English DepartmentPosition Request - EPC

I. Reputation

Listed as one of the top young literary scholars in the U.S.

Stephen Burn

John Smolens Named the Michigan Writer of the Year for 2012

New book received the 2012 Choice Outstanding Academic Title Award

Marek Haltof

Jaspal SinghReceived a Fulbright for 2012-13 for work on the Sikhs

His Digital Herbert (leader in cutting edge research technology)

Rob Whalen

Jim McCommonsWaiting on a Train gained national attention

Received 5 book awards in the last two years

Matt Frank• 5 of the last 7 Peter White

Scholars were from the English Department– Jim McCommons– John Smolens– Stephen Burn– Rob Whalen– Marek Haltof

National Recognition

• Five of our graduates were featured among the fifty best new poets of 2010 and another one was included in the 2011 selection.

• The Huffington Post recommended NMU’s MFA program as one of the 25 to look at because of exciting things happening in it.

Departmental Scholarship for 2011

• 10 books• 33 short creative works• 20 articles published/forthcoming• 4 book reviews• 38 conference presentations/panels/organizers• 18 readings/interviews• 7 grants• 62 undergraduate conference presentations• 73 graduate conference presentations

Result:

• Over 100 applications for the MFA Program this year so far, which offers us an opportunity to expand the program.

• An increasing number of writing majors & minors since the drop after the peak in 2007 to 138 until the drop in overall enrollment this year.

II. Productivity

Our English Department

• Has 240 majors

o135 in Writing 150 minors 80 graduate students

Total of 475

• 175-200 courses offered per semester, with an average SCH/FTE of 260. 70+ Developmental & Composition 45 Liberal Studies 30 Major only 15 Creative Writing 15 Graduate courses

• English produces almost 30,000 credit hours per academic year 29,784 in 2011-12, representing an increase of

2652 credit hours from 2007-08

III. Need

Department Balance

• Currently 28 Tenured/Tenure Track 1 Continuing Contract 6 Full-Time Term Faculty 30 Contingent Faculty 35 Graduate Teaching Assistants/Fellows

Creative Writers in the Department

• 3 Poets• 3 Non-Fiction Writers• 2 Fiction Writers• 2 Journalists• Currently need someone particularly in drama

& script.

Responsibilities

• Course Offerings– 175 courses per semester, including 10 at the

graduate level and 15 undergrad creative writing courses.

• We cover (on load per contract)– 20 theses involving about 50 faculty commitments

per year– Portfolios and other Final Projects

Spread Thin

• Between the offerings in creative writing and the thesis requirements, our creative writers are spread too thin.

• In addition, retirement plans are in effect for three of these creative writers over the next two years:– Paul Lehmberg (2013-14)– Ron Johnson (2014-15)– Diane Sautter (2014-15)

Request

• Tenure-Track Position in Fiction/Drama & Screenwriting– Current staffing for 2013-14• 75-100 courses still unstaffed