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English

Molly Hiro, Ph.D., chair

Faculty: Asarnow, Brassard, Hannon, Hersh, Larson, McDonald, Orr, Weiger

The mission of the English program at the University of Portland is to guide practice in critical reading and competent writing for all levels of University students. In the courses provided for the University’s liberal arts core, as well as in those of its own major and minor, the English program increases the breadth and depth of each student’s literary experience, the development of appropriate reading and writing skills, the understanding of the humane values at the center of literary study, and the appreciation of the power and pleasure of literature.

English faculty members engage the intellects and imaginations of their students through careful attention to the reading and writing of literature, its context, and its art. In addition to their classroom teaching, faculty strive to model the personal and ethical qualities inherent in the University’s mission, including the discipline and commitment necessary for scholarly research and creative expression. They are committed to student-centered instruction, which develops the skills and confidence English majors need to be successful in graduate programs, as well as in a variety of careers, including teaching, law, publishing, and business.

The department offers an English major and minor. The English program offers courses in British, American, and trans-national literatures in English, and in academic and creative writing. Prospective English majors and minors should consult with the department chair about designing their programs of study.

Learning outcomes for English Majors

English graduates of the University of Portland should be able to:

  1. Read a range of literature in English and exhibit a knowledge of genres, literary history, and literary criticism.
    1. Understand literature in English as a body of knowledge open to multiple interpretations.
    2. Recognize and distinguish major genres and sub-genres of literature.
    3. Develop familiarity with major periods and movements, and the influence of previous trends and styles on later authors and texts.
    4. Develop familiarity with major theoretical trends and schools of literary criticism, as they impact the critical reception(s) of texts and authors.
  2. Read texts closely and think critically, with openness, confidence, and acuity — understanding that literary texts are complex and resist simple interpretation.
    1. Distinguish between a passage’s literal/factual content and its figurative/symbolic/interpretive content.
    2. Identify a range of means through which a textual passage communicates.
    3. Identify significant patterns in the way a textual passage is constructed.
    4. Extrapolate the larger implications (social, philosophical, ethical, argumentative) of these patterns.
    5. Connect a passage’s formal structure and thematic content with the text as a whole.
  3. Write with clarity and compose well-argued essays.
    1. Understand that writing is a process.
    2. Develop focused, compelling arguments about literary texts.
    3. Present these arguments in essays marked by conceptual coherence, correct usage, and a fresh writing style.
  4. Conduct productive research in literary studies, equipped with a basic understanding of the major approaches of literary criticism.
    1. Use bibliographic tools to find primary and secondary source material.
    2. Employ secondary source material in the process of developing an original argument.
    3. Recognize major schools of literary criticism.
  5. Experience literature as a powerful way of knowing about cultures and the lived life.
    1. Demonstrate knowledge of the relationship between literary texts and their cultural and historical contexts.
    2. Demonstrate an understanding of how the structures, language, characters, and actions in literary texts speak to fundamental life questions.

Capstone Experience

The senior capstone project serves as the culmination of a student’s preparation in the study of literature and writing. This project provides students with an opportunity for extended exploration of a topic of interest, typically generated from a course taken in the senior year. For most students, the capstone will take the form of an extended research paper. This paper will be significantly longer than other research papers the student may have written, but more importantly, it will also be more substantive. Research will make the student something of an expert on the topic chosen, and the capstone project will represent the student’s contribution to the critical conversation of the discipline of English. The Senior Capstone Project Handbook (via a link on English Department website at http://college.up.edu/english/) contains more details about the proposal process, types of projects that are acceptable, and the full timeline from junior to senior year.