MFA student waves a greeting.

During the residency, students and faculty attend workshops, lectures, conferences, panel discussions, and readings. Workshops typically fill half the day. The other half is taken up with lectures; panel discussions; faculty, student, or guest readings; or other curriculum-related events. Students are expected to attend morning, afternoon, and evening sessions. The workshops are small, no more than twelve students directed by two faculty members or about six students with one faculty member. Most Workshops focus on a particular genre; occasionally a cross-genre Workshop includes student work from two areas of concentration. At the residency students have the opportunity to experiment in other modes of writing to gain an even broader appreciation of the uses of language and forms. Top 

Lectures, given by faculty members and guest speakers from the writing or publishing community, focus on the craft of writing, a particular writer or work, or the world of publishing. Some sessions offer the opportunity to do writing exercises. The student plans, in consultation with his or her faculty mentor, the course of study for the at-home portion of the semester, which includes original writing and a reading list of books about which the students write critical commentary. Residencies incorporate an editing/publishing component. The students submit evaluations and reports on workshops, lectures, panel discussions, readings, and other residency activities. 

Click here to see an abbreviated (students names have been removed) residency schedule from a recent residency. Click here to see faculty and guest residency lecture descriptions (graduating student lectures have been removed). 

Residencies have much to offer in the arts, including theater, orchestra, opera, ballet, jazz, modern dance, architecture, and cuisine. At the fall and spring residencies, students and faculty may attend events at such places as the nationally acclaimed Actors Theatre, the Kentucky Center for the Arts, the Brown Theater, or the Speed Art Museum. At the summer residencies, students and faculty visit places and attend events that relate to the locale. Both formal and informal discussion after such outings promotes collegiality, enriches the curriculum, and deepens understanding of the interrelatedness of the arts. top 

Fall and Spring Semester Residencies 

Spring residencies are in late May and fall residencies are in early November. These residencies begin on a Friday and continue for ten days. Thus, the residency dates vary slightly from year to year but always fit the pattern of two weekends with the week in between. Students are expected to arrive by late afternoon on the first Friday and stay until the final Sunday. 

To promote a feeling of community, students and faculty read a selected book (from a different genre each semester), which is discussed the first night of the residency. When possible, the author of the book is a guest later in the residency; the author gives a public presentation and has a private Q&A session with all MFA students and faculty. Guests for this aspect of the program have been Claudia Emerson, Ernest J. Gaines, Yusef Komunyakaa, Donna Jo Napoli, Terry Tempest Williams, Michael Ondaatje, Marsha Norman, Nancy Willard, Scott Russell Sanders, W.S. Merwin, Daniel Handler aka Lemony Snicket, Heather Raffo, Pico Iyer, Barry Lopez, Ann Patchett, Rebecca Gilman, David Kipen, Patricia MacLachlan, and Bobby Moresco. Our Fall 2011 featured author is poet Gregory Orr.

Transportation to and from Spalding is each student’s responsibility. Louisville is easily accessible by air or by major highways. Most of the residency meals (except breakfast) are included in the tuition. These planned group meals provide the opportunity for students to socialize with other students and faculty members. Food choices vary—from the Spalding cafeteria to local restaurants to specially catered meals. For meals not included in the tuition and for those who choose to venture out on their own for meals, some restaurants are within walking distance or on the trolley line, and many are only a short drive away. 

Spalding offers an optional housing package. Currently accommodations are offered at the nearby four-diamond, four-star Brown Hotel. Single or double, nonsmoking rooms are available. In the event the number of students wanting rooms at the Brown is greater than the rooms we have reserved, an alternative downtown hotel/motel will be suggested. Accommodations may also be available at other nearby hotels or the campus dormitory. Students are welcome to arrange lodging on their own. For any student who wishes to have use of exercise facilities, Spalding University has some exercise equipment, and the Brown Hotel has an exercise room for use by guests. 

Students with cars need an on-campus parking permit, which is good for the the residency. A parking permit does not guarantee that there are spaces available in a Spalding lot, so students staying nearby may want to walk to classes. A special parking rate has been arranged in the Brown Hotel self-park garage; complete information is available near the time of the residency. 

The Spalding campus is located in a near downtown area and is patrolled regularly by Campus Safety. While the area has a low incidence of crime, we recommend everyone exercise common sense and keep personal items close at hand, valuables out of sight in their cars, walk in well-lighted areas, and always stay in large groups rather than walk alone to or from residency events. If requested, Campus Safety personnel escort students to their cars. 

Summer Semester Residencies 

Summer residencies take place in an international location in late June for 10 days, plus travel days. Students, faculty, and staff fly on their own, where they meet for residency classes and events. Spalding offers standard hotel accommodations at three-star hotels, which are a double room (single supplement available) with bath, although accommodations may also be offered from youth hostels to boutique three-star hotels. After arrival, the first afternoon and evening is open, allowing students to adjust to time differences and, if desired, to do some exploring on their own. The next day begins with classes and ends with a gala welcome dinner. For the rest of the week, the schedule includes exploring local literary culture, arts, architecture, history, and cuisine, as well as a full complement of workshops, lectures, readings, mentor conferences, and group discussions of the pre-reading assignments of literary works by international authors. Previous locations have been Paris, London/Bath, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, and Rome/Tuscany. Planned destinations are 2012: Paris and 2013: Galway/Dublin. 

Workshop in Paris cafe.

In 2011, in Italy, forty-seven students, ten faculty and staff, and twelve alumni attended the summer residency. Areas of concentration represented are fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, writing for children and young adults, and screenwriting. Always for any particular genre to be taught during the summer semester, there must be an appropriate minimum number of students in order to provide a rich academic experience for all students. 

Students keep travel journals at the summer residency.

While, in some cases, students may bring family members or guests with them, because of the intense class schedule, students may prefer family or guests to arrive after the residency for an extended stay abroad. Family members or guests accompanying students during the residency are not included in any classes or curriculum events, which may include meals, arts events, museums, or tours. And, of course, all costs attributable to family members or guests are the responsibility of the student or guest including travel, additional hotel room costs, transportation to and from the hotel, meals, etc. 

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Contact us: 

MFA Office: (502) 873-4400 or (800) 896-8941, ext. 4400
mfa@spalding.edu 

MFA in Writing
Spalding University
851 South Fourth Street
Louisville, KY 40203 

FAX: (502) 992-2409 

last updated 08-02-2011 information subject to change without notice 

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