About the Department

The study of English – both the language and the literature – is fundamental to any college education, particularly a liberal arts and sciences education. To underscore that, faculty members in this department teach students to read with insight, perception and objectivity, and to write with clarity and precision. In addition, we emphasize an aesthetic appreciation for the literary arts as well as how vitally important literature is in the life of any thinking individual.

Our faculty members possess expertise across the many literary genres from poetry to novels to literary criticism, song and zines. They’re also scholars in the literature of varying eras, geographic regions, cultures and individual authors. In addition, several are published writers, a few serve as editors of academic journals, and one sits on the National Council of the Arts.

English majors benefit from small class sizes, individualized attention from full professors, and a lengthy tradition of teaching literature in all its forms. Students in this department also have the option of pursuing a concentration in creative writing. And for those who wish to teach English at the secondary school level, the department supports a bachelor’s degree program that is administered by the School of Education, Health and Human Performance.