Program Review for

English (M.A. / M.S.)

2007 Recommendations

I. Strengths

1. The faculty members are qualified and have academic credentials to sustain the Master’s program.

2. The Graduate program in English serves the South Texas Community needs by allowing graduates to work in all levels of education and in a number of fields.

II. Weaknesses

1. The critical weakness of the program is that it lacks a full-time, tenured/tenure track faculty member to teach several courses including linguistics and a Restoration-18th–Century British Literature.

2. Although some faculty members have been able to generate outside support, many faculty have not generated outside support.

3. Some faculty members are not adequately researching, writing manuscripts, and publishing in peer-reviewed journals.

4. A number of faculty members are not attending conferences and presenting.

5. Graduate student enrollment is low.

III. Recommendations

1. The program needs to hire two full-time, tenure track assistant professors to ensure courses including linguistics and a Restoration-18th–Century British Literature are covered and taught regularly.

2. Faculty members must attempt to generate funding to support assistantships and research by writing to appropriate channels for funding.

3. Some faculty members are not conducting research and consequently are not publishing. To attract new students and expand the existing program all faculty members must actively be involved in conducting research and disseminating knowledge. It is important to provide release time to faculty to write proposals and conduct research.

4. It should be expected that each faculty member attend one seminar and/or conference annually. It should be the responsibility of the faculty to fund their travels.

5. Faculty members must recruit new graduates students. A successful recruitment effort will require a greater number of graduate assistantships.

Program Recommendation:

The English Master’s Program is recommended for continuation.

Dean’s comments:

• Develop and implement a recruitment program that would set annual recruitment quotas sufficient to increase the annual graduate graduation rate.

• Increase the publication record of the faculty.

• Increase the number of teaching assistantships by noting this need in the department's strategic plan.

• Encourage grant writing and submission.

Outcome/Assessment Report

Master’s Program in English

Spring 2008

Dean’s Comments: (please comment on the progress that has been made based on the recommendations)

The department has increased the number of publications and grants. A recruitment plan has been established and implemented. However, additional faculty have not been allocated to the department because its SCHs has decreased.