English Department

Hello! Thank you for visiting the English department website. As you know, the COVID-19 situation has brought on many rapid changes. However, our desire to promote student learning and success has not changed. Please see the information on this page for updates for fall, contact information, program information, advising, and the department statement of solidarity. The menu at left provides more information on our programs.

Updates for Fall 2021 Semester

The university is doing a phased reopening through the fall semester with hopes of being in person again in the spring. Most faculty will be continuing to work remotely through the fall semester. All undergraduate major and graduate courses will be conducted online either synchronously or asynchronous or some combination thereof. A few composition classes will be run in person with classrooms assigned to them, but most are online; please contact your instructor if you have any questions.

The English Department Office is now open: Monday/Wednesday 8:30am-5:30pm and Tuesday/Thursday 7:00am - 4:00pm. If you need to call the office, the number is (310) 243-3222. Or you may email using the contact information below.

M.A. programs in English Literature; English Literature with an emphasis in Rhetoric and Composition; and Teaching English as a Second Language are currently accepting applications for spring. To apply, go to Cal State Apply. The deadline is November 15.

Contact Information

Generally speaking, e-mail gives you the best way to contact us. Of course, if you have a question regarding your English class, you should contact your instructor directly. If you want more general information and want to e-mail the department, it’s a good idea to include both of our administrative support coordinators and the department chair and/or the associate chair:

• Leslie Bayless (Office Staff): lbayless@csudh.edu
• Lynda Rodriguez (Office Staff): lrodriguez@csudh.edu
• Dr. Debbie Best (Department Chair): dbest@csudh.edu
• Dr. Rod Hernandez (Associate Chair): rhernandez@csudh.edu
• Dr. Jane Lee (M.A. English Coordinator): jlee@csudh.edu
• Dr. Iara Mantenuto (M.A. TESL Coordinator): imantenuto@csudh.edu
• Dr. Kimberly Huth (English Ed Subject Matter Certifications): khuth@csudh.edu

Advisement

All of our full-time faculty serve as academic advisors for our undergraduate majors. The M.A. program coordinators are the primary advisors for their respective M.A. programs. Go to our Advisement page for a full list.

Programs

The English Department offers the following undergraduate programs:

• Composition program: Writing courses in first year composition, summer bridge, and the GWAR-certifying course
• B.A. English Literature
• B.A. English Education
• B.A. English Language and Linguistics
• Minor in Creative Writing
• Minor in English
• Minor in Language and Linguistics
• Certificate in Professional and Creative Writing

The English Department Offers the following graduate programs:

• M.A. English Literature
• M.A. English Literature: Rhetoric and Composition
• M.A. Teaching English as a Second Language
• Certificate in Rhetoric and Composition
• Certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language

Graduate programs are run primarily in the evenings in order to accommodate working adults. Undergraduate majors in fields other than English are accepted, but prerequisites will need to be completed either before or after admission. Applications for spring are due November 15. Applications for fall are due July 15.

For more information, visit the undergraduate program and graduate program pages.

Department of English Statement of Solidarity

We stand in solidarity with our Black colleagues, students, and staff, with the protesters in the ongoing fight for Black liberation, and with all of those who continue to call for equity and justice in our classrooms, schools, communities, and country. As educators dedicated to the study of English, rhetoric, and the humanities, we aim to identify, examine, and dismantle the systems of oppressions that perpetuate white supremacy in our academic programs and the society at large. We aim to affirm the principle that Black lives matter in the content and shape of our curriculum and in our pedagogical practice. We pledge to hold ourselves accountable for this on-going anti-racist work and to partner with students, staff, and faculty across campus in order to achieve these aims.