If you are an English Major here at West Conn, things are going to change in the department. Announced soon after the end of Spring Break, starting in the Fall Semester of this year, the English and Writing Departments will become one and be named the Department of Writing & Literature.  

Originally, the departments were one once before but were divided into two separate departments. Why are they merging again, you may ask? Currently, the English Department is dealing with a staff shortage of full-time professors since the beginning of 2021 due to the retirement of two professors and one on leave as of the end of the Fall 2021 semester. There is only one full-time Professor this current semester and the rest are adjuncts. English Majors are also a small margin of students, with the amount only ranging to about thirty to forty students. 

So, what changes besides the departments merging? If you are a Freshman or Sophomore English Major, you will receive a new advisor from the Writing Department, while Juniors and Seniors will remain with their current advisor. Dr. Shouhua Qi, current Chair of the English Department while remaining on board in the merger will step down and Dr. Brian Clements, current Chair of the Writing Department, will be the sole Chair of the merged department. Both English and Writing Majors will see Writing Professors instructing English classes in the next or future semester if they have not done so already in the past.  

Other than those changes, nothing will change. Class numbers will remain the same, English (ENG) classes will remain with their numbering, and so will Writing (WRT) and other relating classes. Your Major will remain the same and your degree will remain the same when you graduate besides the name of the Department on there.  

As of right now, this is all the official information students know on the English-Writing merger. If you are an English major and are affected by this, talk to your advisor, especially if you have a new one from the Writing Department. It is highly recommended regardless of your status (excluding graduating seniors of course) to introduce yourself to professors from the Writing Department, especially Dr. Clements. If you are a Writing Major, why don’t you introduce yourself to the new English side of the Department? Or if you want to know more, ask your professors regardless you are Writing or English, if you know one from either or both sides gather all the information you can.  

Good Luck to the students of the future Department of Writing & Literature!