Graduate Student Manual (Handbook), Department of English (2026-2027)

Graduate Manual (Handbook)

Updated: July 2026

1 – General University Requirements & Policies

As a graduate student, you should concern yourself both with the Department of English requirements as well as the general university requirements for all graduate students.

1.1 – General University Requirements

General university requirements for graduate study are listed in the WSU Graduate School’s Policies and Procedures Manual.
Dissertation/Theses Submission Guidelines (pdf)

1.2 – General University Policies

Graduate Leave Policies: See Chapter 5 of Policies and Procedures Manual (listed above).
Rights and Responsibilities: The Graduate Student Policies and Procedures Manual describes procedures for channeling graduate student complaints, grievances, and concerns to faculty, staff, and administrators for appropriate action.
Office for Compliance and Civil Rights: The Office for Compliance and Civil Rights seeks to integrate principles of equal employment opportunity, affirmative action, fairness and equality into all academic and employment activities and practices throughout Washington State University.
ASE Contract: All graduate students who are also academic employees (teaching or research assistants) are urged to review the ASE contract negotiated by the WSU-CASE union.

2 – Graduate Programs in English

The graduate program in English at Washington State University supports students working toward advanced degrees at both the MA and PhD levels. Students may elect to concentrate either in Literary Studies or Rhetoric and Composition. The English Department also offers graduate certificates in TESOL, Digital Humanities and Culture, and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. The department also participates in WSU’s interdisciplinary American Studies Program. Along with courses in English, students are able, with DGS approval, to take specialized seminars in related disciplines.

Students are expected to earn the MA degree in two years and the PhD in five, though individual exceptions can be made for part-time students not funded by TAships.

2.1 – Diversity and Inclusion

Washington State University is committed to providing a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace, one where all employees and volunteers, whatever their gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation or identity, education or disability, feel valued and respected.

In the English Department, we are committed to a nondiscriminatory approach to education and scholarship, and provide equal opportunity for employment and advancement in all of our programs. We respect and value diverse life experiences and heritages and believe that all voices should be valued and heard.

We are committed to modeling inclusion for the entire College of Arts and Sciences and to maintaining an environment that demonstrates equitable treatment for all faculty, staff, and students.

To provide informed, authentic leadership that promotes cultural equity, the English Department strives to:

See diversity, inclusion, and equity as connected to our mission and critical to ensure the well-being of our faculty, staff, and the students we serve.
Acknowledge and dismantle any inequities within our policies, systems, programs, and services, and continually update and report any factors (institutional and personnel) that impede our mission to foster a diverse and inclusive culture.
Explore potential underlying, unquestioned assumptions that interfere with inclusiveness.
Advocate for and support broad-level thinking about how systemic inequities impact our department and work, and how best to address them in a way that is consistent with our mission.
Help work to challenge unquestioned assumptions about what it takes to be effective within and outside of the department and classroom and about who is well-positioned to provide leadership.
Practice and encourage transparent communication in all interactions regardless of rank or position in the department.
Commit time and resources to encourage diverse leadership within our department: staff, committee, and advisory bodies.
Lead with respect and acceptance. We expect all department members to embrace anti-oppressive standpoints, challenge implicit biases, and address all forms of injustice through everyday practices.

2.2 – Student Learning Outcomes

The following are the Student Learning Outcomes for graduate programs in English (MA or PhD):

Demonstrate a broad and critical understanding of English Studies and its associated fields, including an intersectional engagement with diversity, equity, and oppression.
Develop and employ knowledge of diverse and specialized areas within English Studies in order to compose substantial academic projects.
Locate and synthesize primary and secondary texts in order to conduct original research under the guidance of faculty members with expertise in chosen fields of specialization.
Create academic and public texts and/or works that present new claims and original research.
Circulate original research findings in appropriate presentation venues, such as regional conferences, departmental colloquia, community engagement, and/or outreach.
Teach various courses that include writing, are informed by pedagogies of inclusion, and attend to social justice commitments in education.

2.3 – General Program Requirements

Responsible Research Training

The WSU Graduate School requires all graduate students to complete the Responsible Conduct of Research online training, which takes about 20 minutes. Students awarded an assistantship must take the training before their appointment paperwork can be processed. International Students awarded an assistantship will have a grace period of one semester to complete the training.

English 501

Unless specifically exempted, all entering graduate students who hold Teaching Assistantships will enroll in ENGLISH 501 (Seminar in the Teaching of Writing). Exceptions to this rule must be approved by the Director of Composition. For descriptions of this course, see the seminar brochure prepared each semester.

English 598

Students with teaching assistantships are required to take three credits of ENGLISH 598 (Teaching Apprenticeship); usually these credits are acquired during a student’s first three semesters in the program. Each 598 is worth 1 credit.

First Semester:

Preparation for English 101 teaching: providing critical and compassionate feedback to student writing, developing lessons and activities to support WSU’s English 101 curriculum, and application of English 501 scholarship to your teaching.

Second Semester:

Weekly colloquium on Freshman Composition, to be attended by all first-time Teaching Assistants. This is held on Mondays from 12-1.

Third or Fourth Semester:

Mentored Teaching arranged between student and faculty member or “Practical Elements of Teaching in Social Justice Contexts” course (this course is not offered every year).

Guidelines for Mentored Teaching:

The TA should not be required or expected to teach any class sections or lead discussion groups for the class.
The TA should not be required or expected to advise students or hold office hours outside of class.
The TA should not be required or expected to grade any work for the course.

The instructor and student should agree at the beginning of the semester what the expectations for the 598 credit will be. At the very least, this should involve the student attending the course when possible and having regular discussions with the instructor about syllabus construction, lesson planning, pedagogical strategies, and any other questions about teaching.

A list of expectations for a particular 598 should be written up and signed by the instructor and the student and submitted to the DGS no later than the end of the second week of the semester. As a reminder, this is a one-credit, pass/fail course, and it is not intended to add a significant burden to a TAs existing academic or teaching load.

Should the TA request to give a lecture, lead a class, or respond to student work as a part of the shadowing experience, this is fine as long as it is included in the course agreement and signed by both parties. The instructor may not pressure a student to undertake any of the labor for teaching the course, or make the satisfactory earning of course credit contingent upon such labor.

While the 598 sequence should be completed by your fourth semester, PhD students can complete this in the fifth semester with approval from the DGS. For MA students, this requirement does need to be completed by your fourth (and final) semester.

English 600

All graduate students on a Teaching Assistantship who teach a writing course (100, 101, 105) or are preparing to do so must take one credit of ENGLISH 600, which consists of attendance at the weekly Professional Development in Composition (PDC) meetings on Wednesdays from 12-1pm.

English 700, 702, and 800

Full-time candidates for all graduate degrees must enroll in at least one credit hour per semester of ENGLISH 700 (MA thesis), ENGLISH 702 (MA non-thesis), or ENGLISH 800 (doctoral research).

Students may always enroll in more than one credit hour of these courses if they wish, but the minimum per semester is one hour.

If you have a committee chair, you will choose the section associated with his or her name. If not, the Director of Graduate Studies will serve as your instructor of record.

Annual Review

Every graduate student is required to complete an annual review survey at the end of each Spring Semester (this will be sent as a Qualtrics link no later than May 1).

The purpose of this survey is to allow the DGS to assemble an annual report concerning graduate student progress and accomplishment. The survey will collect the following information:

any conference papers presented up through April 30 of the current year;
all courses taught at WSU or elsewhere during the current academic year;
any books, essays, articles, book chapters, or book reviews published by the student, with dates of publication;
any books, essays, articles, book chapters, or book reviews accepted for publication (but still forthcoming);
any books, essays, articles, book chapters, or book reviews submitted for publication;
any grants or fellowships received by the student, with titles and dates;
any prizes or awards received by the students, with titles and dates; and any other academic accomplishments.

2.4 – General Program Policies

Auditing Courses

Graduate students who elect to audit a course must have prior approval from the instructor of the course and from their thesis or dissertation chair. Audited courses may not be used to fulfill program requirements (i.e., they cannot be used on a program of study).

Official recording of an audit on a transcript requires the instructor’s signature and a discussion with the instructor regarding any specific expectations or requirements to fulfill the audit.

Minimum requirements may include attendance at select or all classes and course readings for participation in class discussions. This agreement between the student and the instructor should be through written documentation sent to the thesis chair so that student and faculty are mutually clear regarding expectations. Please visit the Registrar’s Office Academic Regulations page for more information.

Minimum GPA

Graduate students must earn a cumulative 3.00 grade point average (GPA) for all course work (including all courses listed on the Program of Study and other graduate upper- and lower-division courses). No work of “B-” grade or lower may be dropped from a program, nor can a course be repeated for a higher grade if the final grade is “C” or higher.

Any course listed on the Program of Study in which a grade of “C-,” “D,” or “F” is earned must be repeated. A graduate student who fails to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher for all course work will be dropped from the University. See Chapter Six, Part C of the WSU Graduate School Policies and Procedures Manual for more information.

Applying to Graduate

Along with completing program requirements, which this manual will outline in more detail, graduate students are required to submit their Application for Degree to the Graduate School. Visit the Application for Graduation with a Graduate Degree page for more information. All students pay a graduation processing fee.

The MA Residence Requirement

The MA residence requirement is one academic year (two semesters); three summer sessions are regarded as the equivalent of one academic year. Practical experience indicates that only highly qualified persons with broad backgrounds in undergraduate study and strong foreign language preparation can expect to complete study and examinations in exactly two semesters.

Students holding Teaching Assistantships are expected to enroll in 10-18 credits per semester. This figure includes 6-9 hours of graded coursework (two to three seminars), internships, independent study, and examination or thesis preparation hours. Between 30 and 34 graded credit hours are expected (depending on the specific program requirements) over the course of the program; a maximum of 6 graduate credits may be transferred from another institution, with approval from the Director of Graduate Studies.

The PhD Residence Requirement

The PhD residence requirement is three years beyond the granting of the baccalaureate degree, of which at least two years must be spent pursuing coursework at Washington State University. Again, the fulfillment of individual program requirements may demand additional time.

Students holding Teaching Assistantships are expected to enroll in 10-18 credit hours per semester. Summer study may shorten the time span, but the full-time student will normally need two and a half or three years to complete coursework and examinations, following by another two years to write the dissertation. Most students will complete the degree in five years of post-MA study.

Washington State Residency

All MA and PhD students who hold Teaching Assistantships must establish residency in the state of Washington and maintain such residency for the full duration of their TA appointments. Failure to do so may mean that their tuition waivers will be suspended by the WSU Graduate School. The in-state tuition waiver will apply for the first year if the student applies for residency right away. The Graduate Coordinator can explain the process more fully.

Incomplete Grades

An incomplete grade (“I”) is a grade that has been temporarily deferred. It is given to a student who, for reasons beyond the instructor’s control, is unable to complete the assigned coursework on time.

Graduate students who have received an “I” must complete the work for that course during the following semester or summer session if they intend to maintain their graduate employment.

Dropping and Withdrawals

Generally speaking, a student may drop a course without record up to the end of the fourth week of instruction during a semester. After the fourth week, students may withdraw from individual courses (with some restrictions) up to the end of the ninth week of instruction. Withdrawals after the end of the ninth week are possible, but transcripts will permanently show a “W.” [For more details, see the Office of the Registrar’s web page, particularly the section on “Cancellation of Enrollment.”]

Continuous Enrollment

Graduate students must abide by WSU’s “continuous enrollment” policy. If a student is not taking classes during a particular semester (e.g., if s/he is finishing a thesis or dissertation while temporarily teaching elsewhere), this student must nonetheless enroll in a minimum of two credits at WSU to provide evidence of continuing progress toward the eventual degree. Doctoral students may apply for “Continuous Doctoral Status” and pay $50 per semester instead of registering for two credits.

3 – Master of Arts in English

Courses Required of Both Options

All students must take at least 1 credit of English 700 (thesis option) or English 702 (portfolio option) each semester for a minimum of 4 credits. More credits of 700 or 702 may be taken depending on the student’s program of study.

Courses Required of Students on Teaching Assistantships

Students on Teaching Assistantships will also need to complete the following requirements:

English 501: Seminar in the Methodology of Composition (3 credits)
English 598 (1^st semester): English 101 Preparation (1 credit)
English 598 (2^nd semester): Weekly Colloquium on First-Year Composition (1 credit)
English 598 (3^rd or 4^th semester): Mentored Teaching/Pedagogy (1 credit)
4 credits of English 600 (1 during each of their four semesters of employment.) All TAs teaching writing courses (100, 101, 105) must take English 600 during the semester in which they teach the course, which means that they must attend PDC during that semester.

Sample Program Schedule

A typical MA program will look something like this, with 24 credit hours in graded courses for the thesis option (8 seminars) or 27 credit hours in graded courses for the portfolio (9 seminars):

Year 1 (1st semester – Fall)

Seminar #1: English 501 – 3 credits
Seminar #2 – 3 credits
Seminar #3 – 3 credits
Seminar #4 – 3 credits
English 598 (English 101 Preparation) – 1 credit
English 600 (PDC) – 1 credit
English 700 or 702 – 1 credit minimum
Total: 12-15 credits. Students must enroll in at least 10 credits per semester.

Year 1 (2nd semester – Spring)

Seminar #1 – 3 credits
Seminar #2 – 3 credits
Seminar #3 – 3 credits
English 598 (FYC colloquium) – 1 credit
English 600 (PDC) – 1 credit
English 700 or 702 – 1 credit minimum; add credits as needed to get up to 10 credit hours overall per semester
Total: 10-12 credits.

Year 2 (3rd semester – Fall)

Seminar #1 – 3 credits
Seminar #2 – 3 credits
English 598 (Mentored Teaching/Pedagogy) – 1 credit
English 600 (PDC) – 1 credit
English 700 or 702 – 2 to whatever credits are needed to get to 10 per semester
Total: 10 credits.

Year 2 (4th semester – Spring)

English 600 (PDC) – 1 credit
(Seminars and ENGL 598 as needed)
English 700 or 702 – 9 credits or whatever number is needed to get to 10 per semester.
Total: 10 credits

3.1 – Master of Arts in English, Emphasis in Literary Studies: Program and Course Requirements (30-38 credit hours)

Students pursuing an MA in literary studies must choose either a thesis or a portfolio option (described below) as well as meet the following requirements:

All candidates must demonstrate competence in at least one foreign language (see Foreign Language Proficiency Requirements, Chapter 5) before proceeding to the submission and defense of the thesis.

All candidates during their final semester are required to make a 10-15 minute presentation drawn from their thesis or portfolio at the annual English Department MA Conference near the end of Spring semester.

