| |
|
|
English
Department Chair: Ozzie Mayers
Faculty: Mary Jane Berger OSB, JP Earls OSB, Mara Faulkner OSB, Chris Freeman, Eva
Hooker CSC, Nancy Hynes OSB, John Kendall, Cynthia Malone, Luke Mancuso OSB, Ozzie Mayers,
Madhu Mitra, Michael Opitz, David Rothstein OSB, Hilary Thimmesh OSB, Charles Thornbury,
Christina Tourino
The department of English offers traditional and innovative
courses to meet the needs of both liberal arts and pre-professional students. We prepare
majors for a wide range of careers as well as for further study of literature. We also
work closely with the education department to help English majors with secondary education
minors meet state licensing requirements. The department encourages students to
participate in the college's International Studies Programs or to pursue independent
studies abroad.
The English department teaches students to read thoughtfully and
perceptively, to listen carefully, to analyze critically, and to express their ideas
logically, clearly, and precisely. Through exposure to theoretical and critical debates,
students learn various ways of interpreting and analyzing literature. Exploring literature
- poetry, drama, fiction, and the essay - students develop an understanding of the growing
and rapidly changing world of contemporary English studies. Courses include excellent
writers who have been excluded from the literary mainstream in addition to traditionally
respected British and American authors.
By studying literature in English, students gain insight into
experiences and ways of thinking and feeling different from their own. As a result, they
come to perceive the shared humanity of people as well as the differences determined by
such circumstances as gender, race and class. These insights foster cooperation and
community, both in the classroom and in the larger world.
Through analytical and creative writing, students practice a
variety of literary forms and develop their own talent. Reading, writing and discussing,
students discover the values inherent in literary works and the theories which shape our
interpretation of them. Students also come to a clearer and deeper awareness of their own
values as they develop an individual voice to express them.
|
