Department of English

Faculty and Fields of Interest

Anupama Arora post-colonial theory and literature, especially from Africa, the Caribbean, South Asia and its diaspora; women’s studies;Asian American literature; colonial literature; literary criticism and theory

Anthony Arrigo visual rhetoric, technology and culture, multimodal literacy, technical communication, cultural studies

Jerry Blitefield rhetoric and composition, rhetorical theory and criticism, history of rhetoric, creative nonfiction, fiction

James Bobrick modern poetry, Renaissance literature, children’s literature, fantasy

Chris Eisenhart (Director of graduate programs) rhetorical criticism and theory, professional and political communication, discourse studies

Shari Evans (student advisement) multicultural literature and African-American literature, contemporary women writers, feminist and critical race theory

Karen Gulbrandsen technical communication, technology transfer, rhetoric of science and technology

Stanley Harrison rhetoric, professional writing, advanced computer applications

Catherine Houser literary nonfiction, creative writing (fiction), professional writing, stylistics

Joan Kellerman poetry, comedy, American satire, Beat Generation, Jack Kerouac, literature and psychology

Michelle LaFrance First Year English Administrator, composition

Richard J Larschan medieval literature, 18th-century British literature, satire

James E Marlow 19th-century British literature, theory of fiction, semiotics, creative writing (fiction and drama)

Kara Miller journalism, professional writing

William Nelles (director of the MAT program in English) narrative theory, medieval literature

Caitlin O’Neil composition, rhetoric, journalism, popular culture, fiction

Morgan Peters drama, creative writing, filmmaking, oral traditions

Jeannette E Riley (Chairperson) contemporary women’s literature, literary theory with an emphasis on feminist theory, post-1945 American literature, feminist pedagogy, teaching with technology

Lulu C H Sun rhetoric and composition, English education, English romantic literature

Judy Schaaf medieval and Renaissance studies, 19th-century American literature, travel and nature writing

Brian Sweeney Early American literature, Transatlantic studies

Robert P Waxler romanticism, Jewish studies, professional writing, communication theory

Charles W White III American literature, film

The English Department serves a diverse group of majors: a group that includes those who intend to go on to graduate study; those who intend to enter the teaching profession and those who plan careers in such areas as public relations, editorial work, journalism, technical and professional writing, creative writing, personnel work and the like. The department also serves many non-English majors: those students who elect English courses in order to gain some acquaintance with the rich cultural heritage that English, American and comparative literature provide; and those who, through advanced courses in writing, wish to improve their powers of communication.

In addition, the department provides a first year English program that includes introductory composition courses (ENL 101 and 102), testing and evaluation of the writing ability of incoming students, English-as-a-second language instruction and professional communications courses for students in business, science, technology, engineering and computer science programs.

English majors are offered a choice of two options: the literature and criticism option or the writing, communications, and rhetoric option, each leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree.

These options reflect the department’s conviction that perceptive reading, effective writing and clear thinking are interconnected.

The English department also offers a graduate program leading to a Master of Arts degree in Professional Writing designed to give students a background in rhetorical and communication theories and the advanced skills necessary for professional jobs in business, government, media, teaching, industry or publishing, as well as continued academic studies.

The need for K-12 teachers in the areas of humanities is great in the region. English is a preferred major for future teachers. The English department participates in UMass Dartmouth’s programs to prepare teachers who are highly qualified, helping provide opportunities for students to receive both initial and professional licensure. Specifically, the department supports students who seek initial licensure as a Teacher of English (grades 5 through 8 or grades 8 through 12) through the Post-Baccalaureate Education Certificate and professional licensure as a Teacher of English (grades 5 through 8 or grades 8 through 12) through the MAT program. In order to plan to take appropriate prerequisite and enrichment courses, students should indicate their interest both to their English major advisor and to an advisor in UMass Dartmouth’s Teaching and Learning Department.

Learning Outcomes

The English Department has identified the following core objectives for all English majors:

Students will be able to:

Conduct research effectively in both traditional and new and emerging formats
Evaluate and employ resources effectively, using disciplinary conventions for citation and documentation
Develop and write original analyses
Write and revise clear, grammatical prose

In addition to the core objectives, students in the Literature and Criticism option will be able to:

Identify authors, periods, themes, purposes, and forms of works of English, American, and World literatures and literary criticisms
Identify and analyze formal attributes that distinguish literary genres and major schools of literary criticism
Employ traditional and contemporary literary critical terms, techniques, and theories in analyzing and explaining, both orally and in writing, the forms, themes, arguments, audiences, purposes, and effects of works of literature
Read critically across literary genres and works of literary criticism and history
Write and speak effectively in formats including literary analysis, persuasive argument, and critical exposition

In addition to the core objectives, students in the Writing, Communication, and Rhetoric option will be able to:

Identify and employ key concepts in rhetorical theory and associate them with periods and theorists
Analyze and describe rhetorically significant features and audiences
Develop and sustain an effective argument, including appropriate evidence
Identify and employ rhetorically appropriate strategies such as genres and styles
Apply principles of visual rhetoric and document design