English department members at Augustana College decided to make writing a college-wide concern. They began by attempting to change the perceptions of the faculty, including that of the English department, which consisted of members trained entirely in literature rather than in composition. The approach to the rest of the faculty began with an…

Addressing the issue of testing and evaluation in English at the university level, this paper focuses on the development and use of the English Placement Test developed by the California State University system. The discussion of this testing program is placed within a framework of four testing principles: testing is an essential part of learning…

Writing teachers at the University of Oregon have established working relations in three different ways with teachers outside their department. First, they have set up sections of a required composition course to be taught in conjunction with courses in other disciplines; workshops to develop skills in handling students' writing are conducted for…

Numerous topics related to the teaching of English are discussed in this paper. Separate sections deal with changes in the teaching of English between 1965 and 1975 and problems faced by English teachers and by schools in 1975; topics that may be discussed at departmental meetings in an attempt to work out a detailed rationale for a school's…

This conference report on the preparation of junior college English teachers presents programs inaugurated at three schools in the fall of 1969. Offered in a 2-year program at the University of Arizona is the Master of Arts degree in English (M.A.) with an Arizona Junior College Certificate. The University of Nevada's Master of Arts in the…

Argues for the inclusion of noncanonical literature in the English curriculum, especially literature by women and minorities. Provides principles to guide the teaching of noncanonical literature. (SRT)

This 23rd volume of "English Leadership Quarterly" contains articles on topics of interest to those in positions of leadership in departments (elementary, secondary, or college) where English is taught. Each issue focuses on a different theme. Articles in Volume 23 Number 1 are: "Block Scheduling and Student Achievement"…

A university English department's writing center uses peer tutors trained in questioning, explanation, and constructive criticism techniques. Among the issues raised are tutoring adult students and writing across the curriculum. The program has been an effective method of encouraging good writing. (MSE)

Surveys past graduate-student administrators (now in professional and academic careers) involved in the consensus-based management system of a composition program. Finds that such involvement exposed graduate students to the most challenging aspects of university life, in all its political, structural, and interpersonal complexity; and was central…

Although writing today generally is perceived as process, college English departments are still deeply rooted in the concept of writing as product. Hiring depends upon product in terms of letters of inquiry, vitae, and credentials; retention, promotion, and merit raises rest on product in the form of publications, grants, awards, and teacher…

Designed primarily for English faculty at two-year colleges in California, "Inside English" includes articles on major instructional, curricular, administrative, and employment issues of concern to teachers in the field as well as information on the activities of the English Council of the California Two-Year Colleges (ECCTYC). The Fall 1977, and…

Following a discussion of the advantages of having everyone in an English Department--teaching assistants, junior faculty, and senior staff--teach composition courses, specific qualities desired in a composition instructor are suggested in this speech. These instructors should include: (1) those willing to insist that students emerge from…

This document reviews some of the facets of the Department of English at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The Department has a long tradition of involvement with high school teaching and high school teachers. The scheduling and programming activities of the Department are complex inasmuch as a range of courses must be made available…

Presents a skeptical perspective on the English teaching profession and the educational system in general. Argues that the alleged educational crisis is in fact an encompassing social crisis, necessitating teachers to teach from a social and political perspective. (MM)

Looks at English departments, English curricula, and the activities of professional organizations in the field, and concludes that bureaucracies, with their vested interest in the status quo, prevent effective action against a range of major problems faced by English teachers. (RBW)