Santa Clara University English DepartmentFramework for Curriculum Proposal

November 8, 2010

Shared Goals for Curriculum

Disciplinary currency: integrated English studies model with literature, cultural studies, and writing in

positive, productive relationship.

1. Disciplinary Currency

2. Institutionally Appropriate Offerings

Offerings appropriate to SCU, a liberal arts college with a social justice mission (literature and cultural studies, wgst, multi-ethnic and global literatures)

3. Offerings Appropriate to Location

Silicon Valley location: new media, science, technology and society, document design and

technical communication. Information literacy=digital content production.

SCU Strategic Plan 2B: “Strengthen distinctive academic niches that will allow us to meet the needs

of Silicon Valley, both locally and in its global outreach."

4) Grow enrollment & communicate offerings better

A) We might grow the major and minor by making them simpler, more appealing and less arduous for students and faculty.

B) The survey suggests that elective enrollment might grow with clearer communication of offerings

This could mean: fewer courses overall fewer requirements more choices better communication of

opportunities offerings framed to

address student concerns about careers and postgraduate life.

5. Balance Reading and Writing.

The curriculum is one location to help us address issues of department culture, power and resource

allocation.

It can help reflect our commitment to balance between literary consumption and analysis (reading) and

textual production (writing).

Bracketed Questions

We can make progress without resolving all of our issues:

• How does our vision of the renovated curriculum relate to our hopes to establish a writing program?

• In what ways can/should CTW classes serve as an introduction to the possibilities of the renovated major and minor?

• How can we support greater integration of digital literacy in first-year writing?

Again: these are questions that we might have addressed, but ARE NOT addressing at this time.

Areas of practical agreement shape this proposal.

1. Concentrations

We agreed to explore concentrations as one way of reorganizing, opening, and renovating the

curriculum. Yes, the major, but especially the minor: diversifying the appeal or “branding” of both.

(More about “concentrations” vs “tracks”

in a minute!)

2. Courses in Common

We agreed on the importance of foundation courses and shared experiences like capstones.

3. FlexibilityWe are a discipline in a moment of exceptional

transition. We are looking for a solution that works both with who we are/what we can do and will allow

us to move toward our (evolving) goals.

Data point: All disciplines have lost ground in the percentage of faculty that are tenure-track. Most have held steady or gained in absolute number of tenure lines, however. English is unique in losing ten percent of the absolute number of lines in ten years 1995-2004, a trend almost certainly continuing in the five years

since. Also factor in the massive growth in hiring in various English fields (writing, new media, eg) and what does that

suggest about tenure-track LCS hiring? Our department is caught up in significant long-term disciplinary change.

4. We can do better with writing.

We agree that writing is an underdeveloped area of curriculum, and that to improve we require

additional resources: tenure track lines, lab facilities, funds for faculty development, etc.

5. We Seek a One-Department Solution.

• Concentrations vs. Tracks: writing tracks within traditional depts have been in place for 20 years or more. The possibility of tracks is where this conversation began.

• More recently, the most successful curricular change in the past ten years (Syracuse, St. John's, MSU, MIT) has been in stand-alone writing programs, new depts, or renamed/reorganized departments.

• Stand-alone units allow writing faculty to address the steadily evolving and growing number of writing-related fields of study... albeit sometimes at a cost.

Places to look at curricular change

• NCTE study of Writing Majors: 80-100, but very limited sample, just a fraction of the total (none of the many UC efforts, eg).

• Use a search engine: “writing minors -creative”

• MLA JIL: description of cutting edge curricular change targeted to top young faculty, eg UK's new division of Writing, Rhetoric and Digital Media (full year of required writing integrating digital media), UCF's stand-alone dept featuring all full-time faculty teaching writing and PhD in “Texts and Technology,” etc

Key Thought 1

There are clearly some advantages for maximizing gen-ed curricular change in the more radical 2-

department solutions.

It is much less clear, however, that this arrangement benefits majors & minors.

We feel that an integrated English studies model (one department) is superior for students, far more

efficient and unquestionably the best fit for our institution.

Key Thought 2

We didn't go looking for the most radical solution; we went looking for the most conservative solution

that was still a solution.

