Two for one in November

With two events happening at the same time, we decided to set up two different displays in relation with the month of November. Here is a glimpse of what you can find in the entrance of the Library for Academic Writing Month AND Diversity Month.

Academic Writing Month

November comes, leaves are falling and papers are due. Yes, that’s right, it is academic writing month for students and professors alike! But what is it really?

Academic Writing Month, also called AcWriMo, takes its origins in November 2011. It was first called “Academic Book Writing Month” and was initiated by Charlotte Frost. She wanted to create a feeling of teamship among the academic community by creating an event so that everybody focuses and works on their respective writing projects. The idea is that you set yourself a writing goal and get to reach it with all the information, advice and support you’ll get from everyone taking part [1].

To summarize, this month helps you:

Think about how you write,
Form a valuable support network for your writing practice,
Build better strategies and habits for the future,
And maybe – just maybe – get stuff done [2]!

The first edition counted one hundred participants. To take part, you need to follow six rules:

You have to decide on a goal where you count either words, hours put in or projects achieved. Try and push yourself a bit.
You declare your goal publicly. Being accountable is key to this working for you. You need to feel a bit of pressure to get the work done.
You then draft your strategy for the month, making sure you have done enough preparation to write a lot. Don’t start AcWriMo without doing a bit of planning and preparation.
You discuss your progress on social media such as Twitter/X or Facebook. It doesn’t mean being on it all day, but checking-in at certain times is really important!
You have to work really hard and not get distracted. As participant Bettina said of the first AcWriMo, you must ‘write like there’s no December!’
And at the end you must publicly declare your results. The writing community benefits not only from sharing in your achievements, but knowing what didn’t work and being reminded that, at the end of the day, we’re all human! ^[3]

At your keyboards, Ready, Go!

Diversity Month

What is diversity? What does it mean to the individual and for the collective? How is it constructed? How diversity is viewed and understood is, in itself, diverse. This is why the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Initiative was created, and why we are celebrating Diversity Month at the Institute.

Their mission is to integrate considerations of gender, diversity and inclusion into all areas of work at the Institute – as research questions, objects of teaching, and projects of engagement in our daily lives, in Geneva and the world [4]. In 2023, to celebrate the diversity of the Geneva Graduate Institute community, the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Initiative started a Respect Campaign with five different stickers promoting:

Tolerance
Inclusion
Kindness
Empathy
Consideration

Come get your sticker at the Library!

[1] PHD2PUBLISHED, [2013?]. What is AcWriMo?. PhD2Published. [en ligne]. [sans date]. Disponible à l’adresse : http://www.phd2published.com/acwri-2/acbowrimo/about/ [consulté le 8 novembre 2024].

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] GENEVA GRADUATE INSTITUTE, 2024. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Initiative. Geneva Graduate Institute. [en ligne]. [sans date].Disponible à l’adresse : https://www.graduateinstitute.ch/discover-institute/initiatives-dorientation/diversity-equity-inclusion-initiative [consulté le 8 novembre 2024].

To learn more about our collection on academic writing, check this post.

Illustration: International human family, Public Domain