Kairos Place
May 20-23, 2024
“What’s not to love about Kairos Place? It is like having permission to do nothing other than work in a concentrated way on one specific research or writing project, with scheduled breaks, free lunches and snacks, and rare opportunity to interact with faculty outside of my usual sphere.”
–Mary Sprunger, Professor of History and Program Director of History and Political Science
Sign up for the 2024 Kairos Place
Kairos Place at EMU is an opportunity for faculty, staff, and graduate students to gather to write alone and yet together. EMU’s Sadie Hartzler Library becomes a space both for people to meet and also disperse to find a quiet place to work on a writing, research, or creative project. Faculty are also welcome to join Kairos Place to do the work of course design or redesign.
Kairos Place 2024 will be facilitated by Mary Ann Zehr, EMU’s Writing & Communication Program Director. It is sponsored by EMU’s Writing Program and School of Theology, Humanities and Performing Arts (PATH). It is endorsed by EMU’s Center for Teaching and Learning.
Purpose
As two professors from Wheaton College conclude in a 2023 piece in the Chronicle of Higher Education, a “writing sprint” rather than a “writing retreat” or “writing marathon” can be effective to support faculty to gain momentum and shift routines to make significant progress on a manuscript. EMU’s writing sprint creates a “community of learning” among participants as they discuss their goals, work, and the writing/creative processes.
2024 Schedule
Participants who aren’t able to join for four days are asked to attend for at least one full day.
Participants gather from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. in EMU’s library.
9:00 am: Brief sharing of goals for the day or discussion/reflection
10:30 am: Optional half-hour break for coffee, snack, and interacting with each other
Noon-1 pm: Lunch in a cafeteria dining hall (guest speakers or structured conversation)
2:30 pm: Optional half-hour break for coffee, snack, and interaction with each other
3:45 pm: Brief sharing about writing experience during the day
Testimonials
“Kairos Place has been a consistent space for me to focus on my scholarship, something that often gets set aside with a heavy teaching load. I look forward to connecting with colleagues about our various writing pursuits and to carving out hours for concentrated progress towards my own writing goals. I already have a few things on my agenda for this year’s Kairos Place.”
–Katherine R. Evans, Professor of Education, Restorative Justice in Education
"I am thankful for the warm camaraderie at Kairos Place. In addition to sharing ideas, we encourage each other and laugh over good food. I have also been productive in developing or refining several publications at Kairos Place. I appreciate having this time and space at the close of each academic year."
–Paul J. Yoder, Associate Professor of Teacher Education
Contact
For more information, contact Mary Ann Zehr, EMU's Writing & Communication Program Director, maryann.zehr@emu.edu.
