Elective Course Offerings & Potential Sequences

ENGL 232: Young Adult Literature

Modality: ONLINE
Instructor: Kathy Whitham    

Description or Theme: 
Young Adult Literature explores nonfiction and fiction in a variety of genres and forms, which reflect the lives and concerns of teens and young adults in a culturally diverse United States. This course covers the basics of literary analysis and interpretation. Texts may include novels, memoirs, graphic novels and comics, short stories, poetry, animated shorts, films, author interviews, and more.

ENGL&238: Creative Writing: Poetries

Modality: ONLINE
Instructor: Nanya Jhingran    

Description or Theme:
Will this be the summer you finally become a poet? Would you like to spend some weeks sitting in the sun, reading carefully curated selections of poems, & developing your own poetic voice?
This class introduces creative writers to the field and practice of poetry. It is designed to be accessible to everyone: you need no prior experience with poetry to take or excel in this course. All you need is a willingness to dive into your sense of curiosity and creativity!

Over the course of the quarter, you will build a foundational understanding of what poems are, how they make sense, the many, many forms they can take, and why people have turned to poetry as a form of expression across cultures, time-periods, and individual experiences. You will try your hand at a series of weekly writing prompts to expand your skills, play with different approaches to poetry, and find which forms feel generative and exciting to you.

Throughout, our emphasis will be on practice over product: you do not have to produce perfect poems but an active practice of writing poetry that you can take with you once the class is over!

ENGL&235: Technical Writing

Modality: ONLINE            
Instructor: Leticia Lopez

Want to write like a pro—and land the job? This course teaches real-world technical writing skills you can use right away. You’ll learn how to create workplace documents like business emails and step-by-step instructions, and you’ll use AI tools to build a polished resume and job application materials. We’ll focus on writing with purpose, designing clean and effective documents, and building the communication skills that employers seek out.

This is a fully online, asynchronous course with work due on the same two days each week. You’ll complete readings, discussion posts, and hands-on projects like interviewing someone in your field or writing instructions using LEGO blocks. We use labor-based grading, which means your effort matters more than perfection—and there’s no textbook to buy. If you like learning by doing and want practical skills you can actually use, this class is a great fit.

ENGL&107: Applied Composition

Modality: ONLINE    
Instructor: Caitlin Carle        

Description or Theme:
Every text that you interact with in your professional settings -- from sticky-note messages to colleagues to advertising materials -- is reflective of its purpose, audience, and creator. Let's make those texts count!

Almost every day, whether for school, work, or our personal lives, we write something that is intended to be read by real readers. But what written, visual, and organizational elements must we adjust for these many different types of readers?  One of the goals of English 107 is to answer those questions and to help guide you toward more self-aware, audience-friendly writing.

ENGL&101 + ENGL099 : “101 Plus”

Modality: HYBRID, M/W 10:45 - 12:45 PM    
Instructor: Caitlin Carle        

Description or Theme:
Feel ready to take a college-level writing class but want a bit more time and support as you complete it? This is the course for you! English 101 Plus combines English 101 with English 099, providing students with more direct contact with the instructor and more time to complete work within the class.

This quarter, we’ll practice reading and writing with curiosity and flexibility. We’ll reflect on our current writing practices, try new tactics, and consider how we represent our individual voices and perspectives on the page. We’ll play with writing in a space free of “right” and “wrong” answers and support each other along the way!

ENGL&101 + ENGL099 : “101 Plus”

Modality: HYBRID, T/Th 12:00 - 1:45 PM    
Instructor: Paige Talbot    

Description or Theme:

ENGL&112: Introduction to Fiction

Modality: HYBRID, T, 2:00 PM-3:45 PM    
Instructor: Paige Talbot    

Introduction to Fiction invites you to explore short stories and novel excerpts by authors from a wide range of cultures, backgrounds, and voices. In this hybrid course, we meet once a week on campus to share insights and engage in lively discussion—just like a book club. The rest of the learning happens on Canvas, where our conversations and connections continue. The course is dedicated to learning literary analysis to engage in original thinking about characters, experiences, and themes. Whether you’re a seasoned reader or just discovering your love of fiction, this course offers a welcoming, inclusive space to grow, reflect, and build community through literature.
 

