The English area offers programs based on the belief that language shapes our world, enabling us to think and express our ideas, allowing us to collaborate with others, and preparing us to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The faculty endeavor to impart this philosophy to our majors and to provide them with the background knowledge and the skills necessary for them to embark on careers or enter graduate school. Equally important, we seek to foster in our majors an understanding and appreciation of the disciplines in which they complete degrees.