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English Language
and Literature
Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies: Lisa Ruddick, G-B 308, 702-8024
Secretary for Undergraduate English: JoAnn Baum, G-B 309, 702-7092
Program of Study
Our undergraduate program introduces students to English-language literature,
drama, and film. Courses address fundamental questions about topics such
as the status of literature within culture, the literary history of a period,
the achievements of a major author, the defining characteristics of a genre,
the politics of interpretation, the formal beauties of individual works,
and the methods of literary scholarship and research.
The study of English may be pursued as preparation for graduate work in
literature or other disciplines or as a complement to general education.
English concentrators learn how to ask probing questions of a large body
of material, how to formulate, analyze, and judge questions and their answers,
and how to present both questions and answers in clear, cogent prose--skills
central to virtually any career. To the end of cultivating and testing these
skills, each course in English stresses writing.
While aimed at developing reading, writing, and research skills, the undergraduate
program in English recognizes the value of bringing a range of disciplinary
perspectives to bear on the works studied. Besides offering a wide variety
of courses in English, the department encourages students to integrate the
intellectual concerns of other fields into their study of literature and
film by permitting up to two courses outside the English department to be
counted as part of a concentration, if a student can demonstrate the relevance
of these courses to his or her program of study.
Program Requirements
The program presupposes the completion of one of the Common Core Humanities
sequences (or its equivalent), in which basic training is provided in the
methods, problems, and disciplines of humanistic study. Because literary
study itself attends to language and is enriched by some knowledge of other
cultural expressions, the concentration in English requires students to
extend their work in humanities beyond the level required of all College
students in the important areas of foreign language and the nonverbal arts.
English concentrators must take two quarters of work in a foreign language
beyond the Common Core requirement (which is four quarters in French,
German, Latin, and Spanish; three in all other languages), unless they have
already demonstrated an equivalent proficiency in a foreign language. English
concentrators must also take one quarter each of work in music and in visual
art.
All English concentrators must take an introductory course, English 101.
This course prepares students to enter into the discussions that occur in
more advanced undergraduate courses by providing some grounding in critical
methodology and controversies across a range of genres. Because English
101 serves as an introduction to the concentration, and because this course
is a prerequisite for some English courses, newly declared English concentrators
and potential concentrators are urged to take it as early as possible in
their undergraduate careers. English 101 is offered every year.
Students are expected to study British and American literature and film
from a variety of periods and genres. Reading and understanding works written
in different historical periods require skills, information, and historical
imagination that contemporary works do not require. Students are accordingly
asked to study a variety of historical periods in order to develop their
abilities as readers, to discover areas of literature that they might not
otherwise explore, and to develop a self-conscious grasp of literary history.
In addition to the normal range of courses studying authors and genres from
many different eras, the program in English includes courses focused directly
on periods of literary history. These courses explore the ways terms such
as "Renaissance" or "Romantic" have been defined and
debated, and raise questions about literary change (influence, tradition,
originality, segmentation, repetition, etc.) that go along with periodizing.
The program requires two courses in literature written before 1700 and two
courses in literature written between 1700 and 1900, with at least one of
these four a designated "period" course; or, alternatively, three
"period" courses, with at least one focused on a period or periods
before 1700 and at least one focused on a period or periods after 1700.
The program also asks that students study both British and American literature,
requiring at least one course in each. Furthermore, because an understanding
of literature demands sensitivity to various conventions and different genres,
concentrators are required to take at least one course in each of the genres
of fiction, poetry, and drama/film.
The concentration in English requires at least ten departmental courses.
In the fourth year of College study, most concentrators carry out a senior
project for which they receive course credit. In lieu of a senior project,
some students may choose to take a departmental course. In special cases,
the senior project may take the form of a piece of creative writing or involvement
in a dramatic production; normally, however, the senior project consists
of a critical essay. Such an essay is to be a fully finished product, the
best written work of which the student is capable. This B.A. paper may develop
from a paper written in an earlier course or from independent research.
Whatever the approach, the student is uniformly required to work on an approved
topic and to submit a final version that has been written, critiqued by
both a faculty advisor and a B.A. project supervisor, rethought, and rewritten.
Seniors devote time in at least two quarters to their senior essays, and
they consult at scheduled intervals with their individual faculty advisor
(the field specialist) and with the supervisor assigned to monitor senior
projects. To be eligible for departmental honors, a student must complete
a senior project.
Summary of Requirements
Concentration
2 courses or placement in a foreign language, beyond the language courses
taken to meet the Common Core requirement, and in the same language as those
courses
1 course in music or visual art (offered in the Art and Design, Art History,
or Music Department, or elsewhere), whichever is not used to satisfy the
Common Core requirement
1 Eng 101
3-4 courses to fulfill "period" requirement
either two courses pre-1700 and two 1700-1900 (including one designated
"period" course)
or three designated "period" courses (including one pre-1700
and one post-1700), for example, Eng 156, 169, 210, 251, or 252
1 course in fiction
1 course in poetry
1 course in drama or film
1 course in British literature
1 course in American literature
0-6 concentration electives (for a total of ten courses in the department;
may include Eng 299)
- senior project (optional)
13 Total: ten in the department, plus language and music or visual art courses
NOTE: Some courses satisfy more than one requirement. For example, a course
in metaphysical poetry would count as a course satisfying the genre requirement
for poetry, as a course satisfying the British literature requirement, and
as a course satisfying the pre-1700 requirement.
Courses outside the Department Taken for Concentration Credit. With
the prior approval of the Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies, a maximum
of two courses outside the English department (excluding the required language
and music or visual art courses) may count toward the concentration if the
student is able to demonstrate their relevance to his or her program. The
student must propose, justify, and obtain approval for these courses before
registering for them. Such courses may be selected from related areas
in the University--history, philosophy, social sciences, divinity, and so
on--or they may be taken in a study abroad program for which the student
has received the permission from the Office of the Dean of Students in the
College and an appropriate administrator in the English department.
Reading Courses (English 298 and 299). Upon prior approval by the Associate
Chair for Undergraduate Studies, the undergraduate reading course (English
298) may be used to fulfill concentration requirements. No student may use
more than two English 298 courses toward concentration requirements. Seniors
who wish to register for the B.A. paper preparation course (English 299)
must indicate that they have arranged for appropriate faculty supervision
and obtain the permission of the Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies.
English 299 does, however, count as an English elective and not as
one of the courses fulfilling distribution requirements for the concentration.
NOTE: Reading courses are special research opportunities that must be justified
by the quality of the proposed plan of study; they also depend upon available
faculty supervision. No student can automatically expect to arrange a reading
course. For alternative approaches to preparing a B.A. paper, see the next
section.
The Senior Project. Students who wish to undertake a senior project
must register with the undergraduate secretary by the end of the fifth week
of the first quarter of their graduating year. To help ensure the careful,
finished work that must characterize the senior project, a B.A. project
supervisor is appointed to monitor seniors' work on their projects. Seniors
meet with their supervisor during the first quarter and at regular intervals
thereafter. The supervisor informs, helps, counsels, and participates in
critiquing the versions of the project. In meeting initially, the student
and the supervisor seek to define a workable topic, to determine a plan
for developing the topic, and to identify an appropriate faculty advisor
for the position of field specialist, who works more closely with
the individual student and directs the actual researching and writing of
the B.A. paper. During the winter quarter, the supervisor convenes groups
of students to discuss their work in progress. Schedules of the quarterly
deadlines for registering and for submitting drafts and final essays can
be obtained in the undergraduate secretary's office (G-B 309).
There are three options for the senior project:
l. The Standard Option. Ordinarily, the project is a critical
or historical essay, of no more than twenty-five pages, on some topic in
British or American literature. A B.A. paper should demonstrate the student's
ability to identify a question or problem and to pursue it further than
is usual in a course paper. The B.A. paper is judged by how well a student
has thought and rethought a problem, and written and rewritten a response.
A senior is to devote time in at least two academic quarters to writing
the senior essay.
2. The Writing Option. Those students who exhibit interest in and
ability for extended work in writing poetry, fiction, drama, or expository
prose may petition the Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies, requesting
permission to prepare a piece of such writing for a senior project. The
petition must include both a proposal as to what work will be done and a
piece of writing that will be evaluated by two faculty members before permission
to proceed is granted. Any such student must have taken two one-quarter
courses in writing.
3. The Drama Option. Students with particularly strong interests
and background in the dramatic arts may be permitted to carry out the senior
project by producing and/or directing and/or acting in a dramatic or cinematic
production for which a director's (actor's) notebook or an explanatory essay
is prepared. However, it must be stressed that opportunities to produce
or direct a play or film are very limited, and to act, only somewhat less
so. Applications to use the Reynolds Club theaters must be submitted at
least six months in advance of the desired scheduling. Winter quarter time
is usually less in demand than spring quarter. In this option, as in the
others, the senior project requires supervision. Those students who wish
to try to work in and write about a dramatic production for a senior project
must have taken two one-quarter courses in drama. They must obtain prior
approval from the Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies (with whom a
field specialist is arranged) as well as approval from the appropriate theater
personnel (with whom scheduling is arranged).
The senior project may be carried out either in noncurricular arrangements
with the supervisor and field specialist, or through formal course registration
(English 299). The student may prepare the B.A. paper by starting afresh
on a topic of his or her choosing or by working from a paper previously
submitted in a regular course. Because revising and rethinking are vital
parts of the process of preparing a B.A. paper, students cannot wait to
begin their preparations until the quarter in which they wish to graduate.
NOTE: As stated above, English 299 may not be counted among the courses
fulfilling distribution requirements for the concentration. Any student
may, of course, take English 299 as an English or free elective. No one
can register for English 299 without previously obtaining permission from
a faculty member willing to serve as field specialist for the project.
Advising in the Concentration. Concentrators in English are expected
to review their programs at least once a year with the Associate Chair for
Undergraduate Studies. In the last quarter of junior standing, students
should also complete and submit a departmental worksheet that indicates
their own plans for meeting all concentration requirements. These worksheets
can be obtained in the undergraduate secretary's office (G-B 309). The Associate
Chair for Undergraduate Studies has regularly scheduled office hours during
which she is available for consultation and guidance on a student's selection
of courses, future career plans, and questions or problems relating to the
concentration. Formal registration, changes of courses, and the like are
processed through the student's assigned adviser in the Office of the Dean
of Students in the College.
Students are encouraged to consult the faculty directory distributed by
the English department. This directory lists faculty interests and current
projects, providing leads for students seeking general counsel on their
intellectual direction or specific guidance in reading courses. Faculty
are available to students in regular office hours posted every quarter.
Grading. Students concentrating in English must receive letter grades
in all thirteen courses aimed at meeting the requirements of the degree
program. Exceptions are allowed only in creative writing courses where the
instructor regards P/N grades as an appropriate form of accreditation.
Students not concentrating in English may take English courses on a P/N
basis if they receive the prior consent of the faculty member for a given
course.
Honors. Special honors in English are reserved for those graduating
seniors who achieve overall excellence in grades for courses within the
concentration and who also complete a senior project of the highest quality.
For honors candidacy, a student must have at least a 3.0 overall grade point
average for College work. Honors recommendations are made to the master
of the Humanities Collegiate Division by the faculty of the department through
the Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies.