ENGL260: Asian American Literature

Modality: ONLINE        
Instructor: Kathy Whitham    

Description or Theme: 
Asian American Literature examines memoir, fiction, poetry, graphic novels, and films by and about the people of Asian descent in the US and the diaspora. Focus on Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, South Asian, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander subjects and their works. Topics may include language and identity, history and memory, power and resistance, national and transnational identities, ways of belonging and non-belonging. Texts may include novels, memoirs, graphic novels and comics, poetry, creative nonfiction, articles, films, animated shorts, author interviews, and more. 

ENGL&235: Technical Writing

Modality: ONLINE
Instructor: Leticia Lopez    

Want to write like a pro—and land the job? This course teaches real-world technical writing skills you can use right away. You’ll learn how to create workplace documents like business emails and step-by-step instructions, and you’ll use AI tools to build a polished resume and job application materials. We’ll focus on writing with purpose, designing clean and effective documents, and building the communication skills that employers seek out.

This is a fully online, asynchronous course with work due on the same two days each week. You’ll complete readings, discussion posts, and hands-on projects like interviewing someone in your field or writing instructions using LEGO blocks. We use labor-based grading, which means your effort matters more than perfection—and there’s no textbook to buy. If you like learning by doing and want practical skills you can actually use, this class is a great fit.

ENGL&236: Creative Writing: Explorations

Modality: HYBRID, Wed, 10:45 AM - 12:45 PM
Instructor: Kathy Whitham    

Description or Theme: 
Creative Writing: Explorations introduces various creative writing genres and forms. Students discuss and write poetry, haiku, six word memoirs, short stories, creative nonfiction, vignettes; and visual narratives such as comic poetry, illustrated flash fiction, diary comics, and more. Emphasizes process, progress and creative exploration.

In this Fall 2025 Hybrid course, students will access assignments in Canvas and bring their completed assignments to class on Wednesdays to discuss readings, share their creative pieces, work together on visual storytelling projects, and more.

ENGL&261/HUM&220: Migration and Exile

Modality: HYBRID, T/Th, 10:45 AM-11:50 AM
Instructor: Nanya Jhingran

Description or Theme:
Have you been anxiously following the political debates on the rights of migrants and refugees? Do you and/or your family have experiences with migration and exile? Would you like to learn more about how migrants understand their relationship with culture, political belonging, geography, and history? Would you like to understand what has shaped your experience with migration while also learning about other migrant experiences? Did you know that there is a field of study that methodically asks these questions and more?

This course introduces students to key cultural studies methods while exploring a selection of 20th and 21st cultural texts such as literature, poetry, film, music, and art that represent experiences of migration, diaspora, and exile in US and global contexts. You will analyze cultural texts across genres, situate them within their appropriate historical context, think comparatively across geographic and historical settings, and develop your own critical and creative responses to the course materials and themes.

ENGL&111: Introduction to Literature

Modality: ONLINE
Instructor: Paige Talbot

In Introduction to Literature, you’ll explore the worlds of fiction, poetry, and drama through the voices of writers from a wide range of cultures, backgrounds, and styles. Each week, you’ll dive into rich texts, engage in thoughtful discussions, and sharpen your literary analysis skills—all in a fully online format that fits your schedule.
This course is about connection, not cramming: There are no exams and minimal essays. Instead, you'll focus on reading, reflecting, and discovering how literature helps us understand the world and each other.

ENGL&238: Creative Writing: Poetries

Modality: HYBRID, T/Th, 1:15 PM-2:20 PM
Instructor: Nanya Jhingran

Description or Theme:
This class introduces creative writers to the field and practice of poetry. It is designed to be accessible to everyone: you need no prior experience with poetry to take or excel in this course. All you need is a willingness to dive into your sense of curiosity and creativity!

Over the course of the quarter, you will build a foundational understanding of what poems are, how they make sense, the many, many forms they can take, and why people have turned to poetry as a form of expression across cultures, time-periods, and individual experiences. You will try your hand at a series of weekly writing prompts to expand your skills, play with different approaches to poetry, and find which forms feel generative and exciting to you.
Throughout, our emphasis will be on practice over product: you do not have to produce perfect poems but an active practice of writing poetry that you can take with you once the class is over!

