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Important Dates
First day of instruction for spring semester: Tuesday, Jan. 20
Deadline to add a POT A course for spring: Monday, Jan. 26
English Department Scholarship Info Session: Monday, Jan. 26
Deadline to add a full-semester course for spring: Monday, Feb. 2
Deadline to drop a POT A (first 8-weeks) course: Friday, Feb. 13
Resource of the Week: Stephanie Buldak, College of LAS’s Embedded Counselor
Stephanie Buldak is an embedded clinical counselor that primarily offers counseling services to students within the College of LAS. Our LAS embedded counselor provides a safe and welcoming space where you can talk openly about whatever challenges you are facing. Whether you are struggling with stress, anxiety, motivation, or adjusting to college life, Stephanie is here to listen and help you find healthy ways to cope.
Reaching out to a counselor or therapist is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of courage and self-care. You do not need to wait until things feel unmanageable to ask for help. Counselors can work with you to set realistic goals, manage stress, and develop strategies that make it easier to balance both your personal well-being and academic responsibilities.
Taking care of your mental health is just as important as working on your grades. Sometimes, the first step toward feeling better is simply having someone to listen and guide you through what you are experiencing. You deserve support, understanding, and tools to help you succeed, and the College of LAS’s counseling resources are here to walk alongside you every step of the way.
Information Session for Applying to English Department Scholarships
When: Monday, January 26th at 6:30pm
Where: Zoom (link and information below)
All interested students are invited to an informational meeting on applying for our internal English Department scholarships that will be hosted on Monday January 26 at 6:30pm on Zoom; this will be an informational meeting on all aspects of the application process, especially the first stage, which is due Friday February 6th (the stage one application, which you soon will be able to find on our website, is short and does not involve extensive preparation. It collects your demographic data and allows us to verify your GPA to then give you permission to proceed to stage 2 of this process).
Please attend! The meeting will explain the application materials and process, along with due dates, and will also include time for questions. Even if you think you aren’t ready to apply for fellowships this spring (to be held next academic year), come and find out about our process!
Every year, we give out numerous scholarships that recognize and reward our English majors, including English, Creative Writing, and Teaching of English. (Several of our scholarships are specifically for future teachers of English). Scholarship amounts vary, but most of them range from $300 to $3000, with a few scholarships giving nearly full tuition for a semester or year.
We hope to see many of you there! In the meantime, you can find useful information on eligibility (especially GPA cutoffs) and the process on our website: https://english.illinois.edu/academics/scholarships-prizes-awards/awards-scholarships. See there for who is eligible to apply and an “Overview and Instructions” document on the “Applying for Merit Scholarships.”
If you have any questions, or can’t make the meeting time, email Prof. Andrea Stevens at arstev@illinois.edu
Zoom Link: https://illinois.zoom.us/j/84403804676?pwd=5gCwu09JB9BNmTE2ntUfTvb4RngbGp.1
Meeting ID: 844 0380 4676
Password: 850127
English Advising Open House
Take These English Department Courses!
ENGL 104: Introduction to Film, Section S (CRN 34538)
Same as MACS 104; Counts as an English major elective
Thoughtful viewing of diverse films, along with ample discussion and critical reading and writing, to gain understanding of cinematic expression and of film’s capacity to entertain and to exert artistic and social influence.
ENGL 251: Twentieth-Century American Novel
Counts as a 20thC course in the English major and as a literature course in the CW major
This course studies the development of the novel in the US through its various phases: realism, naturalism, modernism, and postmodernism. We will be covering many of the classics of the genre, including novels by Edith Wharton, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Willa Cather, William Faulkner, and Richard Wright, as well as writers closer to our own time, like Toni Morrison and Philip Roth. Throughout, our aim will be to survey how their novels respond to various political, economic, and cultural crises during the period that was called the American Century, the era that marks the emergence of the nation as the predominant English-speaking world power. To that end, we will especially examine how these writers address some of the great contradictions—of identity and community— animating American society, in all its diversity and oppositionality.
Graduating in May?
If you are expecting to graduate at the end of the spring semester, remember that you must add yourself to the May degree list. You can do this online in Self Service (click on “apply to graduate”) and once you submit your application the records office will do an official degree audit. If you are on track to have all requirements complete by May (taking into account your spring classes), then you will hear nothing from them (in other words, no news is good news), but if they find any shortages they will send you an email. To head off any problems, run your own degree audit and check to see if it says “all requirements complete using in-progress courses” at the top. If you have questions or concerns about your eligibility to graduate, email englishadvising@illinois.edu.
Secondary Education Minor Application Open
If you are planning to apply to do a Secondary Education minor, and you are expecting to graduate in May 2028, then this is the time to apply! The application window will remain open until February 1, 2026. All the information, and a link to the application, can be found on this page.
Please note that before you submit the application, you have to complete the “advisor verification form” and then have Maggie or Anna sign off on it.
If you have any questions, or if you aren’t sure whether now is the time for you to apply, email englishadvising@illinois.edu and we’ll be happy to help!
A Screening & Conversation with Kahlil Joseph
BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions is an Afro-futurist film that braids fictional and historical characters in a stunning cinematic experience spanning 247 years across land and sea. Directed by Kahlil Joseph—known for his collaborations with Beyoncé (Lemonade) and Kendrick Lamar—the film is shaped by an extraordinary creative team, including Oscar-winning editor Paul Rogers (Everything Everywhere All at Once), cinematographer Bradford Young (Selma), and MacArthur Award–winning co-director Garrett Bradley (Time).
Premiering at Sundance, BLKNWS was ranked “Best of Festival” by Metacritic and was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the Gotham Film Awards.
Rich Spirit Studios has granted the University of Illinois an exclusive screening, to be followed by a public conversation with Joseph and collaborators.
Apply to Be An Student-Alumni Ambassador for LAS Leaders
Apply HERE: bit.ly/LASLeadersSpring
Applications are due Monday, Jan. 26th
How to Connect with LAS Career Services
- Mondays- 1-3 pm 105 Greg Hall (short chats)
- Tuesdays- 10-3 pm LAS Hub (Lincoln Hall) with peer mentors
- Wednesdays- 10-3 pm LAS Hub (Lincoln Hall) with peer mentors
- Thursdays- 10-3 pm LAS Hub (Lincoln Hall) with peer mentors
- Thursdays- 1-3 pm 105 Greg Hall (short chats)
- Handshake Appointments (in-person or virtual) are 30 minutes during available staff times. We have an energetic team to help you. Reach out to connect. Having trouble? Reach out to us at las-careerservices@illinois.edu.
Free Little Library
Check out the ESA Free Little Library outside EB 200. We have a rotating stock of donated books (thanks to all our anonymous donors) and you’re always welcome to stop by and pick something up. If you want to leave a book as well of course you can, but it’s not expected. If you feel like it, you can sign the sheet on the top shelf and tell us what you picked and why!
Sharing News
As a reminder, if you have an award, a publication, or some other triumph to report please send news to engl-news@illinois.edu so the social media interns can celebrate you and your accomplishment. Also, if you are a member of a student group affiliated with the English department and you would like an upcoming event posted on our undergraduate calendar (now available at the bottom of the advising page) please send that info to the same address. Thanks!