About The Department
Mission
The Department of English develops the reading and writing skills of students, increases their understanding of contemporary discourse and literary heritage, and strengthens their creative and analytical abilities. Using a variety of theories and methodologies, faculty members contribute to research and creative activity in the humanities to advance knowledge and serve the public good.
Vision
Through its commitment to excellence, the Department of English will become a national leader in scholarly research, classroom pedagogy, and service to the profession and the community. We will prepare students to think critically and creatively about literature, language, culture, and technology. We will embrace the interpretation and production of texts as well as the opportunities and challenges brought to the humanities by innovative study and teaching at the intersections of literature, linguistics, creative writing, composition and rhetoric, and technical communication.
Values
In the Department of English, we value
- Creative, critical, and analytic thought.
- Sophisticated, nuanced, rhetorically-effective, and ethical oral and written expression.
- Appreciation for and understanding of literary history and recent revisions thereof.
- Open exchanges of ideas, with an understanding of how class, race, gender, and other factors may affect that exchange.
- Respect for students, staff, and faculty, and community
- Diversity in our student population, faculty, staff, and teaching materials.
- Excellence in research, teaching, and service.
- Ongoing intersections among areas of literature, linguistics, creative writing, composition and rhetoric, and technical communication
- Academic freedom