English Student Handbook - Rust College · English Student Handbook 2 ... One English literature course b efore the 19. th. Century ... The Writing Center is located in BCS 110

English Student Handbook

2

Mission Statement:

Our mission is to teach students to be critical thinkers and

effective communicators through the study of language

and literature.

Table of Contents

Goals and Objectives of the English Program 3

Bachelor of Science in English Education 4

English Minor 4

Requirements for Entry into the English Major 5

Internship 6

Service Learning 6

Writing Center Consultant 6

Sigma Tau Delta 7

Senior Thesis 9

Disposition 9

English Faculty 10

Sample Need Sheets 11


3

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE ENGLISH PROGRAM

The goals and objectives of the English program at Rust College are governed by the College’s

mission to “provide an opportunity for education to all, regardless of race, religion, sex, national

origin or ethnic background” with the focus on teaching, research, and community service, but

with the major emphasis on teaching. The College realizes its responsibility to “provide

educational experiences which will provide challenge to the gifted and [to] offer adequate

opportunities for the under-achiever to make up his or her academic deficiencies and to benefit

from a college education.” With these responsibilities in mind, the English Department provides

a strong curriculum taught by dedicated and capable faculty in a Christian atmosphere, always

striving to:

Provide our students with a strong foundation in writing and speaking communication

skills;

Provide students with a solid grounding in the canonical literatures they will be expected

to know when they enter graduate school;

Instill an understanding of the philosophies and histories of the eras and geographical

locations that are reflected in the literature;

Counsel our majors and minors throughout their matriculation to be certain they are

taking the courses they need and to be available if they should need encouragement or

other aid.

OBJECTIVES In order to reach these goals students will:

Successfully complete 6 hours of writing at the junior level, ENG 332 Advanced Writing

and ENG 337 Professional Writing: in addition, writing is an integral part of every

literature course;

Successfully complete 18 hours of literature courses in which the philosophies and

histories of the eras and geographic locations reflected in the literature are examined;

Understand past literary criticism as it is studied in the literatures of previous eras and

understand and be able to interpret literature at the undergraduate level within the

frameworks of some current schools of literary criticism as a part of each literature

course; in addition ENGL 438 Literary Criticism is a required course:

Meet with their advisor each semester to discuss their progress in their matriculation

through the program and understand that the advisor is available at any time to advise or

to listen.


4

Bachelor of Science in English Education

The English Education degree requires 30 hours of English courses, in addition to English 134, English

136, and English 233, the general education requirements. The remainder of the 138 hours required for

graduation is taken in the Division of Education. Students may not take 300 or 400 level English courses

before they have passed the PRAXIS I Examination.

English Minor

Eighteen (18) semesters hours are required for a minor in English. Students will take the following

sequences of courses.

ENGL 332 Advanced Writing

ENGL 330/331 African American Literature I and II

ENGL 333/334 American Literature I and II

One English literature course before the 19th Century

ENG 337 Professional Writing

Total 18


5

Requirements for Entry into the English Major

Name of Student:__________________________________________________ Student ID#: ______________ Date: __________________

Before students may be considered for entry into the English Major, they must first complete all General

Educational requirements with a grade of ‘C’ or better.

Student has successfully completed all General Education requirements: □

Student has passed Advanced Grammar and Composition with a grade of C or better: □

By checking off the appropriate boxes, the Humanities Division Chair, English Department Coordinator, and the

Writing Center Director certify that the student’s transcript has been checked and the entry requirements have been

successfully met.

________________________ ____________

Humanities Division Chair Date

________________________ ____________

English Department Coordinator Date

________________________ ____________

Writing Center Director Date

Note: This form will be kept on file in the Humanities Division Chair’s office and a copy will be forwarded to the

Writing Center. Students whose GPA falls below a 2.5 will be placed on probation for one semester. Students who

fail to raise their GPA above a 2.5 after the probation period will be removed from the English Major. (Exception:

If after the first probationary period the student’s GPA is at least 2.4 then the student will have one additional

semester to raise his/her GPA. If after that time the student’s GPA is still less than 2.5, he/she will be removed from

the major.)

The English Department Coordinator and The Writing Center Director will act as quality assurance representatives

to help ensure that prospective majors meet or exceed entry requirements. English majors who meet the minimum

requirements are strongly encouraged to volunteer their time in the Writing Center as Peer Consultants. The Writing

Center Director will be responsible for contacting existing and prospective English majors with a cumulative GPA

of 3.4 or higher to assign paid and volunteer assignments in the Writing Center as Peer Consultants.


