Defines and clarifies what a two-year college is. States that the organization of these schools is often misunderstood and maligned. Points out that most two-year colleges have an open admissions policy and are relatively inexpensive. Cautions that the low cost attracts both dedicated learners and students who are unprepared for college-level…

Explores differences between college English and foreign-language departments' treatment of literature and culture education, making a case for enhancing foreign language pedagogy's transmission of culture and literature through restructured academic territories, reorganization of authority, and redistribution of resources. (19 references) (CB)

Presents five articles (by administrators, faculty, graduate students, and writing center personnel) written in response to the "Progress Report from the CCCC Committee on Professional Standards" as well as the "Statement of Principles and Standards for the Postsecondary Teaching of Writing." (SR)

Examines over 500 job rejection letters received by a single English professorial job candidate over a period of 9 years. Analyzes shortcomings and strengths. Offers suggestions for composing these letters. (HB)

Describes how the English department at Western Washington University set out to revise the English curriculum as a participant in the MLA-FIPSE English Programs Curriculum Review Project. Shows how the faculty redesigned the curriculum, and asks tough questions concerning the best way to undertake such changes. (HB)

Argues that the academic profession needs to monitor the establishment of posttenure-review systems very closely, even in their apparently most benign form. Suggests that resources poured into a blanket posttenure-review policy would be better spent in rewarding truly productive faculty members. (RS)

Argues that computer technology has decentered high school English teachers. Describes a private high school with full computer access for every student; addresses issues this raises in the English department; describes three cyber activities used in the author's American literature classroom; and discusses the advantages of this decentralization.…

Makes a series of recommendations for dealing with the problem of the number of PhD English candidates versus the smaller number of college teaching positions that are available each year. Asserts that far too many new PhD candidates are being admitted. Suggests, for example, guidelines for assessing PhD programs and the use of apprenticeships.…

Notes that the American presence in east central European higher education is considerable and continues to grow. Discusses the ongoing struggles over the shape and the soul of universities in this region. Describes briefly representative teacher and scholar exchanges, teacher-training reforms, and combined East-West programs of study. (RS)

Raises a number of questions about the direction of the English department in light of its fundamental transformations. Asks whether the profession wants to replace the study of literature with the study of culture or critical methodology, i.e., semiotics and semantics. Looks at graduate education and the place of literature in it. (TB)

Examines one English department in the midst of establishing an independent writing major and program. Analyzes situational constraints in the context of professional concerns regarding tenure and in current disciplinary concerns regarding recognition of computers and composition labor. Argues for establishing tenure and promotion guidelines that…

Surveyed English departments at Catholic and other higher education institutions about "Ex corde ecclesiae," a document defining Catholic higher education's mission and identity. Findings were analyzed in areas such as implementation of and faculty perceptions of "Ex corde" and the importance of Catholic identity. Found that…

Describes the strategies and tactics that made the author's search for a tenure-track job in English a success. Describes the tenure-track position at precisely the kind of institution where faculty members were supposedly not open to the kind of work he does: the English Department at Drew University, essentially a small liberal arts college in…

Involving graduate teaching assistants (GAs) in the development and implementation of rubrics has many benefits. GA involvement increases their sense of ownership of the rubrics and makes it more likely that they will regard the rubrics in a positive light. GAs have insights about the students whose work will be evaluated by the rubrics; and, as…

Reform of undergraduate education is sweeping the United States and the design of the writing major at Millikin University (Decatur, Illinois), is an example of this movement. The writing major was in need of reform because, in addition to the English major core of literature surveys, Shakespeare, and a course in the history of grammar and the…