Many students at UMass Boston have heard of the Writing Center. Located in Room 1300 of Campus Center, the Writing Center serves to help students who need assistance in academic writing. By booking an appointment, students can work with a trained consultant who can help with issues from citations to general structure.
Even for those with experience with the Writing Center, many are not aware of the other opportunity it offers: the student accountability groups.
Setting aside quality time for creative writing can be difficult, especially when life throws other obstacles in the way. It’s also easy for students to become distracted, particularly when writing on technology that offers so many other activities on the same device. For writers in this situation, it’s often helpful to have others around to hold each other accountable.
“Especially in college, a lot of the writing we do is time-pressured, critiqued and graded,” said Danah Hashem, the Writing Center’s assistant director. “These writing groups are not about that; they’re here so you can get in a space with your peers and share the experience of writing together, encouraging each other and building the writing habits that you’ll use forever.”
The groups serve multiple purposes. Hashem noted they can be helpful for those working on larger projects who wish to engage with the writing process rather than push to meet a deadline. They can also be good for establishing a routine, as they occur weekly and give students a specific time period to set aside for writing.
The groups are also flexible, which means they can serve any writer’s needs. “Our in-person sessions are great times to connect and be in community,” Hashem said. “If coming in person sounds intimidating or you’re unsure about the group, you can always sign on over Zoom; there’s no obligation to turn your camera on or speak if that feels like too much.”
She also emphasizes that writers are not required to come to every session or stay the entire time. Anyone can attend for as long as they want depending on their class schedule, and if students only need to come for a few weeks out of the semester to get a project done, that’s also encouraged.
“It’s important to us that the focus be on the student as the writer and building their personalized writing practice; part of that is learning what works best for you,” Hashem said.
Various writing supplies, like pens and notebooks, are available in the room for students who may need them. There is also a whiteboard, which can be helpful for general planning and outlining. Each meeting usually includes brief introductions, followed by goal-setting and planned writing time. There are check-ins at the end to ensure writers can share their progress and achievements.
Writers are encouraged to support each other and make sure everyone is getting work done. The groups are not necessarily meant to serve as places for feedback or tutoring; it’s more of a community space that helps writers accomplish what they need to.
To serve a wider variety of students, the accountability groups are held both in-person and on Zoom. The group on Tuesdays is held from 12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Room 1110 of Campus Center. This session is hybrid, meaning writers can also join through Zoom. There is also a virtual group held on Sundays from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Zoom.
To register, students can search on the Writing Center’s website and social media pages. Students with questions can direct them to the Writing Center’s email at writingcenter@umb.edu.
Sullivan Dickerson is a consultant with the UMass Boston writing center.
This article appeared in print on Page 7 of Vol. LIX Issue X, published Feb. 10, 2025.
