Previous Programming

Beloved Community Writing Retreat

Co-sponsored by the College of Arts & Letters and College of Behavioral & Health Sciences

Task Force Members: Jessica Fripp, Marcus Hayes, Eva Gibson

The African American Employee Council Faculty Affairs Committee hosted a focused writing retreat for Black faculty to engage in scholarly/creative activities May 17- 21, 2021 in Nashville, TN and May 16-20, 2022 in Franklin, TN. 

Daily agendas included a time for goal setting, guest speakers, independent writing, and concluding accountability checks. In line with the APSU Strategic Plan- Goal 4.2 (Recruit and retain a diverse faculty and staff), these retreats were geared toward Black tenure-track faculty who needed the time and opportunity to write as part of their responsibilities. The retreat also benefited faculty whose research areas include creative activities (e.g., Art and Design, Theatre and Dance, Music, Creative Writing).  

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. often spoke of his vision of a beloved community that actively works together toward shared goals (The King Center, n.d.). The beloved community concept emphasized a spirit of support and synergy. This writing retreat sought to create such a community for tenure-track Black faculty at APSU. 

As a result of these sessions, participants were able to: 1) Demonstrate the ability to engage as a productive writing collaborator, offering and accepting feedback to and from peers, 2) Develop strategies to enhance competency and confidence in the production of scholarly and creative works, and 3) Formulate an action plan to prioritize writing and create a manageable framework for incorporating academic writing into the workload.