|
From
Our Chair
As
I've read over what some of our students have had to say about
our program, I am particularly struck by the degree to which they
have singled out their close relationships with our faculty —
both personal and professional — as central to their positive
experience as English majors at Cal Poly. For, if pressed to answer
the question, "Why should a promising English Major choose
to come to Cal Poly?" I, too, would highlight our excellent
faculty.
A
truly fine program in English — or in any other discipline,
for that matter — depends upon a number of things. Among
them, and at the top of the list:
- a
carefully articulated course of study
- a
supportive administration
-
bright, eager, well-prepared students
-
and, above all, a highly dedicated faculty — one steeped
in the knowledge of its disciplines and passionate about the
life-changing work it has chosen to embrace.
At
Cal Poly we are currently blessed with all four.
In
addition to our innovative new major — a major which both
grounds students in the broad traditions of English and American
literature and allows for specialization in the junior and senior
years through carefully structured "Emphasis Areas" — Cal
Poly's English Department also offers minors in English and Linguistics
and Certificate Programs in Technical Communication and Teaching
English as a Second Language (TESL).
As a result, the range of expertise among our faculty is particularly
broad. Trained in institutions like Princeton, Duke, UNC, University
of Chicago, Case Western Reserve, Stanford, and on a number of
the campuses of the University of California, our faculty bring
expertise in areas as diverse as Medieval Literature and Poetry
Writing, Shakespeare and Advanced Web Authoring, Modern Novel
and Professional Writing, Women Writers and The History of the
English Language. And, not only do these professors bring exemplary
scholarly credentials, but they are superb instructors, as well
— instructors who not only "know" and "do," but whose singular
passion is to "teach" — at all levels of instruction and
to majors, graduate students, and GE students alike.
And
we are very good at this. Seven current English Department faculty
(almost 25% of us) have been recipients of the University's Distinguished
Teaching Award, the most prestigious teaching award given on this
campus, one which is awarded to only three faculty members each
year.
We
know the decision you are about to make is a very important one.
We would also like you to know that it would please us very much,
indeed, to be part of such a wonderful adventure with you.
Whatever
your decision, we sincerely wish you well. If you have questions
about any aspect of our program please feel free to contact me
by e-mail at dkann@polymail.calpoly.edu,
or phone my office at (805) 756-2596.
David
Kann, Department Chair
|
