Department of English

We wish to express our deep sadness at the murder of eight people in Atlanta on March 16th, six of whom were Asian American women. We stand in solidarity with Asians and Asian Americans, who face unprecedented harassment and intimidation in this moment. Without qualification, we condemn violence of any kind, and we seek to dismantle misogyny and racism in all its forms. We denounce white supremacy, and we reject the anti-Asian rhetoric and scapegoating that has long been a feature of American life, but has been particularly severe since the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. We recognize that racism and sexism are interlocking forms of power, and we must not stay silent in the face of verbal and physical assaults. We have a responsibility to condemn these violent actions and to do everything we can to ensure the safety of all people who are discriminated against. We offer our strongest support for the Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander communities and for women who face sexual harassment, intimidation, and discrimination, and we stand against prejudice in whatever form it takes through education, research, and public engagement. Read the full DEI statement.

Recent accomplishments

The Core Writing Program has received the Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) Writing Program Certificate of Excellence. To earn this designation, a writing program must demonstrate not only best practices in writing instruction, but also responsivity to the needs of its students, instructors and institution; exemplary professional development opportunities for faculty; effective, ongoing assessment and placement procedures; appropriate class sizes based; and a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The selection committee specifically praised the Core Writing Program’s recent curriculum revisions that emphasize language diversity and encourage students to reflect and build upon their knowledge about writing. The committee also noted programmatic achievements such fostering respectful, humane, and professional working environment for faculty of all ranks; advocating for and protecting smaller class sizes; and implementing a portfolio model of teaching evaluation. Representatives from the program will accept the award at the 2023 CCCC convention in Chicago.

This award is the culmination of years of program refinement and innovation amid challenging times. Congratulations to the Core Writing administration team (Todd, Jim, Katie, and Joanne), administrative all-star Cami, and all Core Writing committee members and staff.

Department of English recent news

Grads of the Pack: Andrew Teeple, future English teacher

“I want to become a teacher because I have always felt that helping other people become the best versions of themselves is one of the most rewarding feelings in the world.”