6

Internship

Each student at Rust College is required to do six hours of internship in an area pertinent to that

student’s major. The program is designed to allow the student to put classroom knowledge into

practice in the work place. The internship is usually done during the summer of the junior or

senior year, or the spring semester of the senior year. For English Education majors, student

teaching serves as an internship.

Students must file an application in the Internship Office after completing 60 semester hours of

course work or one semester in the major if transferring from another institution.

The student must:

Have at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average;

Attend all required meetings and conferences with the internship coordinator;

Have a resume on file in the Division Chair’s office;

Be approved and recommended by the Division Chair.

All internship students must complete their registration for internship through the Registrar’s

Office and Business Office before the internship assignment is processed. Each student is

responsible for registering himself/herself.

Semester hours awarded for internship are determined by the respective division; however, no

internship may be less than eight (8) weeks in duration or awarded fewer than six (6) hours

credit. This credit will count towards the requirement for the bachelor’s degree.

Service Learning

Sixty (60) clock hours of service learning in an English-language arts-related field are required

for graduation. Service learning courses are indicated on your need sheet. You may also do

service learning through a sorority, fraternity, or other group on campus.

Writing Center Consultant

Honor Students, English majors/minors, and English Education majors that qualify are strongly

encouraged to serve as Writing Center Consultants during the junior and senior years. (See the

English Coordinator for more information).


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SIGMA TAU DELTA

International English Honor Society

Phi Omega Chapter

APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP

Complete and return this application, along with an unofficial transcript of your grades, to:

PLEASE PRINT Name:

HOME address:

SCHOOL address:

Phone number: Email address:

Year in school (circle one): Sophomore Junior Senior Graduate

Anticipated year of graduation: Overall GPA:

English hours completed: English GPA:

Please write a sentence or two on why you would like to join Sigma Tau Delta.

Do you have any suggestions for meetings or any fund raising ideas?


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SPONSOR USE ONLY: (Initial and date) - B average required in each category

Overall GPA verified: English GPA verified:

***************************************************************************

PAYMENT RECORD — SPONSOR/TREASURER USE ONLY: Payment received

___________ ________________ __________ ______________

Amount Check Number/Cash Received by Date

**************************************************************************

MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS: Go to www.english.org.

DUES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Upon admittance into Sigma Tau Delta, you will receive a letter of acceptance and will then be

required to pay a one-time induction fee of (CURRENT FEE). This fee entitles you to:

lifetime membership in Sigma Tau Delta

a membership certificate and lapel pin

a one-year semi-annual subscription to the Newsletter

a one-year annual subscription to The Rectangle and The Sigma Tau Delta Review

the privilege of listing Sigma Tau Delta on your résumé

wear an honor cord, honor stole, and/or medallion with your graduation robe (if you

choose to purchase these items)

apply for scholarship, internship, and writing award opportunities

submit papers for possible publication in The Rectangle and The Sigma Tau Delta Review

apply for the opportunity to serve on an international Board of Directors as a Student

Advisor or Student Representative

submit papers or panel discussion for possible presentation at an annual international

convention

OPTIONAL: Chapters may also charge local dues for chapter expenses. These dues may be

used to cover expenses, such as postage, phone calls, copying costs, refreshments at meetings,

meeting room costs, etc. Chapters may also charge students for the cost of an honor cord and/or

a medallion which may be worn with the graduation robe.

http://www.english.org/


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Senior Thesis

During the spring of the junior year, English majors will enroll in the class that will provide

students with a foundational beginning in compiling their senior thesis. The senior thesis may be

focused on a special topic in literature or linguistics, or be a creative work in the fields of fiction,

creative nonfiction, or poetry. Creative theses may be: a collection of short stories, three chapters

of a novel, or 25-40 poems. Creative theses should be no less than 20 pages and no more than 50

pages. Literature and Linguistics theses should be no less than 20 pages.

The standard length for the senior thesis will be no less than twenty-five (20) pages, not

including the required front and back matter, written in standard MLA format and must be

approved by the student’s thesis committee, English Coordinator, and Humanities Division

Chair.

Forms needed for completing the senior thesis are available in the English Coordinator’s office.

Disposition

Occasionally students attempt to major in English, but during the course of study, they fail to

master the skills necessary to be successful in the discipline. By the end of the sophomore year,

if a student has not demonstrated sufficient proficiency in writing and critical thinking, he or she

will be withdrawn from the English program.


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English Faculty a. Division Chair

i. Margaret Delashmit, PhD

b. English Department Coordinator

i. Sharron Sarthou, Phd

c. English Education Coordinator

i. Hilda Booker-Williams, EdD

d. Writing Across the Curriculum Coordinator

i. Mark Ridge, MA

e. Freshman ASP English Coordinator

i. Mark Ridge, MA

f. English Faculty

i. Sharron Sarthou, PhD

ii. Chad Chisholm, ABD

iii. Alisea McLeod, PhD

iv. Jacqueline Slater, MA

v. Mark Ridge, MA

vi. Hilda Booker-Williams, EdD

g. Writing Center Director

i. Mark Ridge, MA

h. Literary Journal (Bearcatz’ Connection)

i. Mark Ridge, MA (Founder 2003)

i. Student Research Journal

i. Alisea McLeod, PhD

The Division Chair’s office is in the Brown Mass Communications Building.

Offices for the English Faculty are in the Doxey Fine Arts and Communications Building.

The Writing Center is located in BCS 110.


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English Need Sheet Required Program for the B.A. Degree in English

LITERATURE English majors have a choice of two concentrations: Literature. English majors will take a core of 37 credit hours,

plus 15 credit hours in their chosen concentration.

LITERATURE CONCENTRATION

FRESHMAN YEAR

See Freshman Year Experience

Plus

Course Description

Credits

Grade

Year

ENG 233 Introduction to Literature

*required before any other Literature class

can be taken

3

Total Hours: 36.00

SOPHOMORE YEAR

British/World Literature Options (choose two) 6 credit hours

Course Description

Credits

Grade

Year ENG 235 World Literature before 1750 or 3

ENG 236 World Literature from 1750 or 3

ENL 335 British Literature before 1750 or 3

ENG 336 British Literature from 1750 or 3

HUM 233 Intro to the Humanities or 3

HUM 230 Fine Arts 3

SOS 231 Introduction to the Social Sciences 3

AEP 211/212 Academic Enrichment Program 1

REL 230 Introduction to Biblical Studies 3

Two courses in one Foreign Language 6

Two electives 6

Total Hours: 31.00

JUNIOR YEAR

African American/American Literature Options (Choose two) 6 credit hours

Course Description

Credits

Grade

Year ENG 330 African American Literature I or 3 ENG 331 African American Literature II or 3 ENG 333 American Literature I or 3 ENG 334 American Literature II 3


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ENG 338 Contemporary Literature 3 ENG 339 Medieval Literature or 3 ENG 432 Shakespeare 3 ENG 431 Special Topics in Literature 3 ENG 438 Literary Criticism 3 ENG 460 Internship 6 4 Electives 12 ENW 339 (Recommended)

Total Hours: 30.00

SENIOR YEAR

Linguistics Options (choose one) 3 credit hours

Course Description

Credits

Grade

Year ENG 434 History of the English Language or 3 ENG 430 Introduction to Linguistics 3 ENG 431 Special Topics in Literature 3 ENG 437 Major Authors 3 ENG 435 English Research Seminar 3 4 Electives 12 Total Hours: 30.00

Total Semester Hours Required for Graduation: 132.00


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English Need Sheet Required Program for the B.A. Degree in English

WRITING CONCENTRATION

FRESHMAN YEAR

See Freshman Year Experience Program for Details plus

Course Description

Credits

Grade

Year ENG 233 Introduction to Literature *required

before any other Literature can be taken

3

Total Hours: 36.00

SOPHOMORE YEAR

British/World Literature Options (choose two) 6 credit hours

Course Description

Credits

Grade

Year ENG 235 World Literature before 1700 or 3

ENG 236 World Literature from 1750 or 3

ENL 335 British Literature before 1750 or 3

ENG 336 British Literature from 1750 or 3

ENG 433 Creative Writing 3

HUM 233 Introduction to Humanities or 3

HUM 230 Fine Arts 3

SOS 231 Introduction to Social Science 3

AEP 211/212 Academic Enrichment Program I 1

Two courses in one Foreign Language 6

REL 230 Introduction to Biblical Studies 3

1 Elective 3

Total Hours: 31.00

JUNIOR YEAR

African American/American Literature Options (choose two) 6 credit hours

Course Description

Credits

Grade

Year ENG 330 African American Literature I or 3

ENG 331 African American Literature II or 3

ENG 333 American Literature I or 3

ENG 334 American Literature II or 3

ENG 337 Professional Writing 3

ENG 438 Literary Criticism 3

Genre Options (Choose two) 6

ENP332 Poetry Workshop 3

ENW 332 Fiction Workshop 3

ENW 333 Non Fiction Workshop 3

ENG 460 Internship 6

4 Electives 12

Total Hours: 30.00


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SENIOR YEAR

Linguistics Options (choose one) 3 credit hours

Course Description

Credits

Grade

Year ENG 434 History of the English Language or 3 ENG 430 Introduction to Linguistics 3 ENG 431 Special Topics in Writing 3 ENG 435 English Research Seminar 3 5 Electives 15

