The mission of the English Department is to foster thoughtful and empathetic leaders who understand and use the English language effectively and creatively. We believe language is intrinsically fascinating and important. Through the study of language we hone our ability to ask questions, interpret texts, consider different views, create and debate ideas, and make and communicate well-reasoned arguments. Language is our subject and our medium, through it we study and participate in artistic, rhetorical, and linguistic traditions and innovations. The Department serves the University at all levels, from General Education courses in first-year writing to a Master of Arts in English Language and Literature with programs in the following four areas of the English language: The literature program develops understandings of literary form, history, and creativity in order to expand our sense of what is possible and to deepen our ability to make connections among ideas and with others. Taught from a variety of approaches, literature courses are organized around particular time periods and topics in British and American literature, individual authors, literary genres, ancient literatures, and newly-developing fields of literary studies.The writing program promotes the importance of writing for a variety of audiences, contexts, and purposes. From first-year and advanced composition to creative writing and technical communication, courses in writing help students cultivate the knowledge and skills necessary for success in a multitude of personal, professional, and academic situations. The linguistics program advances our understanding of the fundamental, unconscious knowledge that all speakers have of their language and the ways that language shapes everyday life. Courses in linguistics will provide students with strong analytic skills as we explore the complex structure of human language, the mental structures that contribute to the acquisition of language, and the way that language functions in social and cultural contexts. The English education program prepares future secondary English teachers to be innovative professionals who understand the integrated nature of the English language arts and who contribute to the overall health and well-being of both their schools and communities. English education courses engage teacher candidates in an exploration of the many traditions and debates in English language arts and its teaching practice.