Department of English

Department of English Statement of Solidarity

The English Department stands in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and the non-violent protestors who have fearlessly used their bodies and voices to demand justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. We mourn for those who have suffered and lost loved ones as a result of police brutality. We are outraged by the mounting state-sanctioned violence against black people and their communities; this crime of anti-blackness, as Cornel West reminds us, is a manifestation of the ideological “boot crushing the neck of American democracy.” We salute all those who have taken to the streets or served as allies in this fight. We are inspired by the collective outcry against unchecked forms of institutionalized racism that continue to disproportionately effect the lives of black, brown, and indigenous communities in the U.S.

It is precisely in times like these that we witness the unique capacity of literature to remind us of the innate dignity of all human life. Moving forward, the English Department reaffirms its commitment to the enduring work of anti-racism. We recognize that our teaching, research, and service must lean into the task of making our own institution accountable to its expressed mission to create a diverse and inclusive community guided by compassion and ethical conduct. As teachers and researchers, we take seriously our relationship to knowledge production and creation and remain steadfast in our dedication to educate and learn about advocacy, allyship, and social injustice in our classes.

For list of resources for funding, please visit: Black Lives Matters Funding Resources List,
or visit:

Black Lives Matter

Reclaim the Block

Black Visions Collective

Featured Event

Cropper Series: Kiese Laymon

The Lindsay J. Cropper Memorial Writers Series welcomes essayist and memoirist, Kiese Laymon, for a craft talk and reading on Thursday, October 1, 2020, at 12:30 p.m.

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Why Choose English at USD?

Close-Knit Community

Students build deep and lasting connections with their faculty and fellow students. The support and respect each student receives fosters a community that is committed to academic excellence, scholarly inquiry and mutual respect among colleagues. Browse the English Department Newsletter, and visit us in Founders Hall, Room 174.

Additional Programs and Special Presentations

The English department offers exciting addition programming, such as the opportunity to tutor in the Writing Center and Southeast San Diego Tutoring Project. Special programming includes  our Honors society, Sigma Tau Delta, career workshops, student readings, and special lectures, including Joanne T. Dempsey Memorial Lecture series.

Creative Writing

Led by our award winning creative writing faculty, our creative writing concentration offers genre specialties in poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction.  Foundational to our creative writing program is the Lindsay J. Cropper Creative Writing Center, which sponsors the annual Lindsay J. Cropper Memorial Writers Series and our online literary journal, The Alcalá Review.

Research and Study Abroad Opportunities

Students are encouraged to further their learning through research and experiential learning opportunities. Whether the experience takes the form of attending plays at Britain's National Theatre, participating in our senior research class, Senior Project, or working with the Digital Humanities Tudor Plays project, students augment their coursework and bolster their resumes/portfolios with "real-life" experiences.