All candidates must enroll in at least one credit hour per semester of ENGLISH 700 (MA thesis) or ENGLISH 702 (MA non-thesis). Students may always enroll in more than one credit hour of these courses if they wish, but the minimum per semester is one hour.

Please see the final pages of the manual for program checklists.

3.1.1 – The MA in Literary Studies Thesis Option

The following are the Student Learning Outcomes for graduate programs in English (MA or PhD):

Coursework

The thesis program requires a minimum of 24 semester hours of graded course work. At least 21 hours will normally be taken in 500-level seminars in English; no more than 3 hours of non-graduate coursework (300- and 400-level courses) may be included (except by permission of the DGS). In the thesis option, students must submit a thesis for the completion of the degree.

Major Project

Preparation of the thesis will require, and students must enroll in, at least 4 hours of English 700, under the direction of a faculty member serving as the chair of the advisory committee. See MA Proposal Guidelines for further information.

Timetable

The timetable is roughly as follows:

In the second semester (spring of the first year), students should

Identify a chair and committee members for the advisory committee.
With the assistance of the Graduate Academic Coordinator, prepare the Program of Study form to be submitted to the Graduate School.
Gather signatures from the committee chair, the committee members, and the English Department Chair.
Ideally, submit the Program of Study at the end of the spring semester.

In the third semester (fall of the second year), students should

Before September 1. If it hasn’t already been submitted, submit the signed Program of Study to the WSU Graduate School by turning it in to the Academic Coordinator. The Program of Study can be changed after this date but must be submitted if the student wishes to graduate in the spring.
September-October. Submit a thesis proposal (see end of Chapter 2 for more details) to the chair of the committee and committee members. Once the proposal is approved, a copy should be sent by the student to the Academic Coordinator by October 31.

In the fourth and final semester (spring of the second year), students should

Mid-March. Submit a full draft of the thesis to the thesis director.
Early to mid-March. Consult with the Academic Coordinator about a date for the final examination. Final exams for students pursuing the thesis option are usually scheduled in late March and early-to-mid April. The Graduate School must be notified ten working days in advance of the proposed examination date.

3.1.2 – The MA in Literary Studies Portfolio Option

Coursework

The portfolio (non-thesis) program requires at least 27 hours of graded coursework. At least 24 of these hours will normally be taken in the 500-level series of seminars; no more than 3 hours on non-graduate coursework (300- and 400-level courses) may be included. In the non-thesis program, students are required to submit a portfolio of professional writing for the completion of the degree.

Major Project

The portfolio consists of the following items:

One revised, publishable seminar paper (with a cover letter addressed to the editor of a suitable journal; and with a list of other potential journals for submission);

One conference paper, usually a ten-page revision and condensation of a different seminar paper (with a cover letter addressed to the organizers of a suitable conference; and with a list of other potential conferences at which the paper might be presented);

A statement of intent that articulates an intellectual rationale for the selection of these two papers, describes the processes of revision, provides a retrospective commentary on the portfolio and its intellectual coherence, and indicates future directions for scholarship and writing. Usually this statement is expected to be about 4-5 pages in length.

Preparation of the portfolio will require, and students must enroll in, at least 4 hours of English 702, under the direction of a faculty member serving as the chair of the advisory committee.

Timetable

The timetable is roughly as follows:

In the second semester (spring of the first year), students should

Identify a chair and three or four committee members for the advisory committee.
With the assistance of the English Department’s Academic Coordinator, prepare the Program of Study form to be submitted to the Graduate School.
Gather signatures from the committee chair, the committee members, and the English Department Chair.
Ideally, submit the Program of Study at the end of the spring semester.

In the third semester (fall of the second year), students should

Before September 1. If it has not yet been submitted, submit the signed Program of Study to the WSU Graduate School by turning it in to the Academic Coordinator. The Program of Study can be changed after this date but must be submitted if the student wishes to graduate in the spring.
September-October. Once the plan or proposal for the portfolio is approved by the committee chair, a copy should be sent by the student to the Academic Coordinator by October 31.

In the fourth and final semester (spring of the second year), students should

Provide a copy of the revised portfolio to the members of his or her advisory committee. Under the guidance of the chair of this committee, the faculty members will work with the student to develop, evaluate, and approve a professional portfolio.
Revise the portfolio to the satisfaction of all committee members.
Complete a portfolio cover form with committee signatures and provide a copy of the revised portfolio to all committee members and to the Academic Coordinator. Samples are available from the Academic Coordinator.
Consult with the Academic Coordinator about a date for the final examination. Final exams for students pursuing the thesis option are usually scheduled in late March and early-to-mid April. The Graduate School must be notified ten working days in advance of the proposed examination date.

3.1.3 – Oral Examination

Final oral examinations are normally administered by all members of the student’s MA advisory committee. The final oral examination for the thesis candidate will deal principally (though not necessarily exclusively) with the thesis. For the non-thesis candidate, the final oral examination will deal principally with the portfolio.

When planning the timeline for the oral examination, candidates must observe the following guidelines:

Minimum of 10 working days before the oral exam: As described above, the Graduate School must be notified. Submit your exam form and upload a complete draft of your dissertation to ProQuest at least 10 working days prior to the proposed exam date. Since all forms must be submitted electronically, your form must be given to the Graduate Coordinator with sufficient time to submit it so that it can be accepted.
Minimum of 5 working days before the oral exam: The candidate is expected to deposit the thesis or portfolio in the Department at least five working days before the oral examination.
Minimum of 5 working days after the oral exam: If the candidate passes the examination, the thesis, in final form as approved by the committee, is to be deposited at the WSU Graduate School within five working days. Also, you must email your Hold Harmless form to gradschool@wsu.edu. Your myWSU upload of your thesis title, abstract, and signature pages must be approved by your committee and delivered to the Graduate School.
Departmental deadlines: The English Department requires that the thesis or portfolio be submitted in final form no later than December 14 for completion of the degree in Fall Semester, no later than May 2 for completion of the degree in Spring Semester, and no later than August 1 for completion during the Summer.
No exams during Finals Week: Final oral examinations may not be scheduled during Finals Week; the last eligible day is the Friday of the previous week (“Dead Week”).

3.2 – Master of Arts in English, Emphasis in Rhetoric and Composition: Program and Course Requirements (30-38 credit hours)

This program allows students to specialize in the theory and pedagogy of composition. The degree is designed to prepare candidates for teaching positions at the college level or for doctoral programs with a specialization in composition and rhetoric. Candidates for this degree may prepare either a thesis or a portfolio: the thesis option requires 24 graded seminar hours; the portfolio option requires 27. Either way, students must fulfill the following requirements:

All candidates must meet the Foreign Language Requirement (see Foreign Language Proficiency Requirements, Chapter 5). Note that for Rhetoric and Composition MA students, the language proficiency requirements are based on the candidate’s expected needs and may be met by linguistics or other language studies. This requirement must be met before proceeding to the submission and defense of the thesis.
All candidates must enroll in at least one credit hour per semester of English 700 (MA thesis) or English 702 (MA non-thesis). Students may always enroll in more than one credit hour of these courses if they wish, but the minimum per semester is one hour.
All candidates must take the following (6 credits):
- English 501 (Seminar in the Teaching of Writing: Methodology of Composition)
- English 502 (Seminar in the Teaching of Writing: Contemporary Theories)
All candidates must take three of the following eight courses (9 hours):
- English 508 (Seminar in Assessment of Writing)
- English 509 (Seminar in Classical Rhetoric and its Influences)
- English 515 (Contemporary Theories of Rhetoric)
- English 531 (Administering a Writing Program)
- English 532 (Teaching Writing to Non-Traditional Students)
- English 534 (Theories and Methods of the Teaching of Technical and Professional Writing)
- English 597 (Topics in Composition and Rhetoric)
All candidates must take one course in linguistics or TESOL (3 hours):
- English 543: Phonology
- English 544: Syntax
- English 546: Topics in Teaching English as a Second Language
- English 554: History of the English Language
- English 554: History of the English Language

The director of the student’s program may allow the student to substitute other graded courses for this 3-hour requirement if the student’s individual program would benefit from specialized work in another related area, e.g., computer programming or the teaching of reading.

Literature courses. After consultation with the student, the student’s advisor may recommend that the student take one or two courses in literature, but the final decision about this requirement rests with the advisor. Depending upon the advisor’s recommendation, students pursuing the thesis option would take one course; students pursuing the portfolio option would take two. Ideally, these literature courses should cohere as a unit (e.g., a series of courses focused on gender issues, on twentieth-century literature, on drama, etc.).

3.2.1 – The MA in Rhetoric and Composition Portfolio Option

Project

The portfolio consists of the following items:

One revised, publishable seminar paper. This paper may derive from any graduate seminar taken at WSU.
An annotated bibliography in the student’s area of interest, developed in consultation with the student’s advisor and committee members. This bibliography will be used as the basis for the three-day take-home examination.
A statement of intent that explains how the student’s course of study and intended focus for the take-home examination relates to his or her professional goals and interests.
A cover letter or memo that describes the contents of the portfolio.

The Master’s Committee will read, evaluate, and provide comments to the student over a two- or three-week period. The chair of this committee is responsible for making sure that all members give comments to the student, and that the student has ample time to make revisions.

Timetable

The MA examination in Rhetoric and Composition for the portfolio option involves a process that begins during the second semester of the program.

In the second semester (spring of the first year), students should

Identify a chair and three committee members to supervise the examination and portfolio.
With the assistance of the English Department’s Academic Coordinator, prepare the Program of Study form to be submitted to the Graduate School.
Gather signatures from the committee chair, the committee members, and the English Department Chair.
Ideally, submit the Program of Study at the end of the spring semester.

In the third semester (fall of the second year), students should

Before September 1. If it has not already been submitted, submit the signed Program of Study to the WSU Graduate School by turning it in to the Academic Coordinator. The Program of Study can be changed after this date but must be submitted if the student wishes to graduate in the spring.
September-October. Once the plan or proposal for the portfolio is approved by the committee chair, a copy should be sent by the student to the Academic Coordinator by October 31.

In the fourth and final semester (spring of the second year), students should

Enroll in at least two credits of English 702
By the end of the second week of the semester, submit the portfolio.
By the end of the sixth week of the semester, take the three-day comprehensive written examination based on an annotated bibliography
By mid-March, Consult with the Academic Coordinator about a date for the final examination. The Graduate School must be notified ten working days in advance of the proposed examination date.
Defend both the portfolio and the written exam at a final oral examination.

See also the detailed fourth-semester timeline below.

Comprehensive Examination (MA in Rhetoric and Composition Portfolio Option Only)

The comprehensive examination is a three-day take-home exam administered by the members of the student’s committee. It is based on the annotations in the student’s annotated bibliography.

Normally the examination is given to the student at the end of the sixth week of his or her final semester: the student picks up the exam on Friday morning and returns it the following Monday morning.
The examination usually has just one question, but it is up to the chair and the committee members to decide the precise format.
The student’s written response to the exam question(s) must be no longer than fifteen double-spaced pages using a 12-point type font.

Within two weeks of the submission of the examination, the student’s committee members should have evaluated the students’ answer(s) and provided their recommendations (of pass or failure) to the committee chair. If the committee agrees that the student has submitted passing work, the student may schedule a final oral examination. If the committee members believe the student has failed the exam, they may ask the student to retake the exam.

Oral Examination (Portfolio Option)

The student schedules a final oral examination with his or her Master’s Committee. The oral is not so much an examination as a discussion with the committee of the take-home examination and the revised essay in the portfolio. It is, in essence, a conversation among colleagues, one in which the student has a chance to discuss his or her professional goals and may ask as well as answer questions.

Suggested Timeline for Final Semester of MA Program in Rhetoric and Composition (Portfolio Option)

End of Week 2: Submit portfolio to the members of your committee. The portfolio includes the following components:
- A cover letter or memo outlining the content of the portfolio;
- A statement of intent regarding your professional goals;
- An annotated bibliography on your specific area of interest (this bibliography will be used by your committee members in designing the question for the take-home exam);
- One revised, publishable seminar paper.
End of Week 6: Begin three-day take-home examination.
Beginning of Week 7: Submit take-home examination
End of Week 8: Last day to apply for graduation
No later than Week 10: Schedule M.A. oral examinations (do this with the Academic Coordinator)
Weeks 12-15: Take oral (final) examinations
Week 14 and 15: Departmental conference for all MA students

Note: the final version of your portfolio must be submitted to your committee members at least two weeks before your oral examination. In other words, you’ll need to submit it around the same time that you see the Academic Coordinator to schedule the exam.

When planning the timeline for the oral examination, candidates must observe the following guidelines:

Minimum of 10 working days before the oral exam:. Submit your exam form and upload a complete draft of your dissertation to ProQuest at least 10 working days prior to the proposed exam date. Since all forms must be submitted electronically, your form must be given to the Graduate Coordinator with sufficient time to submit it so that it can be accepted.
Minimum of 5 working days before the oral exam: The candidate is expected to deposit the thesis or portfolio in the Department at least five working days before the oral examination.
Minimum of 5 working days after the oral exam: If the candidate passes the examination, the thesis, in final form as approved by the committee, is to be deposited at the WSU Graduate School within five working days. Also, you must email your Hold Harmless form to gradschool@wsu.edu. Your myWSU upload of your thesis title, abstract, and signature pages must be approved by your committee and delivered to the Graduate School.
Departmental deadlines: The English Department requires that the thesis or portfolio be submitted in final typed form no later than December 14 for completion of the degree in Fall Semester, no later than May 2 for completion of the degree in Spring Semester, and no later than August 1 for completion during the Summer.
No exams during Finals Week: Final oral examinations may not be scheduled during Finals Week; the last eligible day is the Friday of the previous week.

3.2.2 – MA Program in Rhetoric and Composition Thesis Option

The thesis program requires a minimum of 24 semester hours of graded course work. At least 21 hours will normally be taken in 500-level seminars in English; no more than 3 hours of non-graduate coursework (300- and 400-level courses) may be included. In the thesis option, students must submit a thesis for the completion of the degree.

Project

See MA Proposal Guidelines for further information.

Timetable

In the second semester (spring of the first year), students should

Identify a chair and committee members for the advisory committee.
With the assistance of the Graduate Academic Coordinator, prepare the Program of Study form to be submitted to the Graduate School.
Gather signatures from the committee chair, the committee members, and the English Department Chair.

In the third semester (fall of the second year), students should

Before September 1. Submit the signed Program of Study to the WSU Graduate School by turning it in to the Academic Coordinator before September 1. The Program of Study can be changed after this date but must be submitted if the student wishes to graduate in the spring.
September-October. Submit a thesis proposal (see end of Chapter 2 for more details) to their committee members by September or early October. Once the proposal for the thesis is approved by the committee chair, a copy should be sent to the Academic Coordinator by October 31.