Our proposal combines the virtues of the one-department solution with some of the nimbleness of

the 2-department solutions.

Our ambitions are exclusively additive: we do not want to alienate any part of our current clientele. We want to serve them better and attract some new students as

well.

Tracks vs. Concentrations

Tracks

• Few, large, aggregative, stable.• More like mini-majors with required courses.• Changing course requires substantial effort.• Tend to brand students: "I'm in the writing track.”• The agglomeration of items in big tracks is only

modestly effective at communicating the full range of possibility and choice, esp. in evolving fields.

Concentrations

Many, small, flexible. New concentrations easily added; failing

concentrations easily pruned. Work well with changing menus of courses. Similar to the current system of crafting an

individual concentration, but communicates those possibilities to students in advance.

Concentrations

Would not prevent students from crafting an entirely unique concentration with an advisor.

Allow students to be interested equally in LCS and writing. (A very substantial benefit for students as well as faculty, not to mention administration.)

Questions Opened By This Process

1) How many courses overall?

How many courses should we have in the major overall? What about the minor?

2. Courses in Common?

How many courses should majors have in common? What about minors? What should they be?

3a. How to Frame Options?

What kind of concentrations can/should we offer? What size should they be?

How many can/should students elect?

3b. Types of Frames

We discussed many options, including:

a) four-six big standard agglomerated tracks with 5-7 classes each (where we began, but concluded not a

good fit for dept or location).

b) two groups (Writing and LCS) of smaller, purer concentrations of as few as 3 courses each: pick one

of each for majors, pick one for minors.

4. What Distribution Requirements Will We Impose on Electives?

Currently there's a huge imbalance between majors (lots of distribution reqs for electives)

and minors (none).

Can we do without many of the current requirements?

Proposal Framework

Concentrations in Two Groups:

Literature and Cultural Studies

Writing, including Creative Writing

Major in English

12 courses overall, including 2 foundation classes:

– Intro to LCS (theory and methods course)

– Literacy and Technology (theory, research and issues in comp-rhet—counts as Advanced Writing)

• From the available electives, choose 1 course before 1800, a capstone, and two concentrations. Recommended but not required: choose one concentration from LCS and one from Writing.

Minor in English

5 classes, including one foundation course One concentration

Minor in Creative Writing

Unchanged.

Possible Concentrations

LCS concentrations

Lit. for Young Readers Cinema and Screenwriting Women, Sex, & Gender MELUS/Literature of the

Americas Classical and

Contemporary Rhetoric Medieval and Early

Modern Studies Spirituality and Literature

Lit. & the Environment Contemporary World

Literature and CS American Lit and CS Critical Theory and the

Profession British Literature & CS Literary History (5 courses) Lit and Social Change? Genre Studies? Cal Lit?

Writing concentrations

Digital Culture and New Media

Science and technical communication

Creative Nonfiction Advocacy, Public

Discourse & Social Change

English Education and Pedagogy

Business Communication

Creative writing minor Literacy and

Community Legal & medical

communication?

Survey of Student Response to Potential Concentrations

Students from all majors are interested in current LCS offerings, especially to fulfill a requirement or as a

free elective.

Interpreting Expressions of InterestMost respondents are first year, first term

students.They are reacting to descriptors, not to the fields of study themelves! Some ways to interpret the

most popular answer in all concentrations, 1-3 classes for personal interest or to fulfill a

requirement: a) It's the status quob) The way we are communicating department

offerings makes a difference, positively and negatively.

Either way, in the concentrations format, we aren't looking at these expressions of interest as relative to

each other, or competing.

In LCS, the top 4 choices >20 for career value, about 10 for consider a minor, and about 5 for consider a

major.

All majors are also interested in writing. Notice the intensity of interest in writing

All Majors' Interest in Writing is Intense

The intensity of interest in writing varies from field to field, but is substantial across the board.

In terms of intensity, respondents expressed roughly double the interest expressed in LCS:

Top choices for career value are >40

Top possible minors 15-20

Top possible majors about 10.

Current English Majors

Have a different profile than other majors in terms of LCS interests (though sample is too small).

They also have much more intense interest in LCS (not surprisingly).

Their interest in LCS is more intense than their interest in writing.

English Majors are Interested in Writing.

Respondents expressed interest in nearly all of the potential writing concentrations at a level placing them in the middle of the interest range of LCS

concentrations.

All Non English Majors (182)

Interest in top 4 or 5 LCS choices

Career value: about 15Possible minor: about 5

Possible major: 3-5

Sharp drop after top choices

DiverseSustained

Intense

Non-English Majors' Interest in Writing

Non-English Majors: Serious Interest in All Writing Fields

Out of 181 respondents, Career value in most fields: 30-50

Possible minor in most fields: 10-20Possible major in most fields: about 10

Nearly across the board, writing concentrations attract at least 2-3 times the expression of interest in the top

four LCS concentrations.

Opportunity: First Year Students Intending to Declare a Business Major

Peter Drucker: Management is a liberal art;

administrators are cultural workers, the artists/great communicators of intentional

workplace culture.

First-year students intending to declare a Science Major

Least interested in both LCS and Writing of all respondents, but some potential for coursework in Science, Technical and Medical Communication.

(Writing program leadership might communicate with Writing Program at MIT, etc.)

Engineering MajorsMeaningful interest in digital culture & film (streaming

media in organizational content management?), business, science, and technical communication.

Given the high level of regimentation in Engineering curriculum, an opportunity best explored by WPA in

consultation/coordination with Engineering leadership?

And: As a department, are we getting the full benefit of offering courses staffed by lecturers?

(Apparently not.)

Humanities Other Than English

Preferences most closely resemble English:Largest opportunities are in already-established

interdisciplinary programs: Creative Writing, Film, WGST, eg, with possible exception of Critical

Theory and the Profession(s?)

Interest in writing concentrations is broad and intense, with particular interest in Advocacy, Business, Legal,

and Medical Communication.

Summary by Major, 1

English: substantial interest in formal writing concentrations, across the board roughly equivalent to 2nd choice LCS concentration.

Business: Managers' first responsibility is organizational culture and communication; more interested in public interest & advocacy than we might expect.

Summary by Major, 2Other humanities majors: more interest in LCS than

business major, but mostly in established programs; like business majors. Substantial additional interest in English for writing concentrations addressing public, professional, organizational culture & communication.

Engineering and Science: real opportunities, but leadership-level coordination and further research recommended.

Some Possibilities

• Concentrations can vary in size (3-5?); free electives can be increased by increasing courses for the major (from 2 to 4, eg, by requiring 14)

• Reqs. can all be recs or v.v; recs can vary according to student primary interest; role of advising.

• As we might offer them, some concentrations fit both LCS & W, or might be housed on the side where fit is currently best: eg, Cinema & Screenwriting in LCS; Creative Nonfiction, Digital Culture and New Media in Writing

Some Possibilities 2

• Would it be desirable to have major genre concentrations on LCS side (Fiction, Poetry), or possibly just Drama? Or Poetry also?What about just Genre Studies? Similar question for British Lit/Literary History?

• Some CTW & C&I classes might count for some concentrations (and thus work as lead-ins to minoring/majoring): perhaps encourage concentrations to permit this (and count 1 section)?

• Each concentration might be overseen by one person, who will coordinate with curr. Comm.

Some Possibilities 3

• We should be able to list 2 concentrations on official transcripts.

• Would it be practical to provide majors with a form letter attesting to their concentrations? It could be kept on file in electronic form (secure pdf) and sent on request to employers/internship opportunities.

• Connect some of the writing concentrations to internships—this needs support to get off the ground. Another area for coordination and leadership.

Some Possibilities 4

• Curricular changes that are unlikely to impact other departments require only departmental approval. This may come into play now/in future depending on what we decide & when we decide it. Either way, it will be useful for department and WP leadership to consult with the dean & associate dean for obvious reasons, others (core, provost, IT, Media Services, Tech Training.)

• WP & “strengthening distinctive academic niches in Silicon Valley”

Contact: Marc Bousquet

pmbousquet (at) gmail.com