DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

Hall Memorial Building • 800 Florida Avenue, NE • Washington, D.C. 20002-3695 (202) 618-6796 (VP) • (202) 651-5580 (v) • (202) 651-5599 (fax)

http://www.gallaudet.edu/english.html

Hello, We have been told that you are interested in the English major! We are delighted to share with you information about the English major at Gallaudet University.

Why English? (We already know you love books and love to write.)

The English major at Gallaudet provides students with:

• an understanding of our rich, multicultural, literary heritage; • the opportunity to develop advanced skills in reading, writing, and critical

thinking and research necessary for the 21st century workplace; • media and digital literacy and multimedia composition skills; • public and professional writing skills; • the opportunity to hone creative writing abilities in different genres (poetry,

fiction, and non-fiction); • preparation for a variety of careers, including professional writing and editing,

education and outreach, creative and public writing, content development, communications, and so on;

• preparation for advanced study in graduate school; • and the opportunity to work with faculty who are published authors in poetry,

fiction, personal essay, academic essay, monographs, bilingual ASL-English curriculum development, blogs, content development for public and professional audiences, and so on. (Google individual faculty on Academia.edu or LinkedIn.com!)

And last, but not least, our department offers several annual events, from the Halloween Costume party to the spring Valentine’s/Mardi Gras Book Swap.

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See what we’ve been up to recently on The Department of English @ Gallaudet University. Click the icon for more! You: Can I get a job with an English degree? Join our active Facebook page and ask us and our alumni for more about what they are doing and how they got there. We have alumni working, traveling, and writing from around the world! English faculty members are also active in our fields outside of teaching; we publish features in the Washington Post, publish poetry, fiction, and non-fiction on a regular basis! What you need to know is that the English major provides a foundation in critical thinking, reading, and writing that proves invaluable for a range of careers, from publishing to creative writing to secondary education to multimedia content development. Gallaudet English major alumni are now working and publishing in a wide range of careers, from acting, screenwriting and translation, publishing, library science, adult education, editing, and countless other rewarding and meaningful careers. We have several English major alumni working in the D.C. area and on campus, so we can easily

Page 3 set you up with an appointment to talk with them about their experiences as an English major out in the wild. The difference between English and other majors is that with English, there’s no one single occupation that you target for applications after graduation (like social work or a similarly specific occupation-oriented major). Instead, think about the English major as being a place where you develop knowledge and skill sets that you will use in your pursuit of a specific path. Maximize your time on campus by joining Buff and Blue, Bison TV, and also take as many on- and off-campus internships as you can in order to build your resume and qualifications. You: I see that the core courses for the major are heavy in l iterature. Can I specialize in writing or another area in English? Yes. The reason why our core required courses emphasize literature is because, for example, writers read to write, and secondary education double-majors need and want the literature content for their future work with the next generation of students. And what’s not to love about reading all the greats and joining the conversation? Through the choice of electives, students who major in English can specialize in writing or in a specific area of study related to English literature. Our major course offerings are comparable with those of other U.S. universities; however, we are unique in that we provide a bilingual ASL-English education, with opportunities for students to develop their skills in both languages. We also have been hard at work in developing and offering new courses in writing in the 21st c. workplace: writing for digital media, writing for social media, multimedia composition, journalism, and media literacy.

Page 4 You: Tell me more about the internships We are also pleased to offer our English majors and minors the opportunity to engage in and complete at least one internship. These internships offer hands-on writing and educational experiences at area organizations and publishers such as The Washington Post, National Public Radio, and federal agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency. Majors work with the Career Center to identify and apply for an internship, and then work with our internship advisor to develop a syllabus and plan for that internship. On-campus internship experiences are also available with various Gallaudet University units such as the Writing Center, the Public Relations and Marketing Department, the Development Office, the National Science Foundation on Visual Language and Visual Learning (VL2), and the Motion and Light Lab (ML2). Students can also make arrangements for internships in other states; English major alumni have completed internships in Hollywood and in New York City, for example. Also: English Department Faculty recently won a spot for Gallaudet University in the 2016 national traveling exhibition: First Folio! The Book that Gave Us Shakespeare. Other sites selected include Brown University, University of Virginia, and University of Notre Dame. English majors plan to work with English faculty in internships that will focus on digital media design and marketing, content development, social media, public relations, and education in relation to the Shakespeare exhibition at Gallaudet University. For a few days in 2016, Gallaudet University will transform into a Renaissance festival and Shakespearean celebration, and current English majors have a significant role in making this happen! Do you have a brochure with quick snapshots of the major? Yes! Attached to this email, you will also find an overview of the English major at Gallaudet, including information about our pre-major and major course offerings. Image description for this letter and our brochure is available upon request. What are classes l ike?

Page 5 We have a range of activities from hands-on discussion and acting out of scenes to in-class writing to class presentations to close-reading and discussion work to workshops.

For example: this is a “What Shakespeare Character is Your Professor” activity from Professor Jill Bradbury’s seminar on pre-1800’s Literature. (All are English Profs. except for Pres. Alan Hurwitz).

Page 6 I ’m interested! What do I do next? We have two required pre-major courses, ENG 250, Introduction to Public and Professional Writing (fall semesters) and ENG 208, Introduction to Literary Studies for Majors (spring semesters). Once you get a final grade of a B or better in either one of these two courses, you can initiate the major application and review process (with Professor Harmon). For next fall (fall of 2015), if you are interested in the English major, first sign up for ENG 250 Intro. to Public and Professional Writing and one more English major writing/elective course (Creative Writing: Non-fiction, Business Writing for Majors, or Multimedia Composition). I ’d l ike to meet with you face to face? Possible? Absolutely! Simply send one of us an email, and we’ll set up a time. We all love what we do, and we look forward to getting to know you. Sincerely, Kristen C. Harmon, Ph.D. Paige Franklin, Ph.D. Professor and Major/Minor Coordinator Professor and Chair Kristen.Harmon@gallaudet.edu Paige.Franklin@gallaudet.edu