In the fourth and final semester (spring of the second year), students should

Submit a full draft of the thesis to their director no later than about mid-March.
Consult with the Academic Coordinator about a date for the final examination. Final exams for students pursuing the thesis option are usually scheduled in late March and early-to-mid April. The Graduate School must be notified ten working days in advance of the proposed examination date.

3.3 – MA Thesis Proposal Guidelines

The following guidelines pertain equally to MA theses in literary studies and in rhetoric and composition. As with all questions about MA or PhD proposals, the best recommendations and the final decisions will rest with your committee and especially your primary advisor. In particular, you should check with your advisor regarding expectations about format, length, voice, audience, timeline, number of drafts, and so forth.

Why Write a Proposal?

When properly prepared, a thesis proposal is helpful both to students and their advisors. The benefits extend beyond simply “getting started,” though that’s not to be disregarded. Detailing your project, its approach, critical context, and organization will help you clarify your own research and writing, hopefully allowing you to spot both good ideas and problems when it’s easiest to deal with them. Getting an early glimpse of your work will allow your advisor to provide important early advice regarding both writing and research, and it will ensure that your project has the originality, scope, and significance necessary for a strong thesis. Should you choose to go on for a PhD (either here or elsewhere), it will also allow your advisor to write a more detailed letter of recommendation. Finally, the proposal provides both you and your advisors a mutually-agreed-upon structure for your thesis work.

The Rhetorical Point

A proposal is generally designed to answer the following questions:

What is your project?
Who is your audience? How will you address this audience?
Why should people take an interest in your project?
How do you propose to go about completing this project?

Together the answers to these questions will help you and your advisor answer two broader question: “Should this project be undertaken?” and “Can this project be successfully completed given the temporal constraints of MA work?”

Organizing the Proposal

While the particular format and organization of the proposal will vary, you should generally address each of the following items:

Topic and Thesis: This is the core issue or question you wish to investigate, as well as your proposed answer. You should establish good reasons for pursuing these ideas, particularly with respect to how your work fits into past, present, and potential future scholarly conversations in the field.
Current State of the Field: Essentially this is an analytical literature review. You don’t necessarily need to have read everything you cite here, but you should be able to offer a sense of the key arguments and authors in the field, as well as current critical and historiographical debates. Depending on your individual project, part of your challenge here may be to bring together disparate disciplines or approaches that will contribute to your own thinking. Together this section and the “topic/thesis” help you establish how your work relates to what has already been done in the field.
Sources and Methodology: What will be your “data” for this project – i.e., what texts, theoretical statements, literary works, examples of student writing, etc., will you use, and why are these appropriate choices? Additionally, how do you expect to approach and handle this material?
Organization: Provide a brief outline of what you expect the thesis might look like. This is not a firm contract, but rather a sense of how you imagine you will pursue your argument. How will you begin? Will there be separate sections? How will your disparate thoughts come together? This might also be the place to provide a projected timeline if you haven’t discussed this with your advisor.

4 – Doctor of Philosophy in English

The objective of the PhD program – including concentrations either in literature or in rhetoric and composition – is to prepare scholars for employment in a wide variety of post-secondary institutions of learning by providing both generalized and specialized training in literary/cultural theory and criticism, as well as opportunities to develop critical and research skills in literary and intellectual history, rhetorical theory, genre studies, composition studies, pedagogical theory, linguistics, digital humanities, and other related fields.

The PhD candidate’s course of study is not designed to confront the student with every significant piece of writing in the respective field. Rather, the coursework aims to produce critics and scholars who are widely read, knowledgeable about the methods of systematic scholarship, and competent to function professionally, not only in the modern university, but also in related fields and career tracks that require advanced research skills.

4.1 – Program and Course Requirements

Qualifications

Students entering the PhD program in English are expected to have completed a master’s degree in English or in a related field of study at an accredited college or university, and to show promise of doing excellent work at the doctoral level. Students who complete a master’s degree at WSU must reapply for admission to the PhD program.

PhD candidates must demonstrate general competence in one foreign language (see Language Proficiency Requirements, Chapter 5 below). All doctoral students are expected to take part actively in planning their own program and in meeting deadlines set by the department and by the WSU Graduate School.

Program of Study

The Program of Study is to be filed with the WSU Graduate School no later than the semester before you anticipate taking the preliminary examination (October 1 deadline to take a spring preliminary exam; March 1 deadline to take a fall preliminary exam). Programs of Study can be changed once filed by submitting a Program Change form. Please consult with the Program Coordinator, Kim Pedersen, to begin work on this process at the end of your 2^nd semester. This form includes all courses you are using towards your degree along with a list of committee member names.

The program will show 34 graded credit hours and 38 non-graded credit hours for a total of 72 graded credit hours. Of the non-graded credit hours, at least 20 hours must be 800-level research credits, 3 of 598, and 4 of 600.

Important: Please see the checklist at the back of the manual for detailed information.

4.1.1 – Required Graded Seminars

All PhD students must take:

English 590 (Directed Reading; up to 6 credits total. See Section 4.3 below.)
20 hours of English 800 (see Section 4.1)

Students on Teaching Assistantships will also need to complete the following requirements:

English 501: Seminar in the Methodology of Composition (3 credits)
English 598 (1^st semester): English 101 Preparation (1 credit)
English 598 (2^nd semester): Weekly Colloquium on First-Year Composition (1 credit)
English 598 (3^rd or 4^th semester): Mentored Teaching/Pedagogy Course (1 credit)
4 credits of ENGLISH 600 (1 during each of their first four semesters of employment.) All TAs teaching writing courses (100, 101, 105) must take ENGLISH 600 during the semester in which they teach the course, which means that they must attend PDC during that semester.

Exceptions: If an incoming PhD student received his/her/their MA from WSU, that student will already have completed the following:

English 501: Seminar in the Methodology of Composition
English 598: Teaching Apprenticeship (all three semesters)

Students with an MA from WSU will not need to retake those courses, since those requirements have been satisfied. However, incoming PhD students are strongly encouraged to take another semester of English 598 in order to gain additional expertise in their field of study and to observe the methods of a mentoring professor.

All TAs teaching writing courses (100, 101, 105) must take English 600 during the semester in which they teach the course, which means that they must attend PDC during that semester.

Rhetoric and Composition students are encouraged to take the following classes to help them prepare for exams. Students not taking this sequence or any portion of it will need to have their dissertation director confirm via email to the DGS that this is appropriate for the student’s program of study.

English 502 (Seminar in the Teaching of Writing: Contemporary Theories),
English 509 (Seminar in Classical Rhetoric and its Influences),
English 515 (Contemporary Theories of Rhetoric)

What seminars are offered during my course of study?

Required seminars are scheduled on a regular rotation, either every year or every other year, so that each student can graduate on time.

Courses typically taught every year:

English 501: Introduction to the Teaching of Composition (Fall)
English 512: Introduction to Graduate Studies (Fall) (1 credit)
English 543: Phonology (Fall)
English 544: Syntax (Spring)

Courses typically taught every other year:

English 502: Theories of Teaching Writing
English 509: Classical Rhetoric
English 515: Contemporary Rhetoric
English 534: Teaching Technical and Professional Writing
English 546: Teaching English as a Second Language
DTC/English 560: Critical Theories in the Digital Humanities (Spring)
DTC/English 561: Advanced Work in the Digital Humanities (Spring)

Please consult the latest edition of the Graduate Bulletin for current course offerings.

What times of day are seminars scheduled?

Seminars are typically taught in the afternoon or early evening, with no seminars typically scheduled on Friday. Some seminars will have one 150-minute meeting per week, while others will have two 75-minute meetings.

Since six or seven seminars are scheduled each semester, however, there may be seminars with conflicting times. Typically, a rhetoric and composition class would be taught in the same time slot as a literary studies class to reduce these conflicts. The exception is 501, taken by every student on a TAship; nothing is scheduled opposite 501.

4.1.2 – English 590: Research in English Studies

English 590 is a graded independent study for PhD students designed to provide directed research in English studies for individuals (or small groups) in conjunction with one or more faculty members.

For each credit of English 590, students are normally expected to work with their English 590 supervisor to define the scope of the project. In collaboration with the supervisor, the student will prepare a brief description defining the scope and objectives of the project, which will then be made available to the DGS.

In Option One, the student would prepare least a one-page (typed and double-spaced) bibliography on key primary and secondary works in a specific research field along with a project description or rationale for choosing the works. This bibliography should meet with the approval of both the English 590 supervisor and the student’s advisor; often this will be the same person. The student will then read selected works from the bibliography and produce detailed annotations along with an accompanying critical narrative about or synthesis of key issues or significant patterns reflected in the bibliography. This bibliography should be accompanied by a draft syllabus indicating dates when works will be read and discussed. Written products: syllabus, annotated bibliography, critical narrative.

In Option Two, the student’s work might include not only readings but also a practical exploration of other methods of research, including but not limited to learning statistical methods, working with digital technologies, or gaining experience with editorial work. Given that English studies as a discipline is increasingly moving toward a broader array of methodologies, including collaborative projects, students could work on their own or their instructors’ larger projects (digital projects, editions, statistical studies) in a hands-on way while learning the theoretical rationales behind them.

The student’s research goals should be the focus of all work undertaken for the project. The description of the project should state clearly that its primary purpose is to enhance the student’s knowledge of the discipline, which may include elements of practice as well as theory, and it should tie that purpose to mutually agreed-upon benchmarks before the project begins. Under no circumstances may the instructor allow the needs of a larger project (for data collection, coding, and so forth) to supersede the benefit to the student.

For both options, the English 590 student and the instructor should draw up a memorandum of understanding that delimits the relative proportions of readings, discussion, and, if appropriate, practice, along with a clearly delineated set of standards for assessing quality and progress.

The student will typically meet with the 590 supervisor once a week or once every other week in order to discuss the readings. Since English 590 is a 1-credit course, which translates into three hours of contact time per week, descriptions for the course (either Option 1 or Option 2) should indicate how these hours will be spent. Written products: memorandum of understanding, other materials (to be determined).

English 590 is graded and may be taken for 1 credit per semester up to a total of 3 credits altogether. Students will be graded on the following criteria: the student’s achievement of goals and standards set forth in the original description, and the student’s participation in discussion sessions. In English 590, the last discussion session is typically used as a comprehensive discussion of the work accomplished, goals achieved, and so on.

All doctoral students must take at least 1 credit of English 590, but no more than 6 credits total are allowed. English 590 is not intended to be a substitute for a viable graduate seminar.

4.2 – PhD Comprehensive Examinations: Qualifying, Preliminary, and Final

The examinations for the PhD are divided into three stages:

Qualifying Examinations (devised, scheduled, and administered with the English Department by the student’s supervisory committee);
a Preliminary Examination (an oral examination scheduled with the cooperation of the WSU Graduate School following successful completion of the Qualifying Examinations; and
a Final Examination (an oral examination focused on the doctoral dissertation, scheduled in cooperation with the WSU Graduate School and held only after the readers of the dissertation have approved it for an oral defense).

The Qualifying Examinations and Preliminary Examination are offered after coursework is finished or during the semester in which the final coursework is being completed. The examinations aim at the integration of the student’s previous experience and study into consistent, mature understanding and expression suitable for advanced teaching, research, and writing in the chosen areas of study.

4.2.1 – Qualifying Examinations

Preparing for the Qualifying Examinations

All doctoral students are expected to work closely with their supervisory committees as they prepare for their exams. One or more of the three faculty members on each supervisory committee must work in fields directly relevant to the student’s exam areas and dissertation topic.

The chair of the supervisory committee (typically the Dissertation Director) will be a tenure-track member of the English Department; clinical faculty may serve on committees as well and no additional paperwork is required. If external faculty (e.g., from other departments or universities) are asked to serve on the committee, the student, in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, will need to make a formal request to the Graduate School for their inclusion.

Students should recognize that the formation of such committees will depend upon the availability of appropriate faculty members and the limitations of their workloads; students may need to readjust their plans if particular people cannot serve. Committees are reviewed and approved by the Director of Graduate Studies and the Chair when annual plans and program forms are submitted and revised.

All graduate students should be aware that examinations and graded coursework are regarded as separate and independent evaluations of each candidate. (Examinations are not intended as reviews of coursework: their purpose and scope are described below for individual programs.) The English Department faculty is nonetheless committed – either in the design of courses or through recommended readings which supplement specific requirements – to providing students with guidance in the task of integrating the specialized contents of seminars into the broader contexts and perspectives demanded by examinations in the various programs.

Reading Lists

Overview: At the beginning of the semester before the exams are taken, each student will have completed a reading list for each section of the exam and submitted these lists to the members of his or her supervisory committee. For example, if the student takes the exam in the Fall semester, the committee will read them, offer suggestions for revision, and finally approve these bibliographies by mid-semester. The chair of the supervisory committee is responsible for seeing that this happens.

Once the reading lists are approved, the student will submit a copy of these materials to the Director of Graduate Studies, along with a cover sheet signed by all members of the supervisory committee. The cover sheets are available from the Academic Coordinator.

For the Special Area exam, a narrative providing the rationale for the bibliography must also be submitted; normally this narrative will be about 4-5 pages long.

Guidelines: To ensure fairness, the following guidelines must be observed:

Literary Studies

The Qualifying Examinations for doctoral students in literary studies will consist of three take-home exams in the following three areas:

Cultural/historical period field
Theory, genre, or second historical period field
Special Area: the special area consists of a literary, historical, or cultural topic whose study is necessary for the student’s successful completion of the dissertation.

Rhetoric and Composition

The Qualifying Examinations for doctoral students in rhetoric and composition will consist of three take-home exams in the following three areas:

Theory/Pedagogy: students will identify important theories and pedagogies in rhetoric and composition (broadly defined) that inform their work and understanding of the field.
Methods and Methodologies: students will identify the methods and methodologies in rhetoric and composition (broadly defined) that most closely align with their research interests
Special Area: students will identify a specific interest in rhetoric and composition (broadly defined) where they position themselves as a new member of the discipline

For both literature and rhetoric/composition students: the total length of the combined reading lists should be between 90-100 works. The student and their committee will decide on the balance between total number of list items relative to the number of books, articles, chapters, and edited collections. Students will continue to submit a 1500-2000 word rationale with their reading list that contextualizes their choices, particularly in the special area.

