The English Department, among all the other good work that it does, provides necessary education to freshmen students who, though vulnerable and new to the demands and rigors of the university, are often in classes much too large to give them any kind of individualized attention. Furthermore, English 106 imparts the critical thinking, reasoning, and writing skills so vital for a solid education, regardless of major; depriving these classes of a home base is ultimately detrimental to one of the most critical experiences of our undergraduates. Unquestionably, a move to eliminate classrooms strikes a blow to the morale of the English Department as a whole--a decentralized department is a weakened department, and one that cannot hope to attract the best professors or the best young scholars.
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geraldine friedman
9 years ago
Can the faculty affected by decisions like this one be part of the discussion from the beginning? From y viewpoint as a faculty member, that would be ideal and foster a more collaborative and productive relationship between faculty and the administration.
O
Olivia Nammack
9 years ago
Composition students need Heavilon as a home base--it's the most intimate class they take at Purdue, usually, and being in that building 3 days a week encourages them to check out the Writing Lab and come to office hours. Reducing their Heavilon time to one day a week, while scheduling their other classes for TWO other buildings, will make composition courses scattered and impersonal. Additionally, graduate instructors need the Heavilon classrooms--they are small (appropriate for our class sizes), they have exactly the technology we need, and ICaP only just paid for the white boards in the 106 classrooms, which complement well any lesson plan that requires the projector--and again, the classrooms are small enough that writing on the white board does not require the instructor to run back and forth. And finally, undergraduate and graduate students in the English department deserve to have a space that belongs to them and encourages community. Scattering us across campus will do nothing to strengthen our department, and even less to strengthen the university at large. Moving English classes to other buildings is a huge mistake.
S
Samantha Atkins
9 years ago
It's ridiculous we have to fight to even have classrooms in which to teach and learn.
R
Robyn Malo
9 years ago
As a faculty member in the Department of English, I wish to emphasize that the classrooms *we already have* more than meet our needs, ensure that instructors can teach in a flexible environment, and, what's more, teach in our own building. The lounge in Heavilon means, furthermore, that the students feel as though they have a home. Moving our classrooms will erode the morale we have been working so hard, for the past few years, to boost.
M
Maren Linett
9 years ago
Having our classrooms and offices in the same building are important to our teaching mission and our identity as an important Purdue department.
W
Wendy W
9 years ago
In our current society, the ability to communicate and empathize is more important than ever. Do not undermine the necessary missions of the English department by removing the building dedicated to helping students gain essential skills they need to succeed in the workplace and life. To take away the existence of an academic location whose purpose is English instruction is to say that this field is not important, which is a grave mistake.
C
Charles Ross
9 years ago
Featured
What is the point of the fancy new video monitor in the lobby of HEAV if no students enter the building? Maintaining English Department classrooms is good for the efficiency and morale of undergraduate majors, graduate students, and faculty.
D
Daniel Morris
9 years ago
The classrooms near our offices and main English office offer a sense of community that we need.
We already have limited resources as it is!
The English Department, among all the other good work that it does, provides necessary education to freshmen students who, though vulnerable and new to the demands and rigors of the university, are often in classes much too large to give them any kind of individualized attention. Furthermore, English 106 imparts the critical thinking, reasoning, and writing skills so vital for a solid education, regardless of major; depriving these classes of a home base is ultimately detrimental to one of the most critical experiences of our undergraduates. Unquestionably, a move to eliminate classrooms strikes a blow to the morale of the English Department as a whole--a decentralized department is a weakened department, and one that cannot hope to attract the best professors or the best young scholars.
Can the faculty affected by decisions like this one be part of the discussion from the beginning? From y viewpoint as a faculty member, that would be ideal and foster a more collaborative and productive relationship between faculty and the administration.
Composition students need Heavilon as a home base--it's the most intimate class they take at Purdue, usually, and being in that building 3 days a week encourages them to check out the Writing Lab and come to office hours. Reducing their Heavilon time to one day a week, while scheduling their other classes for TWO other buildings, will make composition courses scattered and impersonal. Additionally, graduate instructors need the Heavilon classrooms--they are small (appropriate for our class sizes), they have exactly the technology we need, and ICaP only just paid for the white boards in the 106 classrooms, which complement well any lesson plan that requires the projector--and again, the classrooms are small enough that writing on the white board does not require the instructor to run back and forth. And finally, undergraduate and graduate students in the English department deserve to have a space that belongs to them and encourages community. Scattering us across campus will do nothing to strengthen our department, and even less to strengthen the university at large. Moving English classes to other buildings is a huge mistake.
It's ridiculous we have to fight to even have classrooms in which to teach and learn.
As a faculty member in the Department of English, I wish to emphasize that the classrooms *we already have* more than meet our needs, ensure that instructors can teach in a flexible environment, and, what's more, teach in our own building. The lounge in Heavilon means, furthermore, that the students feel as though they have a home. Moving our classrooms will erode the morale we have been working so hard, for the past few years, to boost.
Having our classrooms and offices in the same building are important to our teaching mission and our identity as an important Purdue department.
In our current society, the ability to communicate and empathize is more important than ever. Do not undermine the necessary missions of the English department by removing the building dedicated to helping students gain essential skills they need to succeed in the workplace and life. To take away the existence of an academic location whose purpose is English instruction is to say that this field is not important, which is a grave mistake.
What is the point of the fancy new video monitor in the lobby of HEAV if no students enter the building? Maintaining English Department classrooms is good for the efficiency and morale of undergraduate majors, graduate students, and faculty.
The classrooms near our offices and main English office offer a sense of community that we need.