Basic writing, which developed as a field within the larger discipline of rhetoric and composition, has a tumultuous past and an uncertain future. What began as an academic response to a perceived literacy crisis with the rise of open admissions in the late 1960s has continued to grow and reinvent its structures, theories, and practices as new…

Since the adoption and subsequent fade of the Wyoming Resolution, we have seen the political economy of writing instruction change remarkably. Certainly, composition studies' disciplinary viability seems more solid, but the proportion of contingent writing teachers has increased to almost 70 percent. The authors of this article attribute these…

Throughout much of the 20th century, English departments were the crown jewels of the humanities. Exposure to great literature was often considered essential for students expected to assume lead roles in business, law, government, and society. Today, English departments have lost their position at the center of the American university. Enrollments…

This essay provides an account of The Ohio State University's (OSU) rhetoric department during the tenure of Joseph Villiers Denney, arguing that he appropriated and repurposed national trends in education and rhetoric in ways that complicate the narrative of rhetoric and composition's decline in the late nineteenth century. In this essay, the…

This paper investigates the development of writing initiatives in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, an area where prior to 1989, writing in universities played a very minor role. Using data gathered from eight institutions that currently have writing programs of some sort, I identify three typical paths writing initiatives…

Argues that curricular revision (in the direction implied by widespread adoption of terms such as "canon" and "theory") has been accomplished with little overhauling, in large part by adding non-White, nonmale, nonclassical writers to traditional courses. Argues that reading new works is not the same as arriving at new…

Suggests that educational trends indicate that English departments should redefine faculty recruiting away from competing with other departments and toward competing with the other interests that seek public funding. (RS)

Questions whether literary study complements or enriches the teaching of writing. (HOD)

Questions the fragmentation of the teaching of English into such diverse subjects as reading, writing, speech, journalism, drama, and freshman composition, considering such divisions harmful to the purpose and future of English departments. (AEA)

In a response to the Minnesota Conference on the Future of Doctoral Study in English, states that the consensus to embrace rhetoric as a unifying focus would undercut small colleges. (MM)

Discusses several developing trends that limit the effectiveness of English teachers and departments and that must be taken into account when planning for the future of English education. (FL)

Considers the importance of "teaching the past" in the English classroom, including older texts. Disagrees with the notion that teaching the past is in trouble. Discusses recent trends in literary studies, especially cultural studies, and their possible effect on teaching the past. Gives advice for making older texts appealing in the…

Based on his department's experience with curriculum change, the head of the English department at University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) concluded that curriculum change must be local, incremental, and unending. A consequence of the claim that curriculum change should be local is that proposed changes must be consistent with local realities--and…

Describes the evolution of the multiple English department, sets forth "commandments" for English department chairpersons, and points to qualities of the ideal department chairperson. (GW)

Urges that English departments can help university administrators rediscover the many contributions their faculties and courses can make to the institution at large. (MM)