There should be no significant overlap between the topics of the three reading lists.
Each reading list bibliography should be between four and six pages in length (typed and double-spaced); and each must contain key primary and secondary texts. Obviously, there will be some variations in length depending on the topic of the bibliography.
The Special Area exam must be considered necessary preparation for writing a high-quality dissertation, providing the student with theoretical, thematic, or topical grounding within which to locate the narrower dissertation project. The special area should not be construed as an introduction or individual chapter of the dissertation, but rather as an essential research stage prior to the composition of the dissertation.
The Special Area exam reading list includes two parts: a bibliography and a rationale.
- The special area bibliography. Topical divisions are recommended for the bibliography.
- A rationale of 4-5 double-spaced pages must accompany the bibliography. It should explain the intellectual coherence of the special area and the reasons for the specific bibliographic selections. The rationale should include the following:
  - an initial section summarizing the special area’s content and scope;
  - the body of the rationale describing the theoretical, thematic, or topical grounding for the narrower dissertation project; and
  - a final section describing the area’s relationship to the student’s projected dissertation.

4.2.2 – Exam Procedures and Dissertation Prospectus

PhD comprehensive examinations consist of two parts: the Qualifying Examination (written) and the Preliminary Examination (oral).

Timeline

Qualifying (written)—students will take these exams no later than their second semester after completing coursework. We encourage committees to work with students on devising some question options as the process of composing questions can help students further refine their thinking.

Note: Students will work with their committees to determine a schedule for the exams, with students having at least one week, but no more than two weeks, to complete each of the three written exams. The exam periods and dates must be decided prior to the beginning of the first exam.

Candidacy (oral)—students will take this exam within 30 days of submission of their last written exam. The candidacy exam will serve to clarify any issues with the written exam and to engage the student and the committee in conversations about the dissertation prospectus.

Within 90 days of passing the preliminary exams, students will submit a 15-20 page prospectus to their dissertation committee. Once the committee approves of the prospectus, the student will begin work on the dissertation. This step will be internal to the English department and not registered with the graduate school.

The Qualifying Examination (Written)

The Qualifying Examination, which consists of three take-home written exams, will be administered by the supervisory committee, with the committee chair taking responsibility for ensuring that questions are submitted to the Academic Coordinator a few days in advance of the exam.

To create the Qualifying Examination, the dissertation director follows this process:

About 2-3 weeks prior to the first exam, the director sends a request to the other members of the Dissertation Committee, requesting 1-2 questions for each of the three exams. The committee also decides what form the exam will take; this is typically to write a 15-20 page essay on one of the questions.
The student may also draft questions to be included on the exam (at the committee’s discretion).
The dissertation director assembles a draft of the questions for each exam, ensuring that
- Each set of exam questions is directly relevant to the exam bibliography on which it is based;
- Questions from the whole committee membership appear somewhere;
- Each set of questions contains enough variation that the student has a true choice among them;
- There is no significant overlap with other exams in the sequence. For example, if a question on Exam #1 asks the student to discuss in detail the work of a particular theorist, exams later in the sequence should not ask about the same theorist.
The director circulates the exam questions among the committee for changes and edits.
- At least a week before the exams begin, the director sends the exam questions, plainly numbered as Exam 1, Exam 2, and Exam 2, to the Graduate Coordinator for formatting and distribution.

Timeline for Qualifying Examination

The three take-home exams will be administered over a set period of time each semester to be decided by the student in consultation with the committee.

These exams are typically scheduled to begin no later than the fifth week of classes.
Students will typically receive the exam questions via email any time between 8 AM-5 PM, M-F and email responses to the Graduate Coordinator on the prescribed deadline. Please consult with the Graduate Coordinator about your schedule a few days in advance.
At the end of the three exam periods, the following process occurs:
1. The committee chair (dissertation director) solicits written feedback on the candidate’s written exams (Qualifying Examination) from the committee members. Each individual examiner emails the feedback, usually about one paragraph for each question, to the committee chair. This occurs before any discussion of the exams by the committee.
2. The committee chair gathers and reads all the feedback. The committee members then meet (or confer by Zoom, Skype, or email) about the results of the exam. If all three take-home examination grades are granted a “pass” by committee members, the committee chair reports the results of the examination to the student, the Director of Graduate Studies, and Graduate Coordinator.
3. The committee chair meets with the candidate and goes over the committee’s conclusions about the strengths and weaknesses of the exam as a whole. The candidate is then encouraged to discuss the exam and responses with the committee members, who may wish to share their written evaluation with the candidate. This helps to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses for the candidate and prepares the candidate for the oral exam.
4. The Preliminary Examination is scheduled according to departmental and university guidelines.

The Preliminary Examination (Oral Examination)

Note: No Preliminary Examination can be scheduled until the candidate passes all three written portions of the Qualifying Examination. A candidate failing any one portion of the Qualifying Examination may later schedule a partial retake; if two or all three examinations are failed, the candidate must completely retake all portions of the exam. If a candidate who retakes the examinations fails any part (qualifying or preliminary examinations), the supervisory committee and the Director of Graduate Studies will meet as a review committee to rule on whether the candidate should be terminated from the program.

A Graduate School rule states that no more than 30 days may elapse between the completion of the third written exam, which the English Department defines as the results being reported to the student, and the date of the Preliminary Examination.

The supervisory committee conducts the Oral Preliminary Examination. It concerns the three written exams, and looks forward to the dissertation prospectus. The oral exam is a conversation among colleagues in which the student has a chance to discuss their exam questions and dissertation project and to bring up questions for further discussion.

If you change your topic. By the principle of coherence noted above, a candidate changing plans after the examinations – proposing a dissertation in a field not addressed by the exam lists – must submit for approval to the supervisory committee an explanation of how he or she will become qualified to write in the new field.

If you don’t pass the exam. In all graduate programs requiring comprehensive written or oral examinations (qualifying and preliminary examinations), students who fail may petition the Graduate Studies Committee to retake the examination. If permission is granted, the student will be advised of the maximum and minimum interval permitted between the original and the second exam. Two calendar years is the usual maximum interval. Normally an examination may not be taken a third time.

For the oral exam, an excellent performance can earn the Louise Schleiner Award (see Awards). This award is granted if the committee unanimously agrees, in their post-exam deliberation before the candidate is brought in, that both the written exams and the oral defense were exceptionally good.

The Dissertation Prospectus

Within 90 days of passing the preliminary exams, students will submit a 15-20 page prospectus to their dissertation committee and meet informally with the committee do discuss the prospectus. Once the committee approves of the prospectus, the student will begin work on the dissertation. This step will be internal to the English department and not registered with the graduate school.

The prospectus should:

Identify the questions that will be addressed in the dissertation;
Offer an account of relevant previous work in the field and describe what is new about the student’s project;
Discuss the student’s critical/theoretical orientation and methodology;
Provide a series of chapter summaries;
Furnish a preliminary bibliography.

Please see the Academic Coordinator for sample prospectuses from previous students in the PhD program.

4.3 – The Dissertation

Having passed the Qualifying and Preliminary Examination, the doctoral student is advanced to candidacy. It is to be understood that passing the examinations does not constitute approval of the dissertation project per se, but rather of the candidate’s readiness and ability to undertake such a project in a given field. A final version of the dissertation prospectus, which might differ significantly from that submitted for the Preliminary Examination, may be required by the candidate’s dissertation committee if the chair and the other members so determine.

The candidate will prepare a dissertation under the supervision of this dissertation committee, which consists of at least three faculty members selected with the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies and the Department Chair. Normally the membership of this committee will be the same as that of the student’s supervisory committee, but it can be changed after the exams if necessary.

Graduate School Guidelines for Submission

Please make sure to read the current Graduate School Policies and Procedures Manual section on Dissertations and submission of dissertations. Information can be found at the Graduating Your Degree page at the Graduate School.

4.3.1 – The Final Examination (Dissertation Oral Defense)

The Final Examination (Dissertation Oral Defense) is intended not only to be a defense of the claims and arguments of the dissertation but also to serve as a forum for discussing the student’s professional development, achievement, and future academic and intellectual goals.

The WSU Graduate School requires the completion and defense of the dissertation within three years from the date of the Preliminary Examination. After the completion of the dissertation, an oral defense is conducted by the members of the candidate’s dissertation committee. Voting is carried out by the members of the dissertation committee, with the committee chair supervising. Other faculty members, both within and without the English Department, are invited to attend.

When planning the timeline for the oral examination, candidates must observe the following guidelines:

Minimum of 10 working days before the oral exam: As described above, the Graduate School must be notified ten working days in advance of the proposed examination date. Submit your exam form and upload a complete draft of your dissertation to ProQuest at least 10 working days prior to the proposed exam date. Remember, all forms must be submitted electronically by the Graduate Coordinator.
Minimum of 5 working days before the oral exam: The candidate is expected to deposit the dissertation in the Department at least five working days before the oral examination.
Minimum of 5 working days after the oral exam: If the candidate passes the examination, the dissertation, in final form as approved by the committee, is to be deposited at the WSU Graduate School within five working days. Also, you must email your Hold Harmless form to gradschool@wsu.edu. Your myWSU upload of your thesis title, abstract, and signature pages must be approved by your committee and delivered to the Graduate School.
No exams during Finals Week: Final oral examinations may not be scheduled during Finals Week; the last eligible day is the Friday of the previous week.

4.3.2 – Creative Dissertation Option

With approval from the supervisory committee and the Director of Graduate Studies, a doctoral student may elect to write a creative dissertation. The basic prerequisite for this choice will be that the student already hold an MFA degree in creative writing (and will thus have already taken multiple writing workshops; the English Department does not currently offer such workshops at the graduate level).

Course work and doctoral examinations for such a student will be identical in structure to those for literature students: i.e., the student will complete ten seminars, enroll in at least one credit of ENGLISH 590, and take three week-long qualifying exams (the first in a historical period; the second in a separate historical period, a genre, or a defined field within literary theory; and the third in a special area). The prospectus and the dissertation itself will be the elements of the student’s program that most differ from those of students pursuing more conventional literary study.

Creative dissertations may take any number of forms, but the most common is a sustained piece of creative writing (a novel, a collection of poems, etc.) accompanied by a substantial critical preface or introduction. Since the Ph.D. in English has always been understood as a research-intensive degree, students electing to write a creative dissertation are still obliged to conduct original research and to produce a piece of writing which contributes in some original way to the broad field of English studies. The student’s prospectus, prepared after consultation with the members of his or her supervisory committee, must therefore outline the ways in which the proposed dissertation will satisfy these expectations.

4.3.3 – Dissertation Extensions

When a dissertation has not been defended within three years from the date of a candidate’s completion of the doctoral Qualifying Examination, the candidate must initiate a request for a dissertation extension. The candidate asks the chair of their committee to write a letter to the Director of Graduate Studies, who then forwards this letter, along with a corroborating request, to the WSU Graduate School.

First extensions (for another calendar year) are normally granted as a matter of course.
Second extensions are more difficult to obtain; they involve detailed petitions and, in some cases, a full departmental vote. Students are strongly encouraged not to place themselves in a position where they need to seek a second extension.
Third extensions are allowed only in exceptional circumstances (e.g., personal and/or family medical issues, etc.). The entire English Department is required to vote on whether a third extension should be granted, after which the documentation is submitted to the WSU Graduate School. The WSU Graduate School allows no possibility of dissertation extensions beyond the third extension. For more detail, see Section 6.4 of the WSU Graduate Manual.

5 – Foreign Language Requirements

The Department of English believes that incoming graduate students should understand the professional demands of their discipline through preparation in the following areas:

Training in methods of inquiry and research methods appropriate to their discipline or subdiscipline;
Reading in and engagement with the challenges of the profession, including professional norms of publication and the academic job market; and
Preparation in language studies appropriate to the student’s research area, which may include languages other than English, linguistics, or computer languages.

The Language and Research Requirement is designed to prepare students in these areas.

The English Department concurs with the Modern Language Association’s 2012 statement on the importance of foreign language study: “The MLA regards the learning of languages other than English as vital to an understanding of the world; such learning serves as a portal to the literatures, cultures, historical perspectives, and human experiences that constitute the human record. Pragmatically, we believe in the value of becoming part of a global conversation in which knowledge of English is often not enough, and the security and future of our country depend on accurately understanding other cultures through their linguistic and cultural practices.”

Accordingly, all candidates for graduate degrees in English must provide evidence of substantial preparation in language studies. Both the MA and PhD programs have specific language requirements. Exemptions from the requirement are normally granted to students whose native language is not English and to students who completed a foreign language major at the undergraduate level.

5.1 – Methods for Satisfying the Requirement

Both MA and PhD candidates in the Department of English are normally expected to demonstrate substantial competence in research methods or in at least one language other than English.

Students may satisfy the requirement in one of the following ways:

Transcripts. Any person with a bachelor’s degree in a language other than English has met the requirement. Any person with a minor in a language other than English has met the requirement. The minor must involve a minimum of 15 semester credits in the language with courses taught in the language. Students may need to write to the university for information on the courses.
Transcripts. A student may choose to do one year of graded coursework in a language. The coursework must be offered through WSU or, by approval of the graduate studies director, during a summer school or at a distance through another university. This coursework could be an introductory year of the language or a year of literature courses (taught in the language).
Testing. The student could test to show proficiency through a direct translation of roughly 500 words in 2 hours.
Testing. The student could take a test involving 800 to 1000 words of reading in a two-hour period with ten comprehension questions being asked/answered in English.
Testing. The student could take a one-week challenge exam in which the student, working with a faculty member, identifies an article in the language — one that has not been translated to English. The student would then have one week to work through the article on their own and to write a summary of that article in English.
International students whose primary language is not English would not be required to meet any of these requirements.
Persons testing in ASL would be required to either take two semesters of the language (see #2 above) or take a standardized test.

MA students should plan to complete the Language and Research requirement earlier rather than later, preferably in the first or second semester of their program, since the language testing exams and English 600, Preparation for Proficiency Testing may be taken more than once.

For PhD students, the choice of language must be made no later than the third semester of doctoral study (the fall semester of the second year), preferably in the first or second year, and students normally should fulfill the language requirement before taking their qualifying examinations.

Please note the following exceptions to the requirement stated above:

MA and PhD students in Rhetoric and Composition may also consider taking six hours of linguistics and then completing a foreign language course at the 306-level or higher or one of the above options.

Exemptions from one of the languages required are normally granted to students whose native language is not English and to students who completed a foreign language major at the undergraduate level.

Pending approval by the Director of Graduate Studies, students holding an MA in English from WSU who have successfully completed the language requirement for their MA will be considered to have completed the language requirement for the Ph.D. as well.

The programs of MA students may contain up to three hours of non-graduate credit, 300- or 400-level courses in supporting work outside the major department.

The programs of PhD students may contain up to six hours of non-graduate credit, 400-level courses outside the major department and listed in the WSU Graduate Bulletin. Foreign language courses, therefore, may fulfill part of the credit-hour requirement for the degree.

5.2 – Guidelines for In-House Foreign Language Translation Examinations (Option 3)

The following guidelines apply to all faculty members in the English Department who provide foreign language proficiency testing to departmental graduate students.

