Teaching
Most students in the English department come into the major with a genuine love of literature and the desire to grow as a writer. Classes are designed to nurture these interests, from the general requirements all the way through the seminars, with professors challenging their students at every level of the major. Students are motivated to widen their outlook by critically thinking about the texts and participating in classroom discussion, which is the cornerstone of the English pedagogy. Faculty advisors are dedicated to engaging students in dialogue both inside the classroom and on an individual basis.
The Department of English has made a commitment to small class sizes, especially for advanced classes and seminars, to encourage class discussion. Along with their own views, English faculty members present a variety of critical perspectives when leading discussion. The questions and opinions of the students are an essential addition to this range of viewpoints. Creative writing classes are structured to allow students to critique each other’s work—a process that helps them develop as readers as well as writers.
Along with permanent faculty members, the English department has enjoyed hosting several distinguished visiting writers, such as novelist Josephine Humphreys and poet Angela Ball. Classes taught by these visitors offer students a chance to ask questions and have their work evaluated by established writers.