Joint B.A./M.A. Qualified students may be granted admission to the M.A.
program and pursue it and their B.A. in English at the same time. However,
both sets of degree requirements must be separately satisfied; there is
no provision for double-counting of credit for courses or for the senior
project and the M.A. essay. Inquiries may be directed to the Associate Chair
for Undergraduate Studies or the department's administrative assistant,
Barbara Crawford (G- B 310A, 702-8537).
Faculty
ELIZABETH ALEXANDER, Assistant Professor, Department of English Language
& Literature, Committee on General Studies in the Humanities, and the
College
LAUREN BERLANT, Professor, Department of English Language & Literature
and the College
DAVID M. BEVINGTON, Phyllis Fay Horton Professor in the Humanities; Professor,
Departments of English Language & Literature and Comparative Literature,
and the College
HOMI K. BHABHA, Professor, Department of English Language & Literature
and the College
WILLIAM L. BROWN, Associate Professor, Department of English Language &
Literature and the College
JAMES K. CHANDLER, Professor, Department of English Language & Literature
and the College
GERALD GRAFF, George M. Pullman Professor, Departments of Education and
English Language & Literature and the College
ELAINE HADLEY, Assistant Professor, Department of English Language &
Literature and the College
MIRIAM HANSEN, Ferdinand Schevill Distinguished Service Professor in the
Humanities, Department of English Language & Literature, Committee on
Art & Design, and the College
ELIZABETH HELSINGER, Professor, Department of English Language & Literature
and the College
J. PAUL HUNTER, Chester D. Tripp Professor in the Humanities; Professor,
Department of English Language & Literature and the College
JANICE L. KNIGHT, Associate Professor, Department of English Language &
Literature and the College
LOREN KRUGER, Associate Professor, Department of English Language &
Literature and the College
JAMES F. LASTRA, Assistant Professor, Department of English Language &
Literature and the College
SAREE MAKDISI, Assistant Professor, Department of English Language &
Literature and the College
CURTIS MAREZ, Assistant Professor, Department of English Language &
Literature and the College
W. J. T. MITCHELL, Gaylord Donnelley Distinguished Service Professor, Departments
of English Language & Literature and Art, Committee on Art & Design,
and the College
JANEL MUELLER, William Rainey Harper Professor in the Humanities; Professor,
Department of English Language & Literature and the College
MICHAEL J. MURRIN, Professor, Departments of English Language & Literature
and Comparative Literature, the Divinity School, and the College
DEBORAH NELSON, Assistant Professor, Department of English Language &
Literature and the College
BRUCE B. REDFORD, Professor, Department of English Language & Literature
and the College
LAURA RIGAL, Assistant Professor, Department of English Language & Literature
and the College
LAWRENCE ROTHFIELD, Associate Professor, Department of English Language
& Literature and the College
LISA RUDDICK, Associate Professor, Department of English Language &
Literature and the College
JAY SCHLEUSENER, Associate Professor, Department of English Language &
Literature and the College
JOSHUA SCODEL, Associate Professor, Department of English Language &
Literature, Committee on General Studies in the Humanities and the College
RICHARD G. STERN, Helen A. Regenstein Professor, Department of English Language
& Literature and the College
RICHARD A. STRIER, Professor, Department of English Language & Literature
and the College
WILLIAM VEEDER, Professor, Department of English Language & Literature
and the College
ROBERT VON HALLBERG, Professor, Departments of English Language & Literature
and Germanic Studies and the College
CHRISTINA VON NOLCKEN, Associate Professor, Department of English Language
& Literature and the College
KENNETH W. WARREN, Associate Professor,
Department of English Language & Literature, Committee on General Studies
in the Humanities, and the College
EDWARD WASIOLEK, Avalon Foundation Distinguished Service Professor, Departments
of English Language & Literature, Comparative Literature, and Slavic
Languages & Literatures, and the College
JOSEPH M. WILLIAMS, Professor, Departments of English Language & Literature
and Linguistics and the College
ALOK YADAV, Assistant Professor, Department of English Language & Literature
and the College
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