Though many other courses may or may not be necessary(since I’m not sure we need two British literature classes), the Eng. 201 course seems to specifically focus on looking critically at and reimagining the literature studied. This fits with the expanding of education within a major. The knowledge or method used may not be required to succeed, but it leads to a deeper understanding of the history associated with an English education. I especially like the thought of this course in combination with a quote from Boyer, who is technically quoting Norman Cousins: “The lawyer who argues in court from a narrow legal base is no match for the lawyer who can connect legal precedents to historical experience and who employs wide-ranging intellectual resources” (224). A deeper understanding can enhance the work and the steps taken to succeed in and further the field as a whole.
Paired with this enhanced perspective and deep dive in the English field is critical thinking. Critical thinking could technically be the result of a successful take on concepts in the above paragraph. Scheuer says, “We form… generalizations, commute between the general and the particular, make distinctions and connections, draw analogies, employ various types of reasoning, hone definitions and meanings, and analyze words, ideas, and things to resolve and mitigate their ambiguity.” This is the expanded definition Scheuer gives for critical thinking, but it links with the enriched major. Learning more about English and the history, social, and economical context will contribute heavily to effective critical thinking.
What kind of (English) courses in UNE’s past history have addressed the concern of career readiness in potentially bumpier paths and majors? How do they plan to pursue this in the potential future?
Seeing as how we have 3+ required Anglo-European literature classes, are there more or the potential for more global literature studies?
