Humanities and Social Sciences Building, 1604 Campus
State coordinating board approves English doctoral program
(April 19, 2002)--A doctor of philosophy degree in English that combines traditional literary studies with Latina/Latino studies will be offered by the University of Texas at San Antonio beginning Fall 2002.
"This new doctoral program represents a major step forward for UTSA
and Texas," said Ricardo Romo, president of UTSA. "It is
an innovative program addressing both national and regional trends in research
and teaching."
The new Ph.D., which was approved Thursday (April 18) by the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board, will be housed in the Department of English,
Classics, and Philosophy in the College of Liberal and Fine Arts.
"The Ph.D. in English is the first doctoral degree for our college and
the seventh for UTSA," said Alan E. Craven, dean of the College
of Liberal and Fine Arts. "Approval of the program by the Coordinating
Board is an important step for the university as we move toward becoming a
top-tier research institution."
The new doctoral program is designed to prepare faculty to teach English language and culture in a culturally diverse global society.
"The cross-cultural comparative approach of the Ph.D. in English degree program is unique among American programs in literary studies," said Dorothy Flannagan, interim dean of graduate studies. "Graduates of this program are expected to be heavily recruited because of their training and research in the interconnections and interactions between traditional English studies and the growing field of Latina/o studies. The faculty in the English program are outstanding, and will provide an excellent educational experience for students in the program."
"It was with great pleasure that we learned of the approval of the Ph.D.
in English," said Linda Woodson, chair of the Department of English,
Classics, and Philosophy. "This program represents the vision and hard
work of so many to whom we are grateful, but in particular, we wish to thank
the administration of the university; Alan Craven, dean of the College
of Liberal and Fine Arts, who guided us wisely through every step; Dorothy
Flannagan, interim dean of graduate studies, who served as our liaison
to the coordinating board; and especially Jeanne Reesman, former division
director and interim dean of graduate studies, whose guidance and vision were
unwavering in this process."
The two scholars who reviewed UTSA's English Ph.D. proposal for the coordinating
board described the program as "an innovative attempt to build on the
resources of traditional undergraduate and graduate offerings, and then go
in a new direction that incorporates contemporary theory, cultural studies
and comparative approaches to the study of British and American literature."
The reviewers referred to the UTSA Department of English, Classics, and Philosophy
as a "department committed to a new intellectual model," one, they
noted, that will be "much admired and probably imitated by other literature
departments around the country."
"We have developed an impressive and diverse faculty in anticipation
of the Ph.D. program,” said Craven, a professor of English as well as
dean.
Currently, the English program has 27 faculty members including nationally recognized experts in Mexican American and African American literatures, as well as the more traditional range of British and American language, rhetoric and literary studies.
"To complement our already strong faculty, we recently received a $1 million gift from the George W. Brackenridge Foundation in San Antonio to create the Sue E. Denman Distinguished Chair in American Literature," said Craven. "We also have been selected for a $100,000 challenge grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to help fund a distinguished professorship in literature and the humanities."
The first students will be admitted into UTSA's Ph.D. in English program for the fall semester.
For more information, call (210) 458-5368 or go to the Department
of English, Classics, and Philosophy Web site.
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State coordinating board approves English doctoral program
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© The University of Texas at San Antonio, 2002