Years ago, in pre-pandemic times, Dr. Lindsey Schneider, Assistant Professor in Ethnic Studies, reached out to CSU Writes to start the Faculty and Researcher of Color (FROC) show up & write. Through pandemic and multiple projects, she has helped CSU’s researchers of color write together–sometimes online and sometimes in person. Dr. Schneider shows up and creates a supportive and productive space for writing to take place.
show up & write. is a drop-in writing program that designates a pace on campus (or virtually on MSTeams) for writers to write together. It is a simple and effective way for writers to keep their writing on track and support one another along the way.
Below is an interview with Dr. Schneider who proctors show up & write. each fall and spring semester.
How long have you been a proctor?
Since Fall 2019
How often do you proctor?
Every semester (The FROC session meets twice a week)
How would you describe the sense of community created through show up & write.?
For the FROC group, most of us are called on to do a lot of extra service and consultation work across the university because of who we are, so it’s really nice to have a space where we are just focused on our actual research. At the same time, it’s a space where we all implicitly understand the extra work that comes with being “diverse” faculty, so we can support each other in setting boundaries and prioritizing our research.
How have sessions changed throughout the pandemic?
We moved to Teams, which actually seems to work better for most of the folks in our group.
How has that transition impacted the writing community?
I think some folks are able to come more often because it’s easier to pop into a Teams meeting for 20 minutes, where if it was in person you might not trek across campus for that. But I think it might also be a little more intimidating for new people to join when it’s not an in-person session.
Could you please comment on the value of showing up to write regularly?
It’s everything! For me at least, it’s just the only way to actually make sure my projects are moving forward at the pace I need them to as junior faculty. show up & write. helps me stay in the mindset of prioritizing writing time on my calendar and making it happen just like I do with teaching and service.
If you are a graduate student, postdoctoral fellow, faculty or researcher of color and you would like to join FROC writes in the fall, look for access on the CSU Writes website. Dr. Schneider will join you then.
From the CSU writing community, thank you, Dr. Schneider, for creating and building FROC show up & write.!