Total Hours: 30.00


Additional information:

English majors will undertake a research study that culminates in a thesis. At the end of the

junior year, English majors will submit a thesis proposal to his or her adviser, who, along with

two other members of the English faculty, must give approval before the project can begin.

Once the thesis is completed, the student defends it before the English faculty. In order to

graduate, English majors must pass their thesis defense. The capstone senior thesis is intended to

demonstrate students’ mastery of academic discourse, and it will serve as support for students’

possible application to graduate school.


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English Need Sheet Required Program for the B.S. Degree in English Education

FRESHMAN YEAR

Course Description

Credits

Grade

Year ENG 134 Composition I 3 ENG 136 Composition II 3 SPC 130 Fundamentals of Speech 3 HIS 133 The African Diaspora I 3 HIS 134 The African Diaspora II 3 MAT 132 College Algebra 3 MAT 133 Geometry and Trigonometry 3 BIO 130 Introduction to Biology/Lab 3 PSC 133 Physical Science/Lab 3 PHE 111/112 Physical Activities 1 AEP 111/112 Academic Enrichment 1 CMS 230 Intro to Personal Computers or 3 BMI 230 Basic Computer Concepts 3 ORT 111/112 College Orientation 1

Total Hours: 33

SOPHOMORE YEAR

Course Description

Credits

Grade

Year ENG 234/5 World Literature 3 HUM 233 Introduction to the Humanities or 3 HUM 230 Fine Arts 3 SOS 231 Introduction to the Social Sciences 3 ENG 233 Introduction to Literature *required

before any other Literature class can be taken 3

ENG 337 Professional Writing 3 ENL 236 British Literature I 3 ENG 332 Advanced Writing 3 PRA 230 PRAXIS Seminar (not required if

student has required ACT score) 3

Foreign Language (two courses) 6 REL 230 Introduction to Biblical Studies 3 AEP 211/212 Academic Enrichment Program 1

Total Hours: 31


16

Pre-Professional Skills Test: Subtest:

Reading

Writing

Mathematics

JUNIOR YEAR

Course Description

Credits

Grade

Year ENG 331 African-American Literature II 3 ENG 333/334 American Literature I or II 3 ENG 438 Literary Criticism 3 ENG 434 History of the English Language 3 ENW 339 Advanced Grammar 3 PSY 230 General Psychology 3 SPE 331 Psychology of Exceptional Students 3 PSY 332 Human Growth, Development,

Diversity 3

EDU 230 Foundations of Education 3

Course Description

Credits

Grade

Year EDU 323 Educational Tech. Competency 3

PRA 330 Praxis Seminar II 3

Total Hours: 33

PRAXIS II EXAMINATION: Subtest: Principles of Learning and Teaching Content Area Examination

SENIOR YEAR

Course Description

Credits

Grade

Year ENL 236 British Literature II 3

EDS 430 Methods of Teaching Secondary Edu 3

EDU 413 Teaching Strategies Practicum

(Ob/Par)

1

EDU 330 Classroom Management 3

ECU 430 Measurement and Evaluation 3

EDU 433 Integrated Teaching Seminar 3

RDL 334 Teaching Reading in the Content

Area

3

EDU 401 Student Teaching Seminar 0

EDU 460/461 Student Teaching 12

Total Hours: 31


Additional Requirement: An English comprehensive portfolio will be compiled as the student matriculates and will

be presented to the English faculty for evaluation on or before April 1 in the senior year.


17

ENGLISH NEED SHEET Minor in English

Eighteen (18) semester hours are required for a minor in English. Students will take the

following sequence of courses.

Course Description

Credits

Grade

Year ENG 332 Advanced Writing 3

ENG 330/331 African American Lit. I and II 6

ENG 333/334 American Literature I or II 3

ENL 234/235 -one English Lit. course before

the 19th

Century

3

ENG 337 Professional Writing 3

Documents

English Student Handbook - Rust College · English Student Handbook 2 ... One English literature course b efore the 19. th. Century ... The Writing Center is located in BCS 110