English Language and Literature (ENG)
For information, please contact the chairperson, 989-774-3171, 215 Anspach Hall; https://www.cmich.edu/colleges/chsbs/English/
Why Study English?
The study of English affords students the opportunity to master the crucial, interrelated skills of thinking, reading, and writing through immersion in the manifold products of language. Courses in linguistics and composition teach the skills necessary for the understanding and effective use of language. Courses in literature aid students in absorbing the full range of literary thought and art, thereby rendering them better able to understand themselves and their world. Courses in the art of teaching enable English majors or minors to transmit effectively the acquired legacy of their education to future generations.
English Language and Literature at CMU
The English Department offers two basic programs: liberal arts and teaching with an emphasis on secondary or elementary English education. Each program requires between 39 and 43 hours for a major and 24 to 28 hours for a minor, depending on the choice and emphasis.
Students who elect to major or minor in English should declare this intention before the end of their sophomore year. Junior transfer students should declare during their first semester on campus. The departmental office assigns advisors to aid students in their major/minor program planning and to declare majors and minors for graduation and teacher preparation.
Notes:
The English Department cannot guarantee that every course will be offered as designated.
The department strongly recommends that all majors take a foreign language as a cognate.
The English Language Institute offers a series of courses to assist students whose native language is not English to acquire the level of proficiency adequate for success in academic study. Because TOEFL scores are not always a reliable predictor of proficiency in English for academic tasks, the Institute gives new non-native speakers of English a placement test to determine their actual proficiency. On the basis of their placement scores, undergraduate students (1) will be required to enroll in ELI 198-199, American Language for International Students (or equivalent courses such as ENG 101 or ENG 103-193), successful completion of which demonstrates competence in basic writing or speech or both, and may pursue their academic program with no restriction; or (2) must enroll in the Institute full-time or part-time, depending upon their level of proficiency. In any case, all students enrolled in the Institute, before they pursue their studies full-time, must be certified by the Institute as having attained proficiency in academic English.
The Faculty
Anne Alton, Steven Bailey, Nicole Barco, Jeffrey Bean, Ari Berk, Carlin Borsheim-Black, William Brevda, Elizabeth Brockman, April Burke, Tracy Davis, JoEllen DeLucia, Darrin Doyle, Maureen Eke, Robert Fanning, Amy Carpenter Ford, Rich Forest, Mark Freed, Pam Gates, Desmond Harding, Cathy Hicks-Kennard, Melinda Kreth, Daniel Lawson, Kristen McDermott, Gretchen Papazian, Matt Roberson, Susan Schiller, Nate Smith, Joseph Sommers, William Spruiell, Marcy Taylor, William Wandless, Jeffrey Weinstock
The Programs
English Major (BS in Ed.)
English Minor (BS in Ed.)
English as a Second Language Minor (BS in Ed.)
Engish Literatures, Language, and Writing Major (BA, BS degrees)
English Minor (BA, BAA, BFA, BS, BS in BA)
Undergraduate Certificate in Creative Writing
Undergraduate Certificate in Technical and Professional Writing
Undergraduate Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages