Welcome

An expanding community of readers and writers

English, the core of a liberal arts education, creates an environment fostering lively intellectual exchange, as students investigate the role of the arts and humanities in the context of the larger culture. The mission of the Department of English is to promote exploration, analysis, discussion, and understanding of English language and texts, broadly defined. We encourage students to develop an understanding of the scholarly and critical practices of the field and a mastery of reading, writing, critical thinking, and creative expression.

We regard language and literary study as fundamental components of a Lafayette education, to be studied seriously as both a means of communication and a medium of thought. We encourage reading and writing as lifelong pursuits. We believe that our discipline embraces not only the critical study of texts but also the production of texts, including theater performances, films, and new media.