To determine how English department chairmen perceive the role of the freshman English director, a study surveyed English department chairmen from 250 randomly selected medium/small to large universities nationwide, representing every state (with a 54% response rate). The questionnaire solicited data about the tasks and responsibilities of…

The voice of wisdom, embodied in the character of an Old Man, presumably holding impeccable teaching credentials and wielding a sterling teaching record, advises a youthful, idealistic, and not-so-wise graduate student on the ways of the System. Subjects range far and wide, and include dialogues on: (1) teaching college English, freshman…

Describes dividing up the responsibilities of the department chairperson among senior members of the department, then reconsiders the profession and the state of the humanities. Discusses views advocating "excellence," cultural literacy, great books, and a core curriculum in the humanities. Identifies political tasks and continued…

Contains the minimum Graduate Record Examination and grade point average requirements for graduate English programs of over 70 universities. (EL)

Describes the change in Duke's English department and departments in general by using historical examples that reflect then current attitudes towards the humanities and scholarship. (CRH)

Describes the course offerings of the English department at a university in Texas that reflect the multicultural heritage of the region. (AEA)

Describes certain trends in the attitudes of the rhetoric and composition profession toward the teaching of writing as pure technique. Argues that these trends are much more deeply rooted in the changing economic structure of society and have much more serious implications than are presently realized. (RL)

Discusses several problems in the national hiring process, including candidates' (1) lack of preparation and/or interest in teaching, (2) lack of familiarity with interviewing institutions, and (3) unrealistic expectations and general ignorance of conditions in most of the country's English departments. (SR)

Discusses the "ADE Statement of Good Practice: Teaching, Evaluation, and Scholarship" and the related issue of peer evaluation and the deprivatization of the classroom. Outlines the benefits of peer review of teaching. Argues for increased attention to the documentation of teaching. Appends the "Statement." (HB)

Identifies the slippage that often occurs between graduate school in English and the actual classroom realities of professional life. Suggests six areas of professional development for graduate students in English. Claims that such development might help teachers achieve greater happiness and success in their new surroundings. (HB)

Considers how departments of English can evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum and teaching throughout the entire program. Outlines the way that the joint English department at the College of St. Benedict and St. John's University developed a full-scale assessment program for the undergraduate major. (HB)

Analyzes the hierarchies that have defined college English. Reviews two models for how literacy programs can contribute to public learning. Suggests that if educators adopt a civic stance on graduate studies, they may be able to place graduates in positions where they can use their leadership skills beyond as well as within departments of English.…

The English department at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) is trying to create an environment where all voices are heard and respected, both those of the literarists and compositionists. Where it is probably more customary to think of curriculum as a reflection of faculty values, the guiding principle at LMU has been that curriculum can influence…

The use of portfolio assessment by composition instructors in the Department of English at the University of Missouri-Kansas City is described. Based on a survey of instructors, conducted in the spring of 1994, the paper examines: (1) who determines what goes into the portfolio, (2) how students are assessed throughout the term, (3) features…

This report outlines the impact of the University of Vermont's writing-across-the-curriculum program on the development of the English major. Included in the report are: (1) a summary of the faculty writing project, with a list of premises and practices; (2) descriptions of four books published collaboratively by members of the English department…