The search for a common model of instruction in first-year composition began in the 1960s when composition first began to separate from literature in college English departments. Because writing is essentially a methods course with no standard curriculum as one might find in physics or economics, common model has been elusive. A sign that…

Presents reasons for interested undergraduates to major in English and points out useful skills developed by English majors. Emphasizes the importance of English department involvement in the career planning of its students, and details the steps undertaken by the University of Massachusetts English department to help its students. (JM)

Offers suggestions for use in establishing undergraduate career guidance programs in English departments. (AEA)

Offers a different (liberal arts) perspective on the job market for PhDs in English from an undergraduate department chairman. Asks for better information about graduate study possibilities. Argues that the problem is to learn how to better advise aspiring PhD students, and to provide support for them. (PA)

Offers examples of ways that college and university departments of English can broaden students' capabilities as readers and critics. (AEA)

Using the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale formulated by G. M. Chen and Starosta, the intercultural sensitivity of English major students, non-English major students, and multinational employees in China were investigated. In this study, intercultural sensitivity was defined as consisting of interaction engagement, interaction confidence, respect…

Basic language skills required for work in the university are discussed regarding listening comprehension, varying standards of students' English, literature instruction, the function of English studies in the universities, English for science majors, and student resentment. (LBH)

The English Department at Carnegie Mellon believes they are creating a new-wave curriculum. Theoretical questions are becoming the center of undergraduate study. Scholars want students to think about the political, social, and historical forces that end up shaping a writer's vision, the written work, and the reader's interpretation. (MLW)

The purposes of the Basic Writing Skills Assessment Project, begun in the spring of 1977, were to provide a review and assessment of the existing English proficiency program and to develop a data base on which generalizations might be made about the status of writing skills at Plymouth State College. This report was written on the basis of…

This study describes the contrasting cultural norms of academic writing and academic writing instruction at a large American university, comparing these differing viewpoints in order to identify difficulties that non-native-speaking undergraduates might experience in proceeding from English as a Second Language (ESL) to freshmen composition…

The English department at North Carolina State University faced a rapid, large-scale transition of a number of its professional writing courses from traditional classes to online courses. Recognizing that numerous barriers, including unresolved administrative issues, faculty resistance, and lack of training could impede this process,…

This study investigated the effect of a set of predictors of success in both the undergraduate English program and in all other subjects. Academic data for the graduates of an Arab university's English department during three years were analyzed. The predictor variables examined were: (1) total scores on the secondary school certificate…

Reasons for the literacy problem on college and university campuses and the role of higher education in confronting this problem are discussed. Many young people today lack English skills necessary for holding a job, and students entering college are deficient in basic language skills. Some educators feel that college admission standards should be…

The Dayton Literacy Project (Ohio) uses a University of Dayton service-learning course to bring together undergraduates and local high school-equivalency-program students. The course's intellectual rationale, organization, and work with welfare mothers are discussed. The project's success suggests ways in which the discipline of English can be…

John Gardner, of the National Resource Center for The First Year Experience and Students in Transition, addressed academic librarians at the ACRL meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, in April 2003, urging librarians to become more actively involved in First Year Experience courses. Susan J. C. Bissett responds in this article, citing the…