The
following goals were adopted by the department in 1994 and revised in spring of
2003.
Each major course must address at least one of these goals (explicitly on
the syllabus), and English majors must address all six goals in their graduation
portfolios. (Goals 1-5 have been
adapted from the Association of Departments of English.)
The Assessment Committee reports on the accomplishment of these goals as
demonstrated by student portfolios, surveys, and interviews.
Graduates of WSU programs in English and Communication Arts and Literature should …
1. Know several approaches to reading and interpretation. They should be conversant in literary terminology, be acquainted with the premises and arguments of various approaches, and be familiar with the issues connected to choosing one approach over another.
2. Have an understanding of literary history. They should know the chronology of literary periods, be aware of difficulties in establishing distinctions between periods, and gain experience situating literature in historical contexts.
3. Have an understanding of language and discourse. Avenues to such knowledge include study in the history of the language, formal grammar, rhetoric, and linguistics.
4. Have a diversity of reading experiences. Their reading should include texts written by authors representing the full range of cultures, nationalities, and ethnicities that have shaped literature in English. They should also have experience reading critical texts, expository prose, and the writing of their fellow students.
5. Practice writing in several modes and for different audiences and purposes. They should gain an awareness of the social and critical implications these shifts raise, and classroom practice should bring teachers and students to experience writing, reading, listening, and speaking as integrated, mutually supporting exercises.
6. Understand how their education translates into lives and careers outside the classroom. An ultimate aim of the graduate should be to become a well-rounded human being with intellectual interests in a wide variety of ideas and ways of life, not only in literature and language but in social and ethical issues important to citizens of a changing world and democratic society.
New Faculty Guide: