The department of English supports the core curriculum with student-centered instruction in languages, literature, composition, speech, and journalism, and prepares students for graduate study and varied professional careers. The department also supports the mission of the college by helping to produce graduates who express themselves clearly through writing and speaking, use technology skillfully, demonstrate the ability to do independent research, and exhibit a strong commitment to service.

English majors interested in law may participate in the Pre-law Program. This program includes elective courses in writing, speech, theatre, social science, and other liberal arts, which will help majors acquire the knowledge and skills needed for the intense competition for admission to law school.

The department encourages the use of English as part of a double major for any discipline for students interested in increasing employment options and in preparing for graduate or professional schools. Through internships and practicum, students gain beneficial work experience.

English majors seeking secondary teaching certification must follow the state curriculum of prospective teachers of language arts and maintain the 2.5 cumulative grade point average (GPA) required for admission to the Stillman Teacher Education Program (STEP). Students admitted to the English program must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 in English and must pass ENG 199/200, and in the second semester of the sophomore year, must participate in a skills assessment for guidance purposes.

A major in English prepares graduates for graduate/professional study and/or careers in the following areas: public speaking, mass media, English, law, editing, education, communication, advertising, business, information processing, technical writing, and library science.

Faculty

Dr. Norman Golar, Chair of the English department, is originally from Chicago, Illinois.  He graduated from The University of Alabama with his Ph.D. in Composition, Rhetoric, and English Studies.  He has been at Stillman for five months.  He teaches classes in the department of English and has been in higher education for eight years.

Dr. Shompaballi Datta is originally from Kolkata, India. She graduated from the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, with her Ph.D. in 2004. She has been at Stillman College for ten years. She teaches classes in English Literature and Writing and has been in higher education for 17 years.

Dr. Marian Davis grew up in Dublin, Ireland, and graduated from St. Bernard College in Cullman. Davis then received an M.A. and Ph.D. in English from Auburn University.  This is her third year at Stillman College, where she teaches courses in composition and British Literature.  She is a member of the Benedictine Monastery of Sacred Heart  in Cullman, Alabama.

Dr. Dabney Gray is originally from Dublin, Mississippi.  He graduated from The University of Alabama with his Ph.D. in 1991.   He has been at Stillman for 15 years. He teaches classes in English and has been in higher education for 20 years.

Mr. Stephen Flanagan Jackson is originally from Montgomery, Alabama. He graduated from the University of Alabama with an M.A. in Journalism.  He has been at Stillman since 1987.  He teaches classes in Journalism & Communications and has been in higher education for 30 years as well as owning a newspaper and working in various media as a manager, free lance writer, and producer throughout the US and abroad.  

Mr. Michael Ted Greer is a native Alabamian, born in Birmingham.  He graduated from The University of Alabama with na M.A. in Communication Studies in 2001. "Ted" was previously at Stillman from 2004 until 2008, and recently returned as a full-time instructor in 2011 where he teaches classes in Communication Studies, English Composition, and Logic. He has been in higher education for over 20 years.

Dr. Kathryn Brewer Strayer is originally from Houlton, Maine. She graduated from the University of Maine at Presque Isle in Presque Isle, Maine, with a B.S. in English Education, from Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas, with an M.A. in English, and from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois,  with her Ph.D. in American Literature and African American Literature. She has been at Stillman for 9 years. She teaches classes in American Literature, African American Literature, Technical Writing, and Composition and has been in higher education for over 30 years.