Department of English and Foreign Languages

Chair: Associate Professor Mahaffey (African American Literature, Cultural Studies, and Theory).

Professors Ayotte (French Interdisciplinary Studies), Murphy (Creative Writing, Modern and Contemporary Poetry), Patton (Analytic Metaphysics, Early Modern Philosophy), Rozelle (Ecocriticism and 20th Century American Literature), Stewart (English), Stoops (Romance Languages),Vàzquez-Gonzàlez (Spanish), Webb (British Romanticism, Children’s Literature, Adolescent Literature); Associate Professors Forrester (Philosophy of Art, Kant’s Aesthetics, Philosophy of Mind), Inglesby (20th Century British, Irish, and American Literature, Modernism), Vaccarella (Spanish); Assistant Professors Atwood (Renaissance and Early Modern Studies), Beringer (19th Century American Literature), Chandler (Rhetoric and Composition), Johnson (English), Mwenja (English), Rickel (Postcolonial Literature), Wear (18th Century Literature), Wurzbacher (Creative Writing); Instructor Turner (Spanish).

Department Office Contact Information

Dr. Paul Mahaffey, Chair

Comer Hall, Room 201, (205) 665-6420 - Main Office and English Office

Comer Hall, Room 101, (205) 665-6410 - Foreign Language Office

mahaffey@montevallo.edu

https://www.montevallo.edu/academics/colleges/college-of-arts-sciences/department-of-english-foreign-languages/

Mission

The Department of English and Foreign Languages contributes to the University of Montevallo’s undergraduate liberal arts curriculum through its programs in literature, languages, and philosophy. The Department endeavors to produce critical, creative, and syncretic readers, writers, thinkers, and communicators, while promoting social awareness and expanding intellectual and cultural horizons. The faculty, dedicated to excellence in teaching, scholarship, and creative and professional activities, seeks not just to prepare students for graduate studies and a host of careers but also to enrich their lives.

The focus of the English program is “to teach the reading, writing, and analysis of texts in English, to contribute to knowledge about the reading, writing and analysis of such texts, and to make the knowledge of the discipline accessible to and useful for the larger community.” The Foreign Languages program must, by nature, play a key role in the University’s mission of providing to students a “higher educational experience of high quality, with a strong emphasis on undergraduate liberal studies.” Foreign Language study also complements the mission of the College of Arts & Sciences which is “Educated Citizens Prepared for a Changing World.” Thus, the primary objective of the study of a foreign language is “to prepare students for living and contributing to the global community with language skills and cultural awareness.”

General Education

Several courses in the department fulfill UM General Education requirements.

All undergraduate students must complete a Composition sequence - ENG 101 and 102 or ENG 103 and 104 - and at least one sophomore-level literature course - ENG 231 , 232 , 233 , or 234 . In addition, students must also complete a sequence in either literature or history as a general education requirement. Students may fulfill this by taking either ENG 231 and 232 or ENG 233 and 234 .

Several Foreign Language and Philosophy courses fulfill the Humanity component: ENG 231 , 232 , 233 , 234 ; FRN 101 , 102 , 150 , 201 , 202 , 250 ; GER 101 , 102 , 201 , 202 ; PHIL 110 , 111 , 180 , 220 , 221 , 230 , 280 , 290 ; SPN 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 , 150 , 201 , 202 , and 250 .

Foreign Language Placement Exam

Completion of the foreign-language requirement is based on proficiency. Students have the opportunity to take a foreign-language placement exam to determine if they may start their language studies beyond the 101 level. A student whose level of language proficiency makes it possible to bypass one or more lower-level language classes will reduce the number of hours required to complete the language sequence but will not reduce the total number of hours required for graduation. For example, a student who places in FRN 102 as a result of the placement exam will not be required to take FRN 101 but will not receive the credit hours for FRN 101 . Information about the placement exam is available from the Department of English and Foreign Languages.

Minors

The department offers minors in Creative Writing , English , French , Latin American Studies , Philosophy and Religion , Professional Writing , and Spanish .

Majors

The department offers the B.A. degree with majors in English and in Foreign Languages with a concentration in French or Spanish . At times there are elective courses in German.

The B.A. degree requires completion of the second-year sequence of a foreign language.