First-Year English Program was awarded (with Duke University and Michigan State University) a 2006 Writing Program Certificate of Excellence from CCCC, the national organization of composition scholars. In 2008-09, the FYE Program seated 3,273 students. Designed to help students learn to communicate effectively, the FYE Program fulfills the university core of common studies rhetoric requirement by developing students' reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills via a two-course sequence:
- English 1001 (Academic Literacy)
- English 1002 (Public Literacy)
Undergraduate students in sophomore surveys and upper-division English courses learn to engage literary traditions, to understand how language affects people and institutions within society, to employ various methods of research and analysis, and to communicate effectively.
- Majors
(269 majors as of May 2011)
- Literature major
- WINE (Writing-Intensive) major
- Minor
- Literature minor
- Literatures of Diverse Cultures minor
- Writing-Intensive minor
Graduate students in English increase their knowledge of American and British literatures as well as develop abilities to analyze scholarship in English studies and to produce their own independent scholarship. In addition, graduate students who are awarded Teaching Assistantships are trained to teach their own courses within the FYE program. The degree programs offered are as follows:
- M.A. in British and American Literatures
- Ph.D. in British and American Literatures
The Department of English consists of:
- 27 Regular Faculty
- 5 Visiting Faculty
- 22 Part-time Faculty
- 33 graduate students holding teaching assistantships.
- 3 graduate students holding university fellowships
- 3 graduate students holding research assistantships
- 1 graduate student holding a Renasence assistantship
Faculty Accomplishments
- Published more than 70 books
- Won National Book Awards
- Won Prestigious National Grants/Fellowships, including Guggenheims, National Endowment for the Humanities, Fulbrights, and American Council of Learned Societies
- Won University Teaching Excellence Awards
- Won University Student Affairs Awards
- Elected to Boards of Academic Journals
National Activities
- Invited as Keynote Speakers at National Conferences
- Invited as Outside Reviewers
- Awarded Louise Edna Goeden Endowed Chair
- Served as university and departmental administrators
- In 2010-11, published 4 single-authored books, 7 edited collections, 13 book chapters, 8 articles, 20 reviews or encyclopedia articles
- In 2010-11, presented 16 conference papers.
Contributions to the University
English regularly contributes 15 courses to the University Core of Common Studies and 5 courses (sometimes more) to the University Honors Program.
Writing Center
The internationally-known Norman H. Ott Memorial Writing Center, located in Raynor Library, offers peer tutoring services for undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and staff.
English Department
