English

Department Chair-Messinger
Professors-Dyck, Griffith, Nash, Summers
Associate Professor-Still
Assistant Professors-Gibson, Messinger, Rybas

English majors are among the most interesting people on any campus. Why? They read. They think and write creatively. They know the difference between irony and sarcasm and what a dangling gerund is. They are genuine people concerned with what matters - life, love, learning - and not only with the vagaries of the “job market.” They also know that all employers value writing and creative thinking because so few students graduate knowing how to do those things well, and that the best preparation for an uncertain future is a timeless liberal arts education.

The English faculty believes that good writers must also be good readers, and good readers must also learn to be good writers. Reading and writing are deeply humane activities that lead us to become people whose historical imaginations connect us with the past. The ability to draw on the wisdom and experiences of then and there is an essential skill for leaders who will wisely help us solve the problems of here and now. The study of language and literature is deeply invested in a partnership with the study of history, philosophy, world cultures, religion, and society.

The major in English - whether in Literature, Creative Writing, or Professional Writing - is a powerful education for preparing the leaders, the thinkers, and the problem solvers of tomorrow.

The English department offers three majors:

English Literature
Professional Writing/Journalism
Creative Writing

The requirements for these majors are listed below. The department requires all majors to take (or place out of) two semesters of one written world language.

The English department also offers three minors

Minor in Literature
Minor in Journalism
Minor in Creative Writing