Designing and Administering the Translation Exam (Option 3)

The student must be able to provide a reasonable explanation for his/her choice of language.
The test itself is to be designed by the faculty member.
Selections for translation should come from academic, non-literary sources. Academic sources include journal articles, book chapters, introductory essays to books, some web documents, etc.
In tests of languages in which academic materials are not available (e.g. Anglo-Saxon/Latin), appropriate literary/historical texts may be used.
The excerpts for translation should come to no more than 500 words (including “small” words such as articles, prepositions, etc.). The faculty examiner may choose one extract of 500 words or shorter extracts that add up to 500 words.
During the test, the student may use any dictionaries, grammar books, verb conjugation handbooks, etc. The student may also use such resources online. However, under no circumstances may a student use an electronic translator. This rule should be carefully explained to the student prior to the exam.
The student should be given an uninterrupted full two hours to translate.
The student may handwrite or type his/her translation as desired.

Scoring the Translation Exam (Option 3)

A holistic score of 3 or better on the following rubric is required:

4 = Outstanding: a well worded, accurate translation in fluent colloquial English. 100% of the translation has been completed.

3 = Good: errors would not prevent the student from making effective scholarly use of the translation of the text; the English translation may not be elegant, but awkwardness would not hinder an outside reader. Alternatively, the major problem may be in the area of speed/number of words translated. The quality of the translation may fit the descriptor for a “4” but only 90 – 95% of the translation may have been rendered.

2 = Basic: general understanding, but major errors in meaning or English prose. Alternatively, the major problem may be in the area of speed/number of words translated. The quality of the translation may fit the descriptors for “3” or “4” but only 80 – 90% of the translation may have been rendered. A grade of 2 should imply that the assessor believes the student could pass with a moderate amount of additional study.

1 = Inadequate in accuracy, fluency, or both, with major errors in understanding and/or failure to complete translation of even 80% of the text. A score of 1 implies that the assessor believes the student needs serious coursework in the language, i.e., improvement is probably beyond what practice and self- teaching can accomplish.

More information on the scoring of options 4 and 5 will be available in Fall 2022.

Refereeing the Test

An examiner may be torn between a score of 3 and a score of 2. In such cases, he/she should confer with the language proficiency committee so as to find a second referee to read and evaluate the translation.

Filing the Test

The test should be evaluated within one week of the testing date. Once the examiner has marked the test and scored it, he/she should send the score and comments to the student, the Graduate Coordinator, and the Director of Graduate Studies. The exam itself may also be given to the student.

Tests that receive 3 or 4 should be sent to the student and to the director of Graduate Studies. Tests that receive a score lower than 3 should be returned to the student so that the student can review the work and prepare for a retake.

Retaking/Practice with the Test

It is understood that because the student is not charged for this service, the faculty member is not obliged to offer a practice test or any form of coaching. If the student needs to retake the test, the retake should be scheduled at least one month after the date of the previous test. A student may retake the test as many times as needed – but not more than once a month.

5.3 – Guidelines for Reading Comprehension and Article Summary Examinations (Options 4 and 5)

If you wish to satisfy the requirement through one of these options, please see the Director of Graduate Studies for further consultation.

6 – Graduate Certificates

The WSU English Graduate program offers two certificates, the Digital Humanities and Culture Certificate in partnership with the Digital Technology and Culture program, as well as the TESL Certificate (Teaching English as a Second Language).

6.1 – Certificate in TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language)

Certificate Description and Rationale

While the need for K-12 teachers to become versed in pedagogical theory and practices aimed at aiding students learning English as a second language (ESL) has been widely recognized, this same need has been neglected with regard to higher education classrooms. Across the country, the need for composition and literature instructors with training in teaching multilingual students is growing. Graduate students in the English Department can anticipate with certainty encountering students who use English as an additional language in their courses and should recognize the need to familiarize themselves with second language acquisition theory and pedagogical practices. By providing graduate students with background and training in this area, the graduate certificate in TESL will make students more marketable in the highly competitive English job market, both in the U.S. and overseas.

The certificate provides students with a strong understanding of the forms and functions of English, of current theories of second language acquisition, and experience developing and implementing appropriate pedagogical practices for adult learners of English. Students who have completed the certificate will be prepared to teach composition and literature courses to linguistically diverse learners, and to improve learning opportunities for second language users in classes of predominantly native-English speaking students. The certificate also provides students who wish to teach English overseas with credible documentation of their training.

Curriculum Description

The curriculum totals 12 credits. The courses provide a grounding in language form, second language acquisition, and teaching methodologies. Students seeking to earn this certificate must be simultaneously enrolled in a graduate degree granting program at Washington State University.

Core courses (choose four of these six for a total of 12 credits)

ENGL 543 Phonology (3)
ENGL 544 Syntax (3)
ENGL 546 Topics in TESL (3)
ENGL 456 Language Acquisition (3)
FOR L 540 Methods of Teaching Foreign Languages (3)
FOR L 541 Research and Methods of Technology Enhanced Foreign Language Learning (3)

Please discuss any possible substitutions with Prof. Nancy Bell. Please note that any substitutions will also be subject to the approval of the Dean of the Graduate School, and are not guaranteed.

Admission

As the core courses on which this certificate is built do not have prerequisites, the certificate will be open to students in any WSU graduate program. Students not in degree programs may also earn the certificate by enrolling as non-degree students. Students are required to maintain the minimum GPA requirement of at least 3.0 while enrolled in the certificate program.

To qualify for the graduate certificate a prospective student must have a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited post-secondary institution and meet all prerequisite requirements or demonstrate equivalent knowledge before enrolling in any courses which require these.

6.2 – Digital Humanities and Culture Graduate Certificate

The Digital Humanities and Culture Graduate Certificate emphasizes the critical analysis and creative production of digital media in a global context. The certificate brings together the social, cultural, historical and technical affordances of digital culture through humanistic inquiry and computational frameworks. Fulfilling the requirements of the certificate prepares students for problem solving, outreach and engagement locally and globally. More than learning a specific technology or computing platform, a graduate certificate in Digital Humanities and Culture challenges students to learn how, when, and most importantly why to use technology to solve a range of social, educational, technical, and/or political problems for information technology companies, political advocacy groups, social justice projects, institutions of higher education and beyond. Merging theory and practice, the Digital Humanities and Culture certificate provides a foundation for critical digital literacy and computation.

Designed to enhance already existing graduate programs in the humanities and the social sciences, the graduate certificate in Digital Humanities and Culture offers graduate-level coursework in critical methods, textual analysis, composing practices, and hands-on production for engaging with humanistic studies in, as well as about, digital environments. Sharing the vision of the College of Arts and Sciences to, “Connect faculty and students across disciplines and campuses to enable them to address problems that transcend disciplinary boundaries,” the graduate certificate in Digital Humanities and Culture brings together courses, students, and faculty with an emphasis on the interdisciplinary strengths of the English department and the Digital Technology and Culture program.

The core courses of the Digital Humanities and Culture certificate offered by the English department and the Digital Technology and Culture program pulling from the strengths of our diverse, interdisciplinary faculty highlighting both the critical and practical aspects of the proposed certificate: critical inquiry and theory connected to digital production and processes. The faculty’s range of specialties and areas of expertise include: Information Ethics and Data Sovereignty, Rhetoric and Technical Communication, Digital Media Studies, Print Culture, Cultural Criticism, and Ethnography to serve graduate students across the College of Arts and Sciences.

Curriculum Description

Students seeking to earn this certificate must be simultaneously enrolled in a graduate degree-granting program at Washington State University. A total of nine-credit hours are required for the DHC graduate certificate: DTC/ENGL 560 (three-credit hours) and DTC/ENGL 561 (three-credit hours) are mandatory and the final three-credit hours are chosen by the students from a list of electives depending on their focus. The required two core courses, both offered on the Pullman campus, bring together theory, practice, methods, and ethics.

Core Courses

DTC/ENGL 560: Critical Theories, Methods, and Practice in Digital Humanities
DTC/ENGL 561: Studies in Technology and Culture

Electives

Students must choose at least one elective course from the following list to complete the requirements for the certificate. Other courses may be accepted upon request and approval by both the Director of Graduate Studies in English and the Director of the Digital Technology and Culture program.

AMST 522 Digital Cultures, Digital Divides
DTC 477 Advanced Multimedia Authoring
DTC 478 Usability and Interface Design
ENGL 548 Seminar in Critical and Cultural Theory
ENGL 573 Editing in a Digital Age
ENGL 591 Topics in Pedagogy
HIST 527 [M] Public History: Theory and Methodology
HIST 529 Interpreting History through Material Culture
PHIL 450: Data Analytics Ethics

For more information about this certificate please contact: dtc@wsu.edu

6.2.1 – DTC Policy for Graduate Student Teaching

It is expected that all graduate students on a TAship will teach English 101 during their first year. It is also expected that M.A. students on a TAship will continue with English 101 during their second year, though exceptions have been made based on department needs and student specializations. As such, the following policy is intended primarily for Ph.D. students. If the case arises where an M.A. student is considered for a DTC teaching assignment, the following policy will also apply.

To be considered for teaching DTC 101 or 201,

Students must be actively pursuing the Digital Humanities and Culture Graduate Certificate and have completed either DTC 560 or 561
Students must successfully shadow a DTC faculty’s 101 or 201 course for one semester
- Demonstrated success includes: attending a majority of the scheduled courses, lead at least one class session, create at least one class activity, receive a written approval from course faculty member.
Students must produce a syllabus for approval
Approval by Director of DTC Program in consultation with student’s major advisor and Department Chair.

Upper Division DTC Courses

Ph.D. students whose research and teaching overlap with the mission of DTC and the major areas of academic emphasis in DTC will be considered. The core mission of the DTC program is to bring together the creative production and critical study of technology in a global context. Graduate students who have a clearly articulated program of study that engages these issues and who meet the following criteria will be considered:

Students must have taught DTC 101 or 201
Students must be post-comprehensive exams
Students must either shadow the course they are going to teach, or, in limited cases where it hasn’t been offered, write a proposal and syllabus to be approved by the DTC Director
Approval by Director of DTC Program in consultation with student’s major advisor and Department Chair.

Note: Priority to teach upper division classes will be given to DTC faculty and will be determined at the discretion of the Director of the DTC Program.

6.3 – Certificate in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Graduate Certificate

Washington State University offers a Graduate Certificate in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS), designed to provide students with a critical understanding of gender equity and justice as theorized and practiced in the field of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies nationally and transnationally. The program incorporates an interdisciplinary approach, equipping future academic and non-academic professionals with fundamental theoretical background, practical research knowledge, and an intersectional analytical framework to address challenges in gender justice and broader social justice struggles. WSU is committed to providing comprehensive training in feminist and queer studies, focusing on social, political, and cultural theory, research approaches, and new topics of scholarly inquiry and debate. Our emphasis is on preparing graduates to be thoughtful leaders capable of addressing equity and justice challenges of today and tomorrow.

Course Highlights

WGSS 541: Feminist and Queer Approaches to Research (3 credits) — Gain an understanding of interdisciplinary qualitative research approaches in the field of WGSS.
WGSS 581: Feminist and Queer Theories and Frameworks (3 credits) — Study intersectional frameworks, theories, and analytical approaches to gender and sexuality in complex interconnection with race, social class, dis/ability, ethnicity, and religion.
Topics Elective Coursework (3 credits) — Choose from a range of courses in areas such as Cultural Politics of the Body, Gender & Sexuality in Buddhist Culture, Gender and Justice, Bioethics, and more.

The program is offered through WSU’s various graduate programs on the Pullman, Vancouver, Spokane, and Tri-Cities campuses.

Program Requirements

The WGSS graduate certificate requires the completion of 9 credits of interdisciplinary coursework (6 credits of required courses, 3 credits of elective). Attending at least one WGSS seminar series is required.

Admission Requirements

The certificate program is open to current WSU graduate students of any discipline who have goals and interests that align with the certificate program. Non-degree seeking students who meet the requirements for graduate study at WSU may also be admitted to the WGSS certificate program. Students are required to have/maintain a graduate GPA of 3.0 or better to participate. The certificate can be pursued during any phase of training as long as there is sufficient time to complete the requirements, which typically takes two-three semesters.

Career Opportunities

The Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Graduate Certificate provides several opportunities for students to grow academically and professionally:

Academic Careers: Enhance qualifications for academic positions in higher education, especially in combination with a PhD in a traditional discipline.

Professional Careers: Strengthen expertise for careers in public policy, health equity, social justice, and other fields, particularly when paired with professional degrees like public administration, public health, law, etc.

Intellectual Growth: Develop a critical understanding of gender equity and justice issues, intersectional analytical frameworks, and qualitative research approaches to address complex real-world problems.

7 – Admission Procedures and Policies

Each applicant is required to submit through the WSU Graduate School applications site. Since the file cannot be shared with the Graduate Studies Committee until it is complete, it is important that applicants promptly supply all materials within their immediate control and keep informed of the progress of materials due from other sources. Applicants are encouraged to telephone the department to check on the status of their files: (509) 335–4795, or e-mail the Graduate Coordinator, Kim Pedersen, at kimberly.pedersen@wsu.edu.

Deadline Dates

Application materials are reviewed by the Graduate Studies Committee in the spring semester of each academic year. Application materials must be received before the deadline of January 10 for those applying for admission the following fall semester.

Application Materials for All MA and PhD Programs

Application Form

All applicants must apply through the WSU Graduate Admissions portal.

Academic Transcripts

Applicants must upload academic transcripts from all previous universities at the time of application. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable for the application process.

Upon the student’s acceptance to the Graduate School, however, official, certified transcripts must be supplied from the college or university where the academic work was completed. Transcripts representing work from the current year (not yet finished) are acceptable.

Three Confidential Letters of Recommendation

When applying through the WSU Graduate Admissions site, the applicant is required to list three referees, each with his/her email address. The WSU Graduate School will then contact these referees, sending them electronic recommendation forms which will subsequently be made available to the admissions committee members in the English Department. Applicants should select referees who are capable of evaluating their qualifications for graduate study in English, and, if appropriate, for teaching at the college level.

Brief Statement of Purpose

The applicant should submit through the WSU Graduate Admissions site a description of his or her interests in English studies, along with reasons for wishing to begin (or to continue) graduate work, background or experience in teaching, career goals, and expectations regarding Washington State University. This statement should be no longer than about 500 words (two double-spaced pages.).

Writing Sample

All applicants should submit through the WSU Graduate Admissions page a recent sample of scholarly or critical writing. For those applying to MA program, this sample would most likely be an essay written for an upper-level undergraduate course. For PhD applicants, the sample might come from a graduate seminar in literature, rhetoric, cultural studies, theory, etc. In either case, the sample should represent the applicant’s critical thinking skills and ability to write effectively for an academic audience. Essays with a significant research component are especially appropriate. The length of the writing sample should be 10-20 typed, double-spaced pages.

