MFA STUDENT HANDBOOK
TABLE OF CONTENTS
MFA Program Description
Admission
Degree Program Status
Counseling
General Departmental Requirements
Transfer of Credit
Degree Program
Course Work
Comprehensive Examination
Final Writing Project
Final Writing Project Review
General Information
Registration and Advising
Plan Of Study
"Readings" and "Studies"
Courses
Enrichment Courses Explained
Directed Readings: Limitations and Procedure
Book List and Comprehensive Examination
Procedure
Final Writing Project and Review Procedure
MFA Final Writing Project Preparation and
Procedure
Graduate Deadlines
Program Forms (department)
English 855 - Directed Readings: Prospectus (MFA)
Plan of Study
MFA Enrichment Prospectus
English 875 -- MFA Final Writing Project: Prospectus
Application To Submit Final Writing Project
Criteria and Procedures—MFA
Fellowships
Criteria and Procedures—MFA
GTA to teach 285Q
Directed
Readings credit for editing MIKROKOSMOS
MIKROKOSMOS (Literary Magazine) Constitution
EGSA (English Graduate Student
Association) Constitution
Graduate Teaching Assistantships
WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY
MASTER OF FINE ARTS IN CREATIVE WRITING
The degree program for the Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
in creative writing places emphasis on the development of attitudes, skills,
and understanding in the practice of imaginative writing, along with related
academic study. Unlike some MFA degree
programs in creative writing, the WSU program is not conceived as a studio
program. It encourages the development
of fine writers who are also able, as a result of additional course work in
English, to demonstrate skills useful in teaching, editing, and other areas
related to creative writing. The program
allows for a core of activity in creative writing leading to a final writing project
in poetry, short fiction, the novel, or some other appropriate form.
Flexibility is provided in other required course work to allow for a variety of
possible interests.
All MFA students are required to take English 800
(Introduction to Graduate Study).
Teaching Assistants are required to take the in-service training course
unless specifically exempted.
ADMISSION
Applicants must meet the general
requirements of the Graduate School. The
director of creative writing evaluates the applicant’s transcript, prescribing
additional undergraduate hours for those who have fewer than 24 credit hours of
acceptable course work in English.
Courses in freshman composition, grammar, teaching methods, journalism,
speech, etc., may not be included in the required 24 hours. Exceptions may be made for outstanding
students who have majored in related fields.
Gifted writers may study in the program as special students with no
specific degree intentions; however, their admission to any workshop will be at
the discretion of the instructor.
Applicants who earned their
undergraduate degrees more than ten years before the time of application for
admission must be interviewed by the creative writing director before admission
to the degree program.
Applicants who have earned their
degrees at institutions in foreign countries (in which English is not the
native language) must score at least 600 in the TOEFL (Test of English as a
Foreign Language) Examination before being admitted to the MFA degree program
in creative writing.
DEGREE PROGRAM STATUS
Applicants who seek to be admitted
with full standing in the degree program must submit a sample of
original writing in fiction (approximately twenty pages) or poetry (four to six
poems) to the director of creative writing at the time (or before) they seek
admission. Since full standing in the
degree program depends upon the evaluation of submitted manuscripts, candidates
who wish to have their manuscripts evaluated prior to official application to
the Graduate School should submit sample manuscripts well in advance of
submitting an application to the Graduate School, thus allowing sufficient time
for a program decision regarding degree status.
Determination of degree program status is made by vote of the members of the creative writing staff of the Department of English, who read the manuscripts submitted. A student may be allowed to submit manuscripts a second time if he or she is unsuccessful in obtaining degree program status. (Note: degree program status should not be confused with admission to candidacy; see Plan of Study, p. 4.)
COUNSELING
All MFA candidates in
English are advised by the director of
creative writing.
The director of creative
writing will help the student establish a pattern of study which will take into
account the student's interests and vocational plans. (See Registration
and Advising, p.3, and Plan of Study, p. 4.)
GENERAL
DEPARTMENTAL REQUIREMENTS
TRANSFER OF
CREDIT
A minimum of 24 of the total 48
semester hours required for the degree in creative writing must be taken at
Wichita State University. No more than
24 hours of credit may be counted toward the degree from other graduate work
taken by the student at Wichita State or at another school. If the credit to be transferred comes from a
program in which the student took a graduate degree, the time limits imposed by
the Graduate School on other transfer of credit will not apply.
