Department of English & Communication

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

Holly Baker first-year English, rhetoric and composition

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

Julie Bowman first-year English, literature

Elisabeth Buck (Faculty Director, Multiliteracy and Communication Center) Composition and rhetoric, peer tutoring, writing center administration, first-year English

Eric Casero first-year English, literature

Katherine DeLuca new and digital media, rhetoric, professional writing

Christopher Eisenhart (Chairperson) rhetorical criticism and theory, professional and political communication, discourse studies

Eli Evans first-year English, literature

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

Meghan Fair first-year English, literature

Jennifer Fallas first-year English, literature

Caroline Gelmi poetry and poetics, nineteenth- and twentieth-century American literature

Karen Gulbrandsen (Graduate Program Director, Director of Teaching Fellows) technical communication, technology transfer, rhetoric of science and technology

Laurel Hankins early American literature, nineteenth-century American literature, transatlantic literary culture, theories of moral sentiment

Stanley Harrison rhetoric, professional writing, advanced computer applications

Tracy Harrison American and British literature, first-year English

Jenny Howe first-year English, literature

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

Elizabeth Lehr science communication, composition

Lucas Mann creative nonfiction, journalism, professional writing

Alex Menrisky first-year English, literature

William Nelles narrative theory, medieval literature

Jackie O’Dell first-year English, literature

Morgan Peters drama, creative writing, filmmaking, oral traditions

Nicholas Santavicca (Director, American Language and Culture Institute) ESL/ELL education, discourse and culture

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

Zack Sitter first-year English, literature

Alexis Teagarden (Director, First Year English) rhetoric, college writing pedagogy, assessment, public policy

Robert P Waxler (Emeritus) romanticism, Jewish studies, professional writing, communication theory

Charles W White III (Emeritus) American literature, film

Mary Wilson transatlantic modernist fiction, domesticity and sexuality in literature

Yuan Zhang first-year English, ESL

Jay Zysk Renaissance/early modern British literature

The English & Communication 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, Rhetoric & Communication 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 & Communication Department 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. For more information go to: http://www.umassd.edu/cas/english/graduateprograms/

The English & Communication Department offers a 4+1 option for qualified majors to earn the Master in Professional Writing degree in just a single year of graduate study. For more information go to http://www.umassd.edu/cas/english/graduateprograms/

The English & Communication 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 develop a plan for taking 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 & Communication 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 British, American, and/or World literatures and literary criticisms
Analyze literary texts using appropriate literary and critical vocabulary
Apply theoretical knowledge to produce original interpretations of literary texts
Employ pertinent secondary sources in writing following appropriate research and writing methods
Demonstrate effective communication skills in academic writing genres including literary analysis, persuasive argument, and critical exposition

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

Identify and summarize key concepts in rhetorical theory
Analyze the rhetorical strategies used in texts
Apply key concepts, developing documents based on audience needs, genre conventions, and information design principles
Synthesize primary and secondary sources, using appropriate research and writing methods
Evaluate the appropriateness of rhetorical strategies used in texts