Non-Native Speakers of English

Non-native speakers must take the TOEFL exam (preferably the TOEFL internet-based test [TOEFL-iBT]), the IELTS, or the Michigan Test of English Language Proficiency.

The minimum scores for the English Department Graduate Program are as follows (TOEFL, IELTS):

See the international requirements at the WSU Graduate School website

TOEFL:

Minimum TOEFL Scores	Paper	Computer	Internet	MELAB
English	580	237	93	82

IELTS:

The minimum acceptable IELTS score is 7.

A Note on Confidentiality

All student files are strictly confidential. They are kept in the office of the Graduate Coordinator, and under normal circumstances will only be seen by the following people: the Department Chair; the Director of Graduate Studies; the Graduate Coordinator; and the student (except for those portions of the file – such as letters of recommendation – which the student may not read). During the admissions process application files may be read by the members of the admissions committee (normally the members of the Graduate Studies Committee). Thesis and dissertation advisors may also see their students’ files, with the permission of the Chair or Director of Graduate Studies.

8 – Teaching Assistantships, Fellowships, Awards, and Other Forms of Financial Assistance

8.1 – Teaching Assistantships

Teaching Assistantships are awarded to new and continuing graduate students on a competitive basis. PhD students normally receive five years. We are currently unable to offer TAships to MA students.

Teaching Assistants are employed according to the terms of the contract negotiated by WSU/UAW Local 4591, representing all Academic Student Employees at WSU. Information about contract terms and working conditions can be found at the UAW 4591 website.

Tuition Waiver. A waiver of the resident operating fee (a significant portion of tuition) is normally granted to Teaching Assistants while they are pursuing their degrees, but they must reside in the state of Washington (see the Graduate Coordinator for details on establishing Washington residency). TAs with such waivers are still responsible for paying miscellaneous university fees, along with buying their books and covering other minor charges.

Non-resident tuition fee waivers for out-of-state domestic students on appointment are not guaranteed beyond one year; students who intend to remain in the state are strongly encouraged to review Washington statutes governing the establishment of residency for tuition purposes. TAs with such waivers are still responsible for paying miscellaneous university fees, along with buying their books and covering other minor charges.

Students awarded TAships gain invaluable experience from this employment. While most assignments are in first-year writing courses, advanced doctoral students will often have the opportunity to teach in other areas as well: literature classes, advanced composition, basic writing, technical/professional communication, and Humanity, and ESL courses. These upper-division or specialty courses are typically assigned after the student has completed his/her/their preliminary examinations, usually in the third year of the program, but courses are assigned on the basis of department need.

Guidelines for Students Wishing to Keep their TAship and Work with Advisors on Another Campus

Graduate students requesting to transfer to another campus have previously not been able to take their TA support with them. However, a PhD student whose dissertation director and other committee member(s) are at another campus may wish to move to that campus. Here are the guidelines for such a transfer as amended by the GSC on 11.29.18 and approved on 03.29.19:

PhD students who do not have a non-Pullman TAship but want to take their Pullman TAship with them would be able to do so if the following conditions are met:

They are moving to another WSU campus (not simply leaving Pullman for another place).
Their dissertation director is at the campus to which they’re moving, and the campus agrees to give them office space, cubicle, or desk that is as far as feasible comparable to what’s available on that campus.
The English Department in Pullman has a sufficient number of online courses available that the PhD student is qualified to teach (e.g., if English 402 is available, the student must have taken English 534 to be qualified to teach it), and the Associate Chair approves the move from a scheduling perspective.
The TAship teaching load and obligations will remain the same; so will the salary, unless the host campus has additional funding to supplement it.
The grad student must be qualified to teach online courses. Students who have already successfully taught an online class could count that experience. Students who have not already taught an online course could, e.g., take this free WSU excellence in online teaching course. The student should also speak with the Director of Composition about their preparation to teach online.
If the courses taught will be composition, Directors of Composition (both in Pullman and either Vancouver or Tri-Cities) should be involved in the conversation before any decision is made, particularly since the grad student will still be teaching. Who will be the student’s teaching supervisor and who will the student be able to rely on for support and teaching advice?
Students need to understand that the cohort and community available in Pullman to pool expenses may not exist at the host campus. Living in Vancouver, for example, is much more expensive than living in Pullman.
Because these students would be teaching Pullman courses online, they would need to understand that they might not have the option to teach the in-person upper-division courses that would typically be available to them.
The students have to have completed their coursework before the transfer, and preferably their preliminary exams as well.
The TAship transfer will be on a yearly basis contingent on satisfactory progress.

8.2 – Research Assistantships

Research Assistantships are also available, on occasion, with faculty members who receive grants from external agencies (e.g., NEH or NEA) or internal sources (e.g., the WSU Graduate School or Dean of the College of Liberal Arts).

Students who are awarded RA support do not therefore receive a longer total term of support than those funded through a TA. For example, a Ph.D. student awarded five years of departmental funding will not receive an extra year of funding if he or she serves for one year as an RA with the Writing Center or the journals. In short, both TA and RA support count toward the total term of the student’s funding award.

Limits of Support for TA and RA Positions. Graduate appointments in English normally last five years for Ph.D. students. Renewals of TA and RA positions are dependent upon satisfactory academic progress and satisfactory teaching.

8.3 – WSU Graduate Support for Research and Professional Development

The WSU Graduate School awards travel grants, on a competitive basis, to graduate students who plan to present papers at scholarly conferences. Limited travel funds are also available from the English Department. The Office of Grants, Research and Development (OGRD) maintains an extensive database of information about additional grant opportunities. The Graduate School also funds a number of summer Research Assistantships, normally awarded on a competitive basis to students nearing the completion of their dissertations.

Summer Dissertation Support. The English Department administers the Basil and Ella Jerard Trust to support the study of literature at WSU. Jerard funds are used as available to support graduate student travel, research, and professional development. Opportunities to apply for summer dissertation fellowships and other summer grants are announced in the spring semester.

McNair Scholar Awards. The WSU Graduate School supports McNair Scholars entering graduate programs in English and other disciplines. Details on support are available from the Graduate School.

Karen P. DePauw Leadership Award. See the WSU Graduate School website for more information.

Richard R. and Constance M. Albrecht Scholarship. See the WSU Graduate School website for more information.

Julia and Arnold Greenwell Memorial Scholarship for Social Sciences and Humanities. See the WSU Graduate School website for more information.

Charles Allen Master’s Thesis Award. See the WSU Graduate School website for more information.

Anne and Russ Fuller Fellowship for Interdisciplinary Research/Scholarship. See the WSU Graduate School website for more information.

8.4 – English Department Fellowships, Awards, and Research Support

Summer TA Positions.

During the spring semester, the chair of the department invites all Teaching and Research Assistants to apply for summer teaching positions. Doctoral students are normally given priority over students pursuing the MA, and among doctoral students those with seniority and those who have not yet taught during the summer session are generally preferred.

All students working as summer TAs (except TAs teaching for WSU Online) must enroll in a minimum of 3 hours of course work or independent study during the summer (this is a WSU Graduate School regulation; students who fail to register for 3 credits will lose their tuition waiver for the summer). Most students elect to enroll in 3 credits of ENGLISH 700, 702, or 800.

How to apply:

A call for teaching preferences for the summer will be distributed in the spring semester.

Eva Peterson Fellowship

The Peterson Fellowship for Native American Women was established by the gift of the late Mrs. Eva Feryl Peterson, a former teacher in Lewiston, Idaho, who was interested in the Northwest Indian Nations. Recipients must meet WSU admission standards and will be selected on the basis of qualifications for graduate study and motivation to complete a graduate degree in English; they will be chosen by the Chair of the English Department (or by his/her designee). The stipend for the Fellowship is $3000, normally (but not invariably) distributed over a three-year period ($1000 per year).

Peterson Fellows need not hold Teaching Assistantships in the Department, though they often do; nor are they required to complete the degree for which they are studying. Assistance with relocation expenses and summer support may also be available. The Peterson Trust also supports WSU campus activities that promote awareness of Native American cultures.

How to apply:

Eligible applicants who fit the qualifications are identified from the pool of applicants, and the fellowship is offered at the discretion of the Department Chair in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies.

Summer Dissertation Fellowships. ($3,000)

The English Department awards up to two dissertation fellowships each year. Application details will be circulated early in Spring semester for the summer of that year.

Students applying for summer fellowships agree not to take on significant (half-time or more) employment with WSU during the award period. Students assigned to teach summer school may apply for the fellowship; however, if they receive it that summer teaching position will be reassigned.

Dissertation Awards

The English Department sponsors two awards related to exceptionally meritorious performance surrounding the dissertation: The Schleiner Award, based on the Qualifying and Preliminary Exams; and the Nancy Van Doren Dissertation and Defense Award, for exceptionally meritorious performance on the completed dissertation and its oral defense.

The Schleiner Awards ($100)

The Schleiner Award ($100), established in memory of Professor Louise Schleiner, provides that students in the English Department who pass their Qualifying and Preliminary Examinations with distinction receive an honorarium of $100.

How to apply:

This award is granted at the discretion of the student’s dissertation committee, and faculty must nominate the student for this award.

Procedure:

Immediately after the oral portion of the Preliminary Examination, before the student is called back into the room, the Dissertation Committee Chair nominates the student, and the committee votes on this award. If the vote is unanimous, the award is granted, and the candidate may be notified by the committee of this award right away while receiving feedback on the successful oral defense.

The Schleiner Award form in the ballot packet should be signed by members of the committee and given to the Graduate Coordinator or the Director of Graduate Studies after the examination is completed. The Director of Graduate Studies then notifies the student more formally, via letter, and arranges for the honorarium to be delivered to the student.

The Nancy Van Doren Dissertation Defense Award ($100)

The Nancy Van Doren Dissertation and Defense Award ($100) is given to any doctoral student who demonstrates exceptional merit in producing an exemplary dissertation and performing with distinction in the oral dissertation defense. The award is named in honor of Nancy Van Doren, an English instructor, one of the first five faculty members, and the first woman faculty member, at Washington State University (1891-1905), then called Washington Agricultural College.

How to apply:

This award is granted at the discretion of the student’s dissertation committee, and faculty must nominate the student for the award. The dissertation Committee Chair nominates the student if both criteria are met, and the committee votes on this award immediately after the oral defense. If the vote is unanimous, the award is granted. The Graduate Coordinator and the Director of Graduate Studies are notified of the award after the examination is completed.

Alexander Hammond Professional Development and Achievement Award. ($750)

The Alexander Hammond Professional Development and Achievement Award is presented to the student who has shown steady, consistent, and remarkable professional growth and achievement over her or his completion of the PhD degree. The purpose of the award is to honor someone’s development over the course of his/her/their career, and as such, unlike the Avon Murphy Award, it may be awarded to a PhD student who is about to graduate. The recipient of the award is chosen by the Director of Graduate Studies and Department Chair in consultation with the Graduate Studies Committee.

The award may be granted only once to an individual and may not be awarded in the same year that the individual wins an Avon Murphy Award.

How to apply:

A call for entries will be posted on the English Department listserv in January or early February; materials are due in mid-March. Nomination materials include (1) a letter explaining the nominee’s qualifications for the award and (2) the nominee’s curriculum vitae.

Students may be nominated by their dissertation directors or other mentors; peer nominations or self-nominations are also encouraged. Additional letters of support or nomination are not required but will be read as part of the application.

Avon J. Murphy Scholarship. ($1,500)

The Avon J. Murphy Scholarship, established in 2006, is awarded each year to a graduate student in the Department of English. The award may be granted only once to an individual and may not be awarded in the same year that the individual wins an Alexander Hammond Award.

Stipulations made by the donor include the following:

The award must be granted to a PhD student currently enrolled in the English graduate program.
It must be used at WSU, and students who will graduate at the end of the year in which the award is given are not eligible.
The award cannot be distributed among two or more students.
If a suitable recipient cannot be identified in a given academic year, the award will simply be postponed until the following year.

The Avon J. Murphy Scholarship is merit-based, and the selection criteria, in descending order of importance, are as follows:

demonstrated promise for future academic achievement;
academic merit;
demonstrated academic leadership;
demonstrated creativity; and
demonstrated contributions to campus life and environment.

Letters from recommenders must address the candidate’s merits in all five areas. In addition, the nominee must write a personal statement addressing these areas.

How to apply:

The call for nominations appears on the English Department listserv in January or February; nominations are due in mid-March. Applicants are advised to prepare their materials well ahead of time.

Nomination materials include the following:

a letter explaining the nominee’s qualifications for the award,
the nominee’s curriculum vitae, and
a statement from the nominee addressing his/her/their qualifications for the award.

Candidates for this scholarship may be nominated by faculty members, by graduate student peers, by undergraduate students, or by themselves. Candidates are encouraged to ask faculty for supporting letters.

Outstanding Seminar Essay or Project Award

The Outstanding Seminar Project Award is presented annually to the best seminar paper or project submitted during the previous calendar year. Beginning in 2010, two awards are given: one at the MA level and the other at the PhD level.

How to apply:

Candidates must be nominated by their professors for this award. A call for entries will be posted on the English Department listserv in early March.

8.5 – Post-Graduation Employment Possibilities

Professional Support Coordinators

Two faculty members each year, one a recently-hired tenure-track professor and one who has served on a search committee, assist those students about to go on the job market and offer support for students exploring professional paths both in and out of academia. The exact program varies from year to year but usually includes CV assistance, mock interviews, and other activities.

8.5.1 Lectureships

Depending on the needs of the English Department, there are sometimes opportunities for graduates of the English Graduate Program to be employed as lecturers (formerly called instructors prior to 2020) or career-track faculty in the Department of English.

Guidelines:

Current graduate students in English cannot be considered as lecturers in the English Department. Students must either have graduated or have left the program in order to be considered, since WSU prohibits employees from taking classes in the program in which they are employed.
Hiring lecturers depends entirely on department funding from the temporary teaching budget.
The English Department tries to give some preference to our own students in hiring lecturers, but if special expertise is needed (i.e., ESL or another field), we would hire outside people instead.
No graduating MA is guaranteed a position. No one can be promised teaching for the next year until the needs of the department were assessed.
Lecturers are typically hired with a 4-2 initial contract, with the possibility of a 4-4 if the number of sections warrants it.
- Lecturers could have their loads increased to a 4-3 if there are enough sections for everyone but not enough for everyone to have a 4-4.
- Lecturers with seniority would have their loads increased before newer lecturers.
As is our continuing policy, graduate students eligible to teach specialized or upper-division courses would have priority when assigning courses. Lecturers would teach what the department needed and only after all graduate students had been assigned to their requested courses (if feasible) would lecturers be assigned to teach those courses.

