Virtual Summer Study Program

By Augie Morado

From June 14 through August 5, NIU’s University Writing Center (UWC) will host a Virtual Summer Study Program. This program, known previously as Dissertation Bootcamp, is designed to help master’s and doctoral students make progress on their theses and dissertations this summer.

The link to the podcast can be found here. You will need to log in through your NIU account, and you may need to request access to this resource.

The Virtual Summer Study Program will run Mondays through Thursdays from 10 am to 4 pm during the dates mentioned above. Furthermore, given the COVID-19 pandemic, the program will be offered virtually through Microsoft Teams, which all NIU students have access to through your email account. Communication during sessions will take place through Teams’ online video and chat features, allowing you to interact with your peers during sessions.

In addition to helping students move closer to dissertation completion, the Virtual Study Program will also provide guidance on staying connected to your peers and maintaining solid support systems through what many see as an isolating experience.  According to the program schedule, also found on the main page for the Virtual Summer Study Program, each day will consist of a morning meeting followed by either a discussion related to that week’s topic or structured time to write or research. Topics for discussion range from Proposing Your Project all the way to the Defense, as well as other issues such as Tackling Graduate Coursework and Balancing Work and Life.

Even as COVID-19 vaccinations roll out in greater numbers and the CDC revises its guidelines (vaccinated people for instance may now go without a mask indoors in most places), the pandemic has presented unique challenges to students and researchers across the world, NIU being no exception. The closure of libraries adds extra steps to checking out books, social distancing makes it harder for us to spend time on campus around peers and advisors, and the in-person resources we once took for granted have completely shifted in media.

On the other hand, this has some positive effects. Given the relative ease with which people can access the Internet along with improvements in computer hardware, delivering educational resources has never been easier, and people living far away who once dreaded a journey to and from campus can now work and interact with peers from home. Based on its schedule, the Virtual Study Program seems poised to adapt to these changes and deliver the high-quality workshop it has been known for in past years.

Students can apply to the Virtual Summer Study Program online through this link on the UWC’s website, after which a Microsoft Teams link will be sent to the email address used to register. With this link, students can log into any session they choose.

Additional questions about the Virtual Summer Study Program may be directed to Gail Jacky (gjacky@niu.edu), Director of the UWC. Additionally, as a current dissertation writer myself, I will be enrolled in the program as well; look for my follow-up post about my experience in August.