Scholarship Retreats @ The Farm are a distraction-free space to work alongside other scholars on your scholarly projects.
Located 20-minutes from JMU’s campus, the JMU Farm facility offers 30 acres of nature including a view of the river and plenty of green space. Participants can choose to attend all day or any portion of the day for self-directed time to work on your scholarship, mini-workshops on scholarly processes, and 1:1 scholarship consultations by CFI staff and partners.
Workshop topics, facilitators, and times are sent to registered attendees before scheduled retreat dates. There are also check-ins and opportunities to connect with other scholars over lunch.
NOTE: The main floor of the home is accessible but stairs are required to access the second floor. All group activities will be scheduled on the main floor with the second floor used for quiet working space. The picnic pavilion and outdoor areas are available for use, weather permitting.
Session Time Blocks Available
- Morning writing block (9 am - 12 pm)
- Lunch (12 - 1 pm)
- Afternoon writing block (1 - 4 pm)
Register for the entire day, or just one of the writing blocks and/or lunch. However, you must select at least one writing block option other than the meal with your registration.
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED - Refer to the CFI Events page for upcoming scheduled programs throughout the year.
Program Outcomes
Faculty participants will make progress toward
- Connecting with other scholars
- Feeling connected to oneself as a scholar
- Making progress on scholarship project(s)
- Developing new scholarly skills through workshops (topics vary)
Participant Reflections on Scholarship Retreats @ The Farm
What some previous attendees say are their favorite things about the farm retreats.
“The Farm is gorgeous. I liked the huge chunks of writing time. I liked that the workshops were optional and also very helpful, and so I was attracted to them. I liked that it's far enough outside campus to seem a world away but is actually only 20 minutes from where I live. I liked the community that I experienced with faculty from other Colleges. I appreciated how nonjudgmental and generous the leaders are. I liked how they protected our quiet spaces and were encouraging in ways that felt real. The retreats were so affirming for me. I will be a regular.”
“Very pretty; nice to have a space where I wasn't tempted to do other needed tasks; nice to have other people working nearby.”
“The quiet unstructured time to work for hours on research, the opportunity to meet and talk with colleagues in other departments, the peace and beauty of the place, the convenience of having food and drinks available.”
