Program Statement

Statement on Power, Privilege and Oppression

The English Program acknowledges that we live in a white supremacist society. Therefore, we commit to teaching texts, modes of thinking and communicating, and ways of living that acknowledge the ongoing historical and systemic connections between power, privilege, and oppression. Through our work with students in and out of the classroom, we will challenge those power structures and affirm the dignity of all human beings. We will also do this through our own creative and scholarly work. Within the program, we will mentor and support each other as we learn how to practice anti-racism in all aspects of our professional lives. 

We believe that Black Lives Matter, Love Is Love, No Person Is Illegal.

Short-term goals

  • Create syllabi language and student learning goals highlighting our program statement
  • Design program-wide assessment and individual course evaluation standards that hold us accountable to our program commitments

Long-term goals

  • Make the study of power, privilege, and oppression central to the English major  and minor and our Program curriculum update
  • When we have the opportunity to hire, we prioritize hiring BIPOC faculty