Our theoretical studies coupled with these teaching opportunities focus our work on the tensions between practice and theory in context for productive teaching. Our graduate courses offer MA and Ph.D. students the opportunities to explore these tensions in and through sites of gender, class, intercultural differences, writing program administration, and historical constructions. Situated within an English department, the program also builds conceptual bridges between composition, literary, and creative writing studies. Teaching Associates in the composition studies concentration have outstanding opportunities for training and valuable work experiences. D teaching assistants teach their own courses, starting with an approved syllabus and texts for first year composition and moving on to greater freedom and opportunities to teach a variety of courses.
Every student takes graduate training seminars in composition teaching.
Computer classroom instructors receive additional training in computer-intensive composition pedagogy and may take a seminar in computers and composition pedagogy. Students who wish to teach technical writing are first required to take a regularly scheduled course on teaching in that field. Although the program is mid-sized, the atmosphere is friendly and supportive, seminars are small, and writing courses are limited to an enrollment of twenty students. The five full-time professors in the program together are able to provide each student in the concentration considerable support in their studies and training. The doctoral program is geared toward solid professional preparation.