Fall 2007 Course Descriptions

Mission

The Department of English and Communication recognizes that communication, on both the personal and social levels, is the foundation of human interaction. Our mission is to understand ourselves and our world more fully by returning again and again to those linguistic forms which have continually shaped and reshaped us, which define and limit us and then wonderfully set us free--recast in new forms. We take language seriously as a tool of self- and social-understanding, as a means of entry into the life and responsibilities as the adult, the church member, and the citizen, as a means to professional advancement, yet not so seriously as to overlook the important roles language plays in recreation and entertainment. Finally, the department emphasizes the importance of a liberal arts education with a firmly grounded knowledge of the communication process to prepare students for graduate education and for success in a wide variety of occupations.

Objectives

The department has three objectives:

1. to enhance the creative and critical competency of all students across multiple modes of communication;
2. to provide courses that assist students in understanding the complexity of their world by exploring literature and mass-media as avenues to truth, social comment, service, and self-understanding;
3. to offer a well-balanced program that examines social and personal responsibilities within literacy, theoretical and cultural frameworks.

Preparation for Teaching

Students preparing to teach at the secondary level should plan to qualify for state of California teaching credentials by completing the bachelor's degree and passing the PRAXIS (or SSAT) subject area assessment. During the freshman year prospective teachers of both secondary and elementary levels should see the School of Education section of the Undergraduate Bulletin and consult the credential analyst and the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in the School of Education for detailed information concerning requirements.

A further program leading to the Master of Arts degree in English is described in the Graduate Bulletin.