How to apply:

Potential lecturers submit their CV and a statement of teaching interest and expertise to the Director of Composition after discussion with the Director of Composition or the Associate Director of Composition.
The Director and Associate Director of Composition and the Department Chair interview potential lecturers. This happens over the late spring or summer.
Lecturers are hired based on their teaching ability and department needs.
After officially being hired, the lecturer is included in the English Department Schedule of Classes. This happens in the summer before the Fall semester.

9 – TA Rights and Responsibilities

Please see the WSU/UAW Local 4591 website for details of the collectively bargained contract between academic student employees (ASEs) and the administration.

Holding a Teaching Assistantship is simultaneously an invaluable and challenging dimension of your graduate education. As you enter the profession, this opportunity develops and refines both your pedagogical philosophy and practice. The Teaching Assistantship allows you to understand how leadership, negotiation, and guidance function in the classroom and in the many hours spent in conferences with your students. The Teaching Assistantship can, however, place demands on your time and energy.

A new set of responsibilities accompany the role of teacher. Outlined below are the major issues you should consider as you develop your syllabi and teaching strategies. Further, the rewarding energy spent in the classroom as a teacher must also be balanced with your role as a graduate student in your own coursework. This balancing is central to your development as a university, college or community college professor, an important introduction to the expectations of the profession.

Syllabus

Copies of a syllabus should be given to all students and to the Director of Composition or the Director of Undergraduate Studies (for classes other than undergraduate composition courses). The syllabus should be a coherent plan which maps out reading and writing assignments for the entire semester. Supplemental handouts may be needed, and minor modifications may be made as the semester progresses, but teachers must give something in writing to students that will guide them through the semester and help them plan their work schedule. During the first week of the course, teachers should cover course policies and procedures, and they should begin building a community of writers, readers, and speakers with introductions or other ice-breaking activities.

Office Hours

Office hours are valuable for providing students with informal opportunities to discuss issues relating to their writing or class activities. Instructors should establish one hour weekly for each section of assigned teaching within which to confer individually with students.

Office hours should be announced in the beginning of the semester, appear on the syllabus, and be kept consistently. Scheduling office hours immediately after class or on the same days as class is especially effective and advisable.

While this scheduling might not always be possible, instructors should recognize the strategic advantages and disadvantages of setting hours at particular times of the day and week. Because some students will be unable to consult during posted office hours, teachers should also be willing to schedule appointments at other times, as needed and within reason. Students should feel encouraged to visit the teacher and should not have to plead to speak with a teacher outside of class.

Record Keeping

Class lists

Official class lists can be downloaded from my.wsu.edu in a traditional grade book format or as an Excel spreadsheet. Class lists contain students’ ID numbers (and emails) which are often needed for various administrative purposes and for the AML. Use these lists to keep track of attendance and significant student activity–especially during the initial weeks of the semester. Instructors should also abide by the department’s “No-Show” policy.

Grade Books

Maintain a detailed grade book. Grade books must be submitted to the department at the end of each semester. Because questions about grades may arise long after you have left the university, leaving administrators and staff to make determinations based on existing records, grades must be documented fully and legibly.

Submitting Grades

Post grades on my.wsu.edu by the announced deadline. Remember that grades must be submitted at mid-term for first-year students. If you have graded individual papers, you may wish to use letter grades (A, B, C, D, F).

If you use a portfolio system or do not have enough grades at this point in the semester to calculate a representative grade, you may wish to use the following:

S (indicating strongly satisfactory work from students who would likely receive a B+ or better if they continue their current performance in the course);
X (indicating satisfactory work from students in the undifferentiated middle of your class);
F (indicating that the student is performing poorly–work is missing, participation is poor, absences are numerous, and/or writing is less than proficient on the writing assignments which have been turned in).

Alternative midterm grading systems must be explained to students in class prior to their receiving grade reports. All English 101, 201, and 301 classes use the portfolio system, but a grade is only submitted if the student is doing poorly. Please consult the specific policies for English 101, 201, and 301 for more detailed information.

Incompletes

The practice of giving grades of “I” (Incomplete) is generally discouraged both by the English Department and the University. Students must have completed 75% of their work and provide substantiation of extenuating circumstances. Students who have not completed their work should be advised to withdraw from the course.

English 101 and 201 teachers must first consult with the Director or Assistant Director of Composition before agreeing to give an incomplete. The incomplete grade is then submitted in my.wsu.edu.

In addition, the English Department has a special form for the submission of an incomplete grade, and this form must also be completed for record-keeping purposes. The teacher will need to provide sufficient information concerning the work that needs to be finished before the end of the following full semester. If such work is not completed satisfactorily and in a timely manner, the Incomplete grade will automatically be converted to an “F.”

Student Attendance

Because English courses tend to depend heavily on student participation – and thus significant pedagogical moments cannot be “made up” later — consistent student attendance is vital. Take attendance daily; first-year students especially tend to need this kind of structure. Include an attendance policy on the syllabus and follow it. Don’t make rules you don’t intend to enforce or rules so rigid that they are bound to create problems and affect morale.

Many teachers simply follow the general policy of the English Department, which is that students who miss more than two weeks of class (i.e., 6 periods for a course that meets M-W-F, or 4 periods for a class that meets T-TH) may be failed if the instructor deems it appropriate. See the handout on English 101 Policies and Procedures for more detailed information.

Recent communications from the WSU Administration advise instructors to be flexible in their attendance policies in case of bad weather that may make it difficult for students to return home after a break or to come to campus. Also, the Health Center will not provide a doctor’s note for students who are ill, so if you are making a distinction between excused and unexcused absences, you cannot ask for this documentation.

Class Cancellation

Class meetings must be canceled through the Department so that an official notice of class cancellation might be posted by the staff. Confine absences to illness or professional responsibilities. Finding a substitute to teach or proctor a missed class is always appreciated by students, but consistency should guide the decision for a substitute.

Student-Teacher Relations

The first year in college can be a stressful time for students. Many of our students are experiencing situations never encountered before: living away from home, getting along with roommates, and balancing multiple responsibilities with newfound freedoms. Because most students’ classes are large, you may be perceived as the most approachable teacher they have. Periodically, students will want to share frustrations or personal problems. Please be aware that you can always refer students to the WSU Counseling Center if you think it appropriate.

Conflicts with Students

Conflict with students is most effectively treated through preventive measures. Teachers who act in a consistent manner with their students and work to establish trust from the first day of the semester may be able to deter disputes later. Remember that you are accountable for having class procedures stated in writing, for implementing those procedures equitably, and for approaching conflicts in a reasonable way. You are responsible for demonstrating that you are actively disposed to settle conflicts in a fair and forthright manner. If you follow this standard, you have the right to expect students to show respect both to you and their peers. When these expectations are not met, you can count on the support of your administration.

It is best to discuss any potential conflicts early in the semester. Because most student complaints about teachers concern grades, a clear-cut grading strategy explained in the syllabus and consistently applied throughout the semester prevents difficulty, at least to some extent. Remind students from time to time about policies that affect them–don’t assume that they have memorized (or even that they still possess) your syllabus.

When conflict occurs, tell the student what the problem is, as you perceive it. Listen, and expect the students to do the same. Show the student where in the course materials the relevant procedures are documented and tell the student that to be fair to the class as a group you must follow the procedures you’ve set out. If the atmosphere becomes so charged with emotion that you feel nothing will be resolved, reschedule for another time. Once you’ve exhausted your diplomatic resources, hold your ground. Suggest that the student schedule an appointment with the Director or Assistant Director of Composition or the Director of Undergraduate Studies, as appropriate. In many cases, students will respond positively to a hearing of their grievances by a third party. The Assistant DOC, DOC, or Director of Undergraduate Studies will direct the student to the Department Chair if the matter remains unsettled.

Common sense indicates that there may be situations where teachers should leave their doors open during a student office visit. You do not have to put up with abuse or threats of abuse, whether verbal or physical. When you feel you are being treated unfairly, refer the student to the Director of Composition. Consult with the Director early. Ask for advice when you feel you need to have intervention.

Plagiarism

Teachers are responsible for teaching the use of citation, including quotation, summary, and paraphrase. Unfortunately, research paper assignments sometimes elicit plagiarism of “file” papers. To mitigate the chances of plagiarism, the teacher should first review with students the Student Handbook’s policy on plagiarism. Be aware that dated or familiar assignments can cause greater chances of plagiarism. A teacher might consider requiring students to photocopy all research and submit this research with the assignment. In cases of suspected plagiarism, contact the Director or Assistant Director of Composition or the Director of Undergraduate Studies, as appropriate.

Course Evaluations

Course evaluations are a departmental requirement and are administered online through WSU Blue. Assure your students that you will not see the evaluations until after grades are turned in. The evaluations are for your use as you plan your course text time, and also for the Director of Composition to review. No one else except the Chair of the Department may look at your evaluations without your permission. Evaluations are kept by the Department for two years and are then destroyed or given to you. They belong to you and may be taken when you leave the department.

Retention and Probation of Graduate Teachers (Academic Standards)

It is essential to remember that you are a graduate student first. In order to retain your funding, you must remain in good standing academically with both the Department and the Graduate School. The Graduate School requires that a student remain in good standing by maintaining a “B” average. The graduate faculty of the Department of English takes the matter a step further, judging an in-class grade (rather than GPA) of C+ as unsatisfactory to graduate work. Further, as a TA you are required to resolve “Incompletes” in your graduate course work within one semester or summer session. Failing to comply with these academic standards can be immediate grounds for termination of your appointment.

Unprofessional Conduct

All teachers can be placed on probation for unprofessional conduct. Unprofessional conduct includes breaches of the University’s code of professional ethics, allowing for free expression; breaches of the University’s policies on racial and other kinds of discrimination, which include its policies on sexual harassment; and failure to adjust teaching practices that do not serve the interests of students.

Violations of university policies will be immediately directed to the Chair of the English Department, who will take necessary action in accordance with the Disciplinary Regulations of Washington State University. Questionable teaching practices (e.g., frequent cancellation of classes, consistently awarding grades far above or below general tendencies, decidedly high student complaints) will result in the following procedures:

The Director or Assistant Director of Composition will call for a meeting with the instructor to discuss the concern and suggest possible teaching strategies or other means whereby the concern can be rectified.
The Director or the Assistant Director of Composition will attend no fewer than two class sessions without prior notice, meeting with the instructor at the first available time subsequent to the class visitations to discuss the results of the observations, and to make further suggestions if appropriate.
If deemed appropriate by the Director of Composition, the instructor will be placed on a probationary status with terms for the removal of probation stipulated in writing.
The Director or the Assistant Director of Composition will again attend no fewer than two class sessions without prior notice, assuring compliance with the terms of the probation, meeting with the instructor at the first available time to discuss the finding.
If the Director of Composition finds that the instructor has not made a bona fide effort to meet the terms of probation, the file containing the procedure will be forwarded to the English Department’s Executive Committee for its recommendation on further action. Considering all the evidence, the Chair of the English Department will then decide on whether to require further probation or terminate the appointment.

All procedures will be kept in a file separate from the instructor’s official file. Should the conditions of the probation be satisfied, the probationary file will be destroyed within one year.

10 – University Policy on Discrimination and Sexual Harassment

Purpose

The strategic plan of Washington State University calls for an “environment of trust and respect in all that we do.” Discrimination and sexual harassment destroy mutual respect and a trusting environment. This policy expresses the commitment of WSU to maintaining an environment free from discrimination, including sexual harassment. This policy applies to all students, faculty, staff, or others having an association with the University.

WSU is committed to the principles of free inquiry and free expression. Vigorous discussion and debate are fundamental to the University, and this policy is not intended to stifle teaching methods or freedom of expression. Discrimination and sexual harassment are neither legally protected expressions of speech nor the proper exercise of academic freedom. Sexual harassment and other forms of discrimination compromise the integrity of the University, its tradition of intellectual freedom, and the trust and respect expected in the University community.

Discrimination Prohibited

This policy prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, religion, age, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, physical, mental or sensory disability, marital status, genetic information, and/or status as a veteran. Discriminatory harassment is one form of discrimination. Under this policy, discriminatory harassment is identified as conduct toward a particular individual, individuals, or groups on the basis of a protected status that is sufficiently severe or pervasive that it has the purpose or effect of:

Creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work or educational environment for individuals or groups; or
Unreasonably interfering with the work, academic performance, living environment, personal security, or participation in any University-sponsored activity of individuals or groups.

Sexual harassment is a form of discrimination. Sexual harassment encompasses unwelcome sexual advances, unwelcome requests for sexual favors or requests for sexual favors in exchange for some benefit, and/or unwelcome verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature by a male or a female. Sexual harassment occurs when:

Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of any individual’s employment or education; or
Submission to or rejection of such behavior by an individual is used as the basis for employment or educational decisions affecting the individual; or
A behavior is sufficiently severe and pervasive to interfere with any individual’s work or educational performance, or create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work or educational environment.

Examples of behaviors that may rise to the level of sexual harassment and, therefore, are prohibited by this policy include but are not limited to the following:

Physical assault;
Direct or implied threats that submission to sexual advances will be a condition of employment, work status, promotion, grades, or letters of recommendation;
A pattern of behaviors that is unwelcome and severe or pervasive, resulting in unreasonable interference with the work or educational environment or creation of a hostile, intimidating or offensive work or educational environment, and may include but is not limited to the following:
Comments of a sexual nature;
Sexually explicit statements, questions, jokes, or anecdotes;
Unnecessary or undesirable touching, patting, hugging, kissing, or brushing against an individual’s body;
Remarks of a sexual nature about an individual’s clothing, body, or speculations about previous sexual experiences;
Persistent, unwanted attempts to change a professional relationship to an amorous relationship;
Subtle propositions for sexual activity or direct propositions of a sexual nature; and/or
Uninvited letters, e-mails, telephone calls, or other correspondence referring to or depicting sexual activities.

Reporting and Immediate Action

Anyone who believes she or he is a victim of discrimination or sexual harassment should take one or more of the following actions, as appropriate:

Meet informally with the Ombudsman or a counselor from the WSU Counseling Center to discuss the incident and seek information, guidance, and/or advice on the discrimination and sexual harassment policies of the University and protocols for reporting the incident; and/or
Report the incident to his/her supervisor, who must report the incident to the Office for Equal Opportunity for consultation and statistical purposes; and/or
Report the incident to the Office for Equal Opportunity for investigation.

A supervisor (e.g., administrator, dean, chair, director, ombudsman, faculty member, graduate teaching or research assistant, or undergraduate student employee with supervisory responsibility) receiving information in his or her capacity as a supervisor describing incidents of discrimination or sexual harassment defined in this policy must:

Report the incident to the police if suspicion exists that a crime was committed; and
Report alleged incidents of discrimination or sexual harassment to the Office for Equal Opportunity for consultation and statistical purposes.

