UWP Demystifying the Dissertation--2010
Instructor: Dr. John Stenzel

Winter-Spring, 2010 Office: Voorhies 379      Website: http://stenzel.ucdavis.edu/thesis
Meeting Time: Th 4:40-6:00 Classroom: 27 Olson
Meeting Dates (Science): 21 Jan, 4 Feb, 18 Feb, 4 Mar, 18 Mar, 8 Apr, 22 Apr, 6 May, 20 May, 3 Jun
Meeting Dates (Hum / Soc): 28 Jan, 11 Feb, 25 Feb, 11 Mar, 1 Apr, 15 Apr, 29 Apr, 13 May, 27 May, 10 Jun
Office Hours: Th 3:10-4:30, and by app't Tel: 2-1954 o, (510) 548-8936 h, email jastenzel+ucdavis.edu
Description:
Unlike one-shot workshops, this 298 course meets every two weeks to support graduate students who are writing dissertations and theses, and offers a structured yet manageable series of practical sessions, each of which is designed to generate usable writing and improve the quality of what the student has already written. No matter what the stage of their dissertation, participants will be able to clarify their thoughts, structure their development, improve their prose, and meet the conventions of academic discourse in their field.

This class is designed to help students develop effective writing strategies, overcome writer's block, prepare a dissertation timeline, choose or refine a dissertation topic, form successful writing groups, and make meaningful progress toward their goal. Some students will write a dissertation proposal or begin their dissertation files, others further along in the process will perform writing and editing exercises appropriate to their stage of progress. Note that this is not an editing service, though students will learn to edit more effectively.

Attendance and Writing Assignments:
Throughout this seminar I will be trying to balance several sometimes conflicting goals: to give you a structure and a workably concrete set of expectations, and to avoid adding stress to your already complicated lives. My purpose here is not to guilt-trip or browbeat anyone, but I am highly aware of how easy it is to let time slide by when confronting a task like the dissertation. Students who want to get 2 units of UWP 298 credit in Spring quarter should expect to attend regularly and participate actively.

Texts / Readings:
In addition to the Class Reader (available from instructor or at Davis Copy Shop) I strongly recommend that you select judiciously from the following:
Style Manual. Each student should have the style manual used in his/her discipline. (MLA APA, CBE, etc.) Check with your department if you are not certain what this is. A list of style manuals is included in the Resource Bibliography. The following writing guides have proven useful, especially if you are the type who can benefit from reading such works: