English is, on the one hand, a humanities discipline based on the study of Western and non-Western literary texts as works of art, as sources of personal pleasure and enlightenment, and as means to understanding people and culture. It is, on the other hand, a rhetorical discipline that teaches analytical and creative processes and methods of interpretation through reading and writing.

The English faculty designs its courses for the general education of the university student and for the training of its majors, making use of lecture, discussion, workshop, collaborative teaching strategies, and independent research and reading. As a humane and practical study that develops analytical and communication skills, and individual and cultural awareness, English prepares students for critical citizenship, for professional and business careers, for law school, and for graduate study in English and other disciplines.