Introduction
The California State University San Marcos Literature and Writing Studies Department offers graduate study leading to the Master of Arts degree. Our mission is to prepare students for study at the doctoral level, for teaching at the community college level, and for occupations in the private and the public sectors that require a high degree of literacy. Rather than offering an emphasis in literature or writing studies at the master's level, our program aims to balance and integrate these activities. Since we read writing and write reading, we see no purpose in studying one without the other. To do so would deny the integrity of our discipline.
Because most of our students are, or eventually will be, teachers, our intention is to provide a graduate teaching apprenticeship within the program that begins with classes, seminars, and close faculty mentoring, leading to internships, tutoring, and teaching assistantships. Qualified students may work in the University Writing Center or teach general education writing courses. Internships may also be arranged at community colleges or other organizations.
The Literature and Writing Studies Department is a scholarly community of students and faculty committed to innovative teaching and learning. Critical reading,writing, and thinking occur in and serve a range of communities: local, regional,global, and historical. Therefore, we value the following principles:
Cultural Studies and Diversity Studies: Cultural studies and diversity studies are central to our community. These two interdisciplinary approaches to the study of texts include consideration of perspectives such as gender, class, sexuality, disability, nationalism, ethnicity, and race.Cultural studies and diversity studies are fundamental to literary and writing studies and provide intellectual tools that enrich our analysis of texts within and across cultures.
Canon Formation: Cultures, local and international, contemporary and historical, create canons. Canons are a significant result of each culture's literary community. Therefore, comprehending canons, canon formation, and non-canonical texts is essential to understanding and contributing to literary and writing traditions.
Theory and History: Theory and history serve as tools to help us explore and demonstrate our understanding of texts within and across cultures. A range of theoretical approaches and historical knowledge provide us with necessary thinking tools.
Reading: Meaningful analysis requires careful reading. Engaging in close reading makes it possible to takes account of rhetorical, prosodic, and other formal features. It also provides a careful grounding in the ideological, cultural, and institutional contexts in which meaning isproduced and enriches our understanding of texts and the cultures from which theycome.
Writing: Creating and presenting texts and related media in a variety of genres enriches our understanding of the constructed nature of literary materials. The ability to produce clear andcompelling communication in writing is fundamental to literary and writing studies.
Translations and Changing Meanings: Understanding that the translation of texts across languages changes the meanings of these texts is crucial to interpretive skillbuilding. A reading knowledge of at least one language other than English is desirable for an advanced understanding of literature and writing in a global context.
