program: A Case Study
Presenters: Dr. Lily Compton, Dr. Elena Cotos, Kristin Terrill
Abstract: The Center for Communication Excellence (CCE), housed within Iowa State University’s Graduate College, runs the Thesis/Dissertation Writing Program (TDWP). The CCE works with a team of graduate students serving as consultants in different communication skill development areas, including disciplinary and interdisciplinary writing with a focus on specific academic genres. This presentation will describe how the CCE consultants provide different forms of peer support to graduate students in their writing process before they deliver their Thesis/ Dissertation drafts to their Program of Study Committee.
As training is substantial to the quality of peer consulting, we will demonstrate the self-paced consultant training model, which comprises three parts: web-based asynchronous training that covers cross-disciplinary conventions of scientific writing, live observations of experienced writing consultants, and a practicum that includes formative supervised consultations and a summative assessment. Completed training leads to certification and potential employment by the CCE. Certified writing consultants can opt to extend their training for the TDWP Thesis/Dissertation, where they learn effective strategies for identifying and correcting common writing and formatting issues in individual consultations as well as protocols for conducting writing retreats, formatting boot camps, and walk- in clinics.
Importantly, this presentation will also showcase the operational model for the TDWP, including the organizational hierarchy and the working relationships with partners from the Graduate College and the University Library. We will highlight how policies and guidelines for Thesis/Dissertation formatting are formulated and maintained. Additionally, we will address some of the previous disconnects that have been resolved through the TDWP. Finally, we will share the hiring and funding model drawing from the CCE and Graduate College resources, discussing how different sources help make the services of interdisciplinary, disciplinary, and thesis/dissertation writing consultants sustainable.