In addition, supervisors receiving information about incidents of discrimination or sexual harassment should either:

Take action to immediately end the behavior; and/or
Encourage the reporting individual to consult with the Office for Equal Opportunity and report the incident of discrimination or sexual harassment for possible investigation; and/or
Report the incident to an immediate supervisor; and/or
Consult with the Office for Equal Opportunity to report the incident and determine the need for investigation.

Supervisors and professors are in most cases mandated reporters.

Note: Reporting of the incident to the Office for Equal Opportunity does not preclude the supervisor from taking formal or informal action to end the behavior. The supervisor must inform the alleged victim or reporting individual of his or her obligation to report the occurrence of alleged incidents of discrimination and sexual harassment to the Office for Equal Opportunity. In most cases, the supervisor may be required to take action to stop any inappropriate behavior regardless of the reporting to the Office for Equal Opportunity. Please consult the Office of the Attorney General, WSU Division, for advice in this regard.

The Office for Equal Opportunity will conduct prompt and effective investigations of incidents of alleged discrimination and sexual harassment; informing supervisors of the progress in the conduct of investigations; and report the results of the investigations to the supervisors, complainants and complaint respondents. Investigation reports and records will be released only pursuant to lawful public records requests. Complainants may withdraw from participation in the investigation of alleged discrimination or harassment, yet the Office for Equal Opportunity may continue an investigation if the University is legally obligated to complete the investigation.

Office of Civil Rights and Compliance (CRCI)
French Administration, Room 225
Pullman, WA 99164-1022
509-335-8288
Office of Civil Rights and Compliance website

University Ombudsman
Wilson Hall, Room 2
Pullman, WA 99164-4002
509-335-1195
University Ombudsman website

Enforcement

The University vigorously enforces this policy.

Persons determined to have violated this policy shall be subject to sanctions imposed using the due process protections of applicable University policies and handbooks (e.g., the WSU Faculty Manual, the Administrative Professional Handbook, civil service employees WAC 357-40, applicable collective bargaining agreements, and, for students, the WSU Standards of Conduct for Students, WAC 504-26).

The chosen sanction will be proportionate to the severity of the offense considering the totality of the circumstances of the incident (the nature, frequency, intensity, location, context, and duration of the alleged behavior). The chosen sanction will be adequately and appropriately severe to reasonably assure prevention of future offenses. The sanctions that are imposed or other actions taken, will be reported to the complainant and Office for Equal Opportunity by the administrator imposing the sanctions.

Faculty:

The type of corrective or disciplinary action imposed on faculty identified in violation of this discrimination and harassment policy will be determined by supervisors in consultation with the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs. Corrective actions or disciplinary sanctions may include: mandatory training or counseling regarding discrimination including harassment; transfer or reassignment; verbal or written warning; censure; demotion; reduction in salary; withholding of salary increases; denial of professional or retraining leave; withholding of promotion; termination; or summary suspension and dismissal. Established incidents of discrimination and harassment must be explicitly incorporated into faculty annual review, third year review, progress toward tenure review, and tenure and promotion consideration as violating University policy, the Faculty Code of Ethics, and/or as interfering with the teaching, scholarship, or service function of the involved individual or unit.

Staff:

The type of corrective or disciplinary action imposed on staff identified in violation of this policy will be determined by supervisors and/or appointing authorities, dependent upon employment class, in consultation with Human Resource Services personnel. Corrective actions or disciplinary sanctions may include mandatory training or counseling regarding discrimination including harassment; transfer or reassignment; verbal or written warning; reprimand; demotion; reduction in pay; withholding of pay increases; withholding of promotion; suspension; and/or termination of employment. Immediate supervisors will explicitly incorporate established incidents of severe or pervasive discrimination or sexual harassment as defined by this policy into annual performance evaluations.

Students:

The type of corrective or disciplinary action imposed on students will be determined by a student conduct officer or the conduct board using the procedures of the Standards of Conduct for Students. Disciplinary action imposed on students may include sanctions set forth in the conduct code, up to and including expulsion.

Retaliation Prohibited

No one shall suffer penalty or retaliation for making or supporting a charge of discrimination or sexual harassment under this policy. Retaliation against any person for bringing forward or participating in the investigation of a complaint under this policy, including creating a hostile work environment, forms independent grounds for taking appropriate disciplinary action. Retaliatory acts shall be reported to the Office for Equal Opportunity.

Retaliation has occurred when a student or an employee suffers a negative action after they make a report of discrimination or sexual harassment, assist someone else with a complaint, or participate in discrimination or sexual harassment prevention activities.

For students, negative actions can include being assigned an undeserved poor academic or employment reference or denial of a reference, and/or reduction or negative influence on University employment or financial aid.
For employees, negative actions can include demotion, suspension, denial of promotion, poor evaluation, punitive scheduling, unfavorable position reassignment, withholding of deserved support for promotion or tenure, assigning undesirable or inadequate space, punitive work assignments, or dismissal-any adverse employment decision or treatment that would likely dissuade a reasonable worker from making or supporting an allegation of discrimination or sexual harassment.

Malicious or Frivolous Allegations Prohibited

The University will discipline members of the University community who knowingly make false or frivolous allegations of discrimination or sexual harassment. No complaint will be considered malicious or frivolous solely because it cannot be corroborated.

11 – Useful Community Resources

Other resources may also help in the resolution of reports of discriminatory or sexual harassment behaviors.

Internal, Local, State, and Federal Resources:

Employee Assistance Program

Washington Building, Room G60
Pullman, WA 99164-2302
509-335-5759
www.eap.wsu.edu

Human Resource Services

French Administration, Room 139
Pullman, WA 99164-1014
509-335-4521
hrs.wsu.edu

Regional Human Resource Services

Spokane:     509-358-7740
Tri-Cities:    509-372-7302
Vancouver:  360-546-9587

WSU Counseling and Testing Services

280 Lighty Student Services
Pullman, WA 99164-1065
509-335-4511
counsel.wsu.edu

Women’s Resource Center

Wilson Hall, Room 8
Pullman, WA 99164-4005
509-335-6849
women.wsu.edu

U.S. Dept. of Education, Office for Civil Rights

Federal Office Building
915 Second Ave Room 3310
Seattle, WA 98174-1099
ed.gov/ocr

WSU Police

Public Safety Building
Pullman, WA 99164-7300
509-335-8548
For Emergencies: Dial 911

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Federal Office Building,
909 First Ave Suite 400
Seattle, WA 98104-1061
www.eeoc.gov

Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse, Inc.

(208) 883-HELP or (509) 332-HELP-24 hour crisis line. Collect crisis calls accepted.

Moscow, ID Office

407 S Washington St., Suite 101
PO Box 8517
Moscow, ID 83843
208-882-2490; Fax: 208-883-1041
ATVPMoscow@turbonet.com

Pullman, WA Office

115 NW State St., Room 305a
PO Box 37
Pullman, WA 99163
509-332-0552; Fax: 509-332-3314
Home@atvp.org

Washington State Human Rights Commission

Olympia Headquarters Office

(for complaints from Western Washington and the Olympics, including, Pierce, Thurston, Clark, Lewis, Grays Harbor, and Kitsap Counties)
711 South Capitol Way, #402, PO Box 42490
Olympia, WA 98504-2490
360-753-6770

Seattle District Office

(for complaints from Central and North Puget Sound, including King, Snohomish, Skagit, San Juan Islands, and Whatcom Counties)
Melbourne Tower #921, 1511 Third Ave.
Seattle, WA 98101-1626
206-464-6500

Spokane District Office

(for complaints from Eastern Washington, including Spokane, Whitman, Okanogan, Lincoln, Ferry and Stevens County)
Rock Point Plaza III, 1330 North Washington Street, Suite 2460, Spokane WA 99201 509-568-3196

Useful Resources Recommended by Graduate Students

“How-to” for Apple Health Coverage for the state of Washington
Things like food assistance and extra help for parents/single moms are a bit more complicated and the nearest office is in Colfax, but here is the link to get folks started: Washington Connection website
Finally, we have an excellent food bank here in Pullman for anyone facing food insecurity during this time and I know a few of us graduate students have benefited from it this summer.

12 – Checklists for Advising

These checklists do not substitute for a conversation and guidance from the director of graduate studies.

Checklist Links

MA Thesis – Emphasis in Rhetoric and Composition

(35-38 credit hours)

Graded Courses (24 credits)

Foundations

Complete all of the following:

English 501: Seminar in the Methodology of Composition (3 credits)
English 502: Contemporary Theories of Composition (3 credits)

Rhetoric and Composition

Complete 9 semester credits from the following:

English 508: Seminar in Assessment of Writing
English 509: Seminar in Classical Rhetoric and its Influences
English 515: Contemporary Theories of Rhetoric
English 531: Administering a Writing Program
English 532: Teaching Writing to Nontraditional Students
English 534: Theories and Methods of the Teaching of Technical and Professional Writing
English 597: Topics in Composition and Rhetoric

Linguistics

Complete minimum of 3 semester hours from the following courses:

English 543: Phonology
English 544: Syntax
English 546: Topics in Teaching English as a Second Language
English 554: History of the English Language

Other Required Courses

Electives (2 courses from any English 500-level offering and no more than 1 course of non-graduate coursework from 300- and 400-level courses)

Non-Graded Courses (11 credits minimum)

Required for Students with Teaching Assistantships

English 598: Teaching Apprenticeship (3 credits)

(1^st Semester) English 101 Preparation (1 credit)
(2^nd Semester) Weekly Colloquium on Freshman Composition (1 credit)
(3^rd or 4^th Semester) Mentored Teaching or Pedagogy Course (1 credit)

English 600 Special Projects or Individual Study

Complete 4 credits total, 1 credit per semester.

English 700: Masters Research, Thesis, and/or Examination

Complete 4 credits total, 1 credit per semester.

Additional Requirements

Foreign Language Requirement:
- Satisfy Foreign Language requirement, or
- Complete six hours of graduate-level study of modern linguistics of TESOL (This option is only available to MA students in Rhetoric and Composition)
MA Conference Presentation (in house)
Portfolio
Oral Examination

MA Portfolio – Emphasis in Rhetoric and Composition

(38 credit hours)

Graded Courses (27 credits)

Foundations

Complete all of the following:

English 501: Seminar in the Methodology of Composition (3 credits)
English 502: Contemporary Theories of Composition (3 credits)

Rhetoric and Composition

Complete 9 semester credits from the following:

English 508: Seminar in Assessment of Writing
English 509: Seminar in Classical Rhetoric and its Influences
English 515: Contemporary Theories of Rhetoric
English 531: Administering a Writing Program
English 532: Teaching Writing to Nontraditional Students
English 534: Theories and Methods of the Teaching of Technical and Professional Writing
English 597: Topics in Composition and Rhetoric

Linguistics

Complete minimum of 3 semester hours from the following courses:

English 543: Phonology
English 544: Syntax
English 546: Topics in Teaching English as a Second Language
English 554: History of the English Language

Other Required Courses

Electives (3 courses from any English 500-level offering and no more than 1 course of non-graduate coursework from 300- and 400-level courses)

Non-Graded Courses (11 credits minimum)

Required for Students with Teaching Assistantships

English 598: Teaching Apprenticeship (3 credits)

(1^st Semester) English 101 Preparation (1 credit)
(2^nd Semester) Weekly Colloquium on Freshman Composition (1 credit)
(3^rd or 4^th Semester) Mentored Teaching or Pedagogy Course (1 credit)

English 600 Special Projects or Individual Study

Complete 4 credits total, 1 credit per semester.

English 700: Masters Research, Thesis, and/or Examination

Complete 4 credits total, at least 1 credit per semester.

Additional Requirements

Foreign Language Requirement:
- Satisfy Foreign Language requirement, or
- Complete six hours of graduate-level study of modern linguistics of TESOL (This option is only available to MA students in Rhetoric and Composition)
MA Conference Presentation (in house)
Portfolio
Oral Examination

Graduate Manual (Handbook)

Table of Contents

1 – General University Requirements & Policies

1.1 – General University Requirements

1.2 – General University Policies

2 – Graduate Programs in English

2.1 – Diversity and Inclusion

2.2 – Student Learning Outcomes

2.3 – General Program Requirements

Responsible Research Training

English 501

English 598

First Semester:

Second Semester:

Third or Fourth Semester:

Guidelines for Mentored Teaching:

English 600

English 700, 702, and 800

Annual Review

2.4 – General Program Policies

Auditing Courses

Minimum GPA

Applying to Graduate

The MA Residence Requirement

The PhD Residence Requirement

Washington State Residency

Incomplete Grades

Dropping and Withdrawals

Continuous Enrollment

3 – Master of Arts in English

Courses Required of Both Options

Courses Required of Students on Teaching Assistantships

Sample Program Schedule

Year 1 (1st semester – Fall)

Year 1 (2nd semester – Spring)

Year 2 (3rd semester – Fall)

Year 2 (4th semester – Spring)

3.1 – Master of Arts in English, Emphasis in Literary Studies: Program and Course Requirements (30-38 credit hours)

3.1.1 – The MA in Literary Studies Thesis Option

Coursework

Major Project

Timetable

3.1.2 – The MA in Literary Studies Portfolio Option

Coursework

Major Project

Timetable

3.1.3 – Oral Examination

3.2 – Master of Arts in English, Emphasis in Rhetoric and Composition: Program and Course Requirements (30-38 credit hours)

3.2.1 – The MA in Rhetoric and Composition Portfolio Option

Project

Timetable

In the second semester (spring of the first year), students should

In the third semester (fall of the second year), students should

In the fourth and final semester (spring of the second year), students should

Comprehensive Examination (MA in Rhetoric and Composition Portfolio Option Only)

Oral Examination (Portfolio Option)

Suggested Timeline for Final Semester of MA Program in Rhetoric and Composition (Portfolio Option)

3.2.2 – MA Program in Rhetoric and Composition Thesis Option

Project

Timetable

In the second semester (spring of the first year), students should

In the third semester (fall of the second year), students should

In the fourth and final semester (spring of the second year), students should

3.3 – MA Thesis Proposal Guidelines

Why Write a Proposal?

The Rhetorical Point

Organizing the Proposal

4 – Doctor of Philosophy in English

4.1 – Program and Course Requirements

Qualifications

Program of Study

4.1.1 – Required Graded Seminars

What seminars are offered during my course of study?

What times of day are seminars scheduled?

4.1.2 – English 590: Research in English Studies

4.2 – PhD Comprehensive Examinations: Qualifying, Preliminary, and Final

4.2.1 – Qualifying Examinations

Preparing for the Qualifying Examinations

Reading Lists

Literary Studies