Suggests that the most important piece of advice for the survival of English departments is that all faculty members, especially chairs, learn to collaborate effectively. Discusses the kinds of collaboration required for the retention of faculty lines. (RS)

Examines early impact upon secondary English departments of the primary National Literacy Strategy (NLS). Examines shifts over time in departmental policy and practice across the primary/secondary transfer that may relate to the impact of the primary NLS. Reports findings from interviews in four secondary English departments. (BT)

Tells the story of one English department's struggle over curriculum controversies and the implications of that struggle for the integrity of specific teachers' classroom curriculum and the literary education of their students. (TB)

Examines what kinds of jobs English major graduates of Lehigh University were actually doing in the real world, how they felt about having majored in English, and what benefits they saw from their degree. Finds that the alums were by and large delighted that they majored in English and would strongly recommend it to others. (SG)

Investigates the issues and procedures of assessment in English and considers what advice the Association of Departments of English can usefully offer to departments and chairs engaged with the problem of developing assessment initiatives, especially initiatives focused on the documentation of student learning. Discusses comments from the field in…

Discusses how English teachers can work with other departments to promote interdisciplinary approaches to teaching. Describes sharing writing labs; producing television news reports; engaging in a school-wide theme week; an "academic" Olympic Games; vocabulary exercises in the social studies classes; mock trials; and a team-taught social…

Investigates writing instruction trends by surveying university English departments and examining the types of writing courses offered and the enrollments in these courses over a 10-year period. Finds that most writing instruction remains in "service" courses, particularly freshman composition, but that the kinds of writing taught are more diverse…

Looks at various issues set before English departments by recent federal legislation uncapping the mandatory retirement age. Examines the "worst case" scenario of unlimited tenure. Argues that while it is too early to predict the effects of this legislation, preliminary indications show that incentives for early retirement are working.…

Presents results of a survey of college English departments concerning general education requirements and the English major. Finds that English programs emphasize courses in the traditional areas in their requirements for the English major. Notes that general education requirements frequently do not include an exposure to literature. (RS)

Expresses concern with the trend in K-12 education to subsume oral communication programs under the rubric of language arts in English departments. Uses California as a case study to examine whether English teachers are integrating speech communication into the English classroom. Finds that little direct instruction in communication principles and…

Provides findings from a survey of English departments and the move from literature-based majors toward more majors in composition and rhetoric. Reveals substantial changes in English programs from 1987 through fall of 1992, confirming the growth of concentrations and course offerings in composition and rhetoric. (HB)

Describes the problems inherent in finding competent leadership for today's college English departments. Outlines the basic kinds of traits and characteristics that would mark both ideal leaders and followers in the academy. Discusses the different kinds of leaders. (HB)

Follows up on a Williamson and Fitz-Gibbon article (1990) focusing on the impact of a performance indicator project, COMBSE (Confidential Measurement Based Self-Evaluation), on secondary school English departments. This article describes COMBSE's metamorphosis into another system, ALIS (A Level Information System), that has transcended the…

Discusses the results of the Modern Language Association's 1990 survey of doctorate-granting departments in English and other languages regarding doctoral study. (HB)