ABD STORIES
ABD = All But Dissertation

That betwixt and between place where a student
transitions into a scholar
This July, 15 students gathered for our 3rd ABD Communitas. Conceived by Dr. Jennifer Selig, these events offer students in the dissertation phase an opportunity to revisit campus, use the library and other resources, meet with their committee members when available, reconnect with their cohort, and meet other students in the program from different years and different cohorts whom they might not otherwise have met.

For six hours on a gorgeous July afternoon, these students gathered with Dr. Selig, who shared four objectives for the day:

  • TO NORMALIZE the trials and tribulations of the rather solitary initiatory journey from student to scholar

  • TO PSYCHOLOGIZE the process, especially bringing consciousness to the transferential relationship between students and their committee members

  • TO STRATEGIZE for completion, navigating the transition from reading to writing, and finding ways to realistically manage time and maintain the precarious balance between research and the rest of life's demands

  • TO ENERGIZE students so they leave the event with the confidence and enthusiasm needed to soldier on!
Five members of the last K Track cohort reunited with Jennifer (third from left), who had taught their dissertation development sequence in 2007-2008.
Here's some of what the students had to say about the event:
"I came to this ABD meeting feeling overwhelmed with the process itself--how will I bring focus to such a self-directed and largely solitary process? How can I stay on track every day, every week, every month, and over the two years? When I listened to the experiences people shared, I began to feel as though the process was taking shape in my mind, and I left the seminar with more confidence in my ability to organize my research path."

"Listening to others helps the feeling of belonging to the process of the dissertation and of belonging to Pacifica. It’s quite a powerful experience."

"Jennifer also emphasized that the dissertation is not our magnum opus; it is a process of becoming an academic writer, a skill that will carry me in the direction I see my life ultimately flowing to. This may seem like a minor point, but I felt a weight lift, a paradigm shift, as I realized that I only have to do as well as I can in my research and writing."

"It was exciting to hear the diversity of ideas, personalities, interests, and practices at the Gathering."

"I had heard rumors that others were out there, people like me lost in literature reviews.   Invited back to Pacifica, I could recognize them immediately.  These were people who understood the bottomless depths of late night EPSCO dives and the weight of overworked drafts.  Here I was not alone in my fears and frustrations.  I was not the only one scarred by writing and desperate for voice.  There were no strangers in that circle, just fellow pathfinders, some with stories of what lies ahead, others, just setting out, remind us of how far we have come."

"I was stunned in recognizing how I act around my 'father' advisor. I learned that I am passing from student to scholar, not pleasing my 'father.'"

"Re-visioning the dissertation as a ritual process of transition from student to scholar, I came back energized. I have been trying to embody my image of a scholar archetype and not get bogged down by the little voices that creep up."

"I was so thrilled with the feeling of renewal.  It was as if I had a now much deeper appreciation for the work that peers are doing at Pacifica. Truly I was astonished at how impressed I was by people’s topics and dedication to their work."


"Passion is contagious." 
ABD'er Stephen Jones