ENGL&237: Creative Writing: Stories

Modality: ONLINE
Instructor: Kathy Whitham

Description or Theme: 
ENGL&237: Stories introduces students how to write stories with effective characters, setting, point of view, plot structure, description, and other crucial elements of storytelling. Students read, discuss, and write fiction and nonfiction stories, memoirs, flash fiction, personal narrative essays, visual narratives or comics, and other creative pieces in various genres and forms. Emphasizes process, progress and creative exploration. 

ENGL&107: Applied Composition

Modality: HYBRID (day/time TBD)    
Instructor: Caitlin Carle        

Description or Theme:

Note: This course is hybrid; we will meet in a computer lab for class sessions during the week and complete assignments on Canvas.

Every text that you interact with in your professional settings -- from sticky-note messages to colleagues to advertising materials -- is reflective of its purpose, audience, and creator. Let's make those texts count!

Almost every day, whether for school, work, or our personal lives, we write something that is intended to be read by real readers. But what written, visual, and organizational elements must we adjust for these many different types of readers?  One of the goals of English 107 is to answer those questions and to help guide you toward more self-aware, audience-friendly writing.

ENGL&235: Technical Writing

Modality: ONLINE
Instructor: Leticia Lopez

Want to write like a pro—and land the job? This course teaches real-world technical writing skills you can use right away. You’ll learn how to create workplace documents like business emails and step-by-step instructions, and you’ll use AI tools to build a polished resume and job application materials. We’ll focus on writing with purpose, designing clean and effective documents, and building the communication skills that employers seek out.

This is a fully online, asynchronous course with work due on the same two days each week. You’ll complete readings, discussion posts, and hands-on projects like interviewing someone in your field or writing instructions using LEGO blocks. We use labor-based grading, which means your effort matters more than perfection—and there’s no textbook to buy. If you like learning by doing and want practical skills you can actually use, this class is a great fit.

ENGL&205: Creative Nonfiction

Modality: HYBRID, T/Th, 10:45-12:45
Instructor: Nanya Jhingran

Description or Theme: TBA

ENGL&236: Creative Writing: Explorations

Modality: [HYBRID, TBD]
Instructor: Kathy Whitham

Description or Theme: 
Creative Writing: Explorations introduces various creative writing genres and forms. Students discuss and write poetry, haiku, six word memoirs, short stories, creative nonfiction, vignettes, and visual narratives such as comic poetry, illustrated flash fiction, diary comics, and more. Emphasizes process, progress and creative exploration.

In this Spring 2026 Hybrid course, students will access assignments in Canvas and bring their completed assignments to class once a week to discuss readings, share their creative pieces, work together on visual storytelling projects, and more.

ENGL 269/WMN269: Reading the Romance

Modality: ONLINE
Instructor: Leticia Lopez

This class takes a critical (but fun!) look at love stories in American books and films. While romance is often dismissed as a “guilty pleasure,” we’ll flip that idea on its head. Love stories aren’t trivial—they’re powerful cultural texts that help shape how we understand gender, race, sexuality, desire, and power! From classic romance novels to Hollywood rom-coms, we’ll explore what these stories reveal about who gets to be desired, who gets a happy ending, and what our culture says about love, intimacy, and worth. Along the way, we’ll ask questions like: Why do love stories matter? What do they teach us about identity? And how can something as cheesy as a Hallmark movie still reflect serious social dynamics?

This is a fully online, asynchronous course with work due on the same two days each week. You’ll complete film viewings, readings, discussion posts, and creative projects like reimagining a love story from a new point of view or creating a modern dating app profile for a classic romance character. We use labor-based grading, so your effort counts more than perfection—and there’s no textbook to buy. If you love romance and want to take a course that’s fun and thought-provoking, this one’s for you!

ENGL 231: Children’s Literature

Modality: ONLINE
Instructor: Paige Talbot

This class is a perfect one to take in the springtime. The course reading and learning will fill you up as the flowers bloom and summer approaches. We will learn about books that were written for children, from fairy tales to current picture books. We will engage in elements of literature and how they work in children’s stories. This class is all about reading a diverse group of texts, each on various topics of interest to kids: belonging or not belonging, getting older and wiser, struggling with big feelings, and encountering and surviving trauma. We will learn about the importance of illustration and design of children’s books as well as how one writes stories for a young audience when topics are complex. This class is perfect for current or future teachers and parents . . . or for anyone who remembers the joy of reading as a child. Return to that world by enrolling in ENGL231.

ENGL&235: Technical Writing

Modality: ONLINE
Instructor: [TBD]