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Important Dates and Deadlines
May 3-10: Finals
May 11: English Department Convocation
May 18: Final Grades Visible in Self-Service

Good luck with finals! If you think you’re at risk of failing courses (or expect an overall term GPA of below a 2.0) please get in touch with us. There may still be time to petition for late drops or elect the CR/NC option if you act quickly (you would need to contact a college advisor to discuss this).

If you have yet to register for fall and need help, please let us know. You can call the office at 217-333-4346 to schedule an appointment. Make sure you’re using the Course Planning Page (for resources to help you navigate major requirements, including the FA24 Cheat Sheet.)

Still Looking for a Great Summer Course? Take Shakespeare on Film!

“Some of the driving questions of the course include our interrogation of the ‘rules’ for adaptation – how far can a film-maker depart from the source material and still have his or her film ‘count’ as a Shakespeare adaptation? Why was there such a boom for Shakespeare marketed to teens and mass audiences in the late 90s/early aughts? What happens when film-makers recast Shakespeare’s love stories as stories of same-sex desire? How do casting practices shape our perception of a film, and who gets excluded from being able to embody, and tell, Shakespearean narratives in the first place? Above all, we will ask ourselves why Shakespeare continues to exert such an influence on our popular culture—for good or for ill.” –Prof. Stevens

Build Research Skills in Your Major!

Did you know that ENGL 461, Section IU, on The Art of Research, is open to all English department students with junior or senior standing? English Topics concentrators take it as their capstone, but any student who wants to develop their research skills (perhaps as preparation for the honors thesis, or to lay the groundwork for a presentation at next year’s Undergraduate Research Symposium) should consider it. Pre-law? Research experience can set you apart from other applicants. Sign up today!

Here’s the course description:

Research can seem intimidating, but learning the processes of research can make it accessible and even exciting for students and scholars alike. In a seminar-style course featuring guest speakers, class discussions, and process writing, we’ll demystify research and use it to illuminate texts and intervene in the most pressing issues of our time. Students will build on the knowledges and interests they’ve developed as English majors to craft a semester-long research inquiry that culminates in a form of their choosing (e.g., paper, interactive website, presentation, podcast series, etc.). Assignments will include readings, short reflections, research exercises, bibliographies, peer reviews, project drafts, revisions, and genre experiments. Juniors and Seniors only. Students should have completed English 301 and 350.

Great Courses, New Topics

We want to draw your attention to some other fall courses you may not have noticed (some have generic titles along the lines of “Topics in X” and you have to click through to learn more about the specific topics) or that have been updated in Course Explorer since priority registration started.

CW 208: Creative Nonfiction Workshop

ENGL 122: The Middle Ages in Pop Culture

ENGL 253: Topics in Lit & New Media—New Media Franchises

ENGL 270: American Film Genres—The Western

ENGL 280: Women Writers—Scary Women: Women Writers and Horror

ENGL 373: Special Topics in Film Studies—Cinema of the Coen Brothers

ENGL 380: Disability Rhetorics

ENGL 455: Majors Authors—F. Scott Fitzgerald and Richard Wright

MFA Public Reading

ATLAS Seeks Interns!

ATLAS is looking for more student applicants for both Summer and Fall 2024 terms, particularly students who would be interested in communications. Here are the links for students interested in applying:

Apply for ATLAS Summer Internship 2024
Apply for ATLAS Fall Internship 2024
Information about the ATLAS Internship Program

Please note that although the application asks about technical skills, no technical experience/skill is required for a successful application.

Not all ATLAS internships are paid, but unpaid ATLAS interns are eligible to apply for the LAS Get Experience Scholarship.

The deadline for summer scholarships is April 26, so students interested in summer internships would probably not be able to make that deadline (one must have the internship offer in hand in order to apply for the scholarship). However, the applications for fall scholarships open June 28 and the deadline is August 9, so successful applicants for unpaid fall opportunities have plenty of time to apply for funding.

Upcoming LAS Career Services Event

Resume Sprint, May 3, 1:30 pm – 4:00 pm, in 105 Greg Hall

Our annual quick resume review is back. Drop in anytime between 1:30 and 4:00 to get your resume ready or updated. Please bring a hard copy or your laptop so we can assist you. We will conduct 10–15-minute resume reviews (105 Greg Hall). If you need more help after this quick meeting, appointments are available during the last days of the spring semester or throughout the summer (virtual chats or in-person). ***We are not taking appointment times please know you might need to wait. We have snacks and tea or coffee for you. ****

Fulbright Scholarship Opportunities–WORKSHOP TOMORROW!

Interested in research, teaching, or graduate study abroad? The Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards 2,000 scholarships annually for students to conduct research, teach English, or pursue graduate study in 140 countries. For over ten years, the University of Illinois has been a top producers of Fulbright U.S. student awards. Apply to be a 2025 awardee!

Eligibility
Current juniors, seniors, and recent alumni in all academic disciplines, who are U.S. citizens, are eligible to apply.

The Fulbright Scholarship funds 1 year of research, teaching, or graduate study. The selection committee rates candidates based on their academic or professional qualifications, language skills, evidence of maturity, motivation, adaptability to a different cultural environment, knowledge of the host country, and the impression a candidate will make abroad as a citizen representing the U.S.

Deadline
The priority deadline for undergraduates and recent alumni is June 24, 2024.
The required campus deadline is August 26, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. (noon).

Fulbright Research & Graduate Study Workshops:
Online – Friday, May 3, 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – Register HERE