Scholars in English departments across Canada have recently been wondering what to make of English and its futures. See, for example:

ACCUTE Webinar Series, 2021: “The End/Future of the English Department”

ACCUTE Conference, 2021: “What’s Left of English in a Neoliberal Era?”

ACCUTE Conference, 2015: “English Studies at a Crossroads”

CACE Conference, 2014: “Shrinking English Departments” Part I and Part II

These conversations have spanned the spectrum of things we do in English: research, reading, professional practice and employment status, public responsibilities, program design and administration—and, of course, teaching.

Meanwhile, in Alberta, the political, cultural, and economic context is putting pressure on departments to provide programs without replacements for retired colleagues, to cut budgets, and to attract and retain more students.

This gathering will foreground teaching and, in particular, the English Major as a degree program, scrutinizing its curricula, pedagogies, and outcomes. We will ask, urgently,

Essential questions:

What is at the heart of an English degree?

What gives it necessary breadth, depth, and rigour?

What—if anything—is core material that must be studied?

What—if any—are the skills that our students must learn?

Should it be called “English”?