This essay argues that a trend in histories of literary and writing studies is to bifurcate the origins of the fields and so engage in those modernist narrative fallacies described by Jean-Francois Lyotard. Such works limit our understanding of past practices and the longstanding connections between disciplinarity and labor. (Contains 2 notes.)

Syllabi from some 20 colleges and universities were reviewed with prominent English and literature departments and a discussion was held with a number of professors who teach literary theory. It is suggested that devolution and fragmentation of theory might be a survival strategy, an adaptation to the new realties of academic institutions.

An outside evaluator can help an institution open up dialogue and bring about change by focusing the attention of top administrators, faculty, and students on goals seen as important by groups within the institution. Bringing in an outside evaluator to colleges and universities, English departments and writing programs, can be a touchy, often…

The official position on the workload of college teachers of English adopted by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) discusses factors bearing upon the determination of a reasonable teaching schedule. Evaluation of student composition, grading fatigue, class size, conference hours, research, committees, clubs, lectures, and class…

Presents results of poll of 13 English departments of Ivy League and Seven Sister colleges and universities undertaken in order to offer high school librarians an up-to-date checklist of basic titles that should be included in their collections. Fifty-three authors cited and a bibliography of 51 recommended titles are included. (EJS)

To determine if there are significant differences between the first-semester freshman composition grading standards of public two-year and four-year institutions in the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, a composition instrument was mailed to 120 freshman composition directors from two-year and four-year member institutions. The…

This survey, the result of a four-year study, classifies schools by size, geographical location, and type. Chapter one examines the composition, power, and nature of the English department. This includes description of its procedures for recruiting new faculty members and for awarding promotion and tenure, and an examination of teaching loads. The…

Crucial issues facing the departments of English in the 1960's prompt a reexamination of literature-oriented curriculums, staff preparation, enrollment trends, and international needs in the teaching of English. The implications of a shortage of qualified beginning instructors with a Ph.D. in literature suggest that teachers be trained in the…

This monograph reviews theory and procedures of evaluation as reflected in the professional literature and in correspondence from chairmen of departments of English and the Humanities. Introductory comments are followed by chapters on: the evaluation of teaching; teaching and values; student evaluation of faculty and courses; observation of…

This book combines personal stories of rhetoric and composition teachers with statistical data derived from various government and academic research studies to document gender experiences of college writing teachers and administrators. Anecdotal evidence was drawn from a survey questionnaire mailed to 3,000 college writing teachers, follow-up…