DEGREE PROGRAM
COURSE WORK
The 48 semester hours of degree course work are
apportioned into two categories, required and elective courses.
Required Courses
A
minimum of 3 hours per semester in English 801 (Creative Writing: Fiction), or
805 (Creative Writing: Poetry) to a maximum of 12 semester hours.
3 hours in English 800 (Introduction to Graduate Study
in English) or the equivalent, required of all graduate students. English 800 should normally be included in
the student’s first semester of graduate study.
3 hours in English 830 (Graduate Studies in Drama),
832 (Graduate Studies in Fiction) 834 (Graduate Studies in Poetry). With departmental consent, each course may be
repeated for a maximum of 6 hours credit.
3 hours in English 841 (Graduate Studies in
Contemporary Literature), 860 (Graduate Seminar in Special Topics), or another
suitable seminar in literature. With
departmental consent, seminars may be repeated for a maximum of 12 hours
credit.
2 to 6 hours in English 875 (MFA Final Writing
Project). 6 hours over 2 semesters is
typical.
For purposes of enrichment, candidates emphasizing
fiction and poetry must take at least 3 graduate hours of comparative
literature, literature in translation, foreign language or an applied course in
another art or discipline. The choice is
contingent upon the student’s having the proper prerequisites.
Graduate Teaching Assistants are required to take
English 780 (Advanced Theory and Practice in Composition), and English 681 (Editing
American English) unless specifically exempted, and to participate in the
appropriate syllabus group.
Elective Courses
Elective courses may be
taken to strengthen areas of weakness; to pursue historical, technical, or
theoretical studies that the candidates find useful; or to enrich their degree
program appropriately. All candidates must
successfully complete a minimum of 15 elective hours in English courses
numbered 800 and above, with the exception of English courses numbered 515
through 527, which may be taken for graduate credit. Candidates may take up to 26 elective hours
in English courses numbered 800 and above and in the approved 500-level
courses. Other exceptions may be made as
approved by the director of creative writing. Instructors in 500, 600 or
700-level courses will impose more rigorous assignments upon students taking
them for graduate credit. Within this
unit, as many as 9 hours total of English 880 (Writer’s Tutorial: Fiction),
English 881 (Writer’s Tutorial: Poetry), and English 855 (Directed Reading) may
be taken.
COMPREHENSIVE
EXAMINATION
All candidates are required to pass a written
comprehensive examination in the final semester of their course work. This examination is based on a reading list
of 30 books chosen from the MFA master reading list by the candidate’s final
writing project director and the candidate. See (Book List and
Comprehensive Examination Procedure, p.5.)
FINAL WRITING
PROJECT
The MFA final writing project consists of a body of
original work of publishable quality.
The manuscript must be of such length as is appropriate to published
books in its genre and is to be written under the direction of a member of the
program staff. Candidates may preface
their project with a short introduction if they choose. (See Final
Writing Project and Review Procedure, p.6.)
FINAL WRITING
PROJECT REVIEW
Once the candidate has submitted the final writing
project, a committee composed of the project director, 2nd reader
and another English department faculty member will examine the work and
determine whether or not the project meets the standards of acceptance. (See Final
Writing Project and Review Procedure, p.6.)
GENERAL INFORMATION
REGISTRATION AND ADVISING
During pre-registration and
prior to registration each semester, the director of creative writing will be
available to advise students and to sign their registration materials. Times
for advising will be posted. MFA
Graduate student registration materials should be approved only by the director
of creative writing or the department chairperson.
Other kinds of counseling
should be arranged for by appointment with the director of creative writing.
PLAN OF STUDY
In order to define a program
of study for a graduate degree, MFA students must submit the plan of study form
leading to admission to candidacy for the degree no later than one month
following the completion of 24 semester hours of graduate credit or the
semester prior to the semester of graduation, whichever comes first.
The MFA candidate's plan of
study is developed in conjunction with the director of creative writing . The
plan of study must be signed by the candidate, by the adviser (creative writing
director), and by the dean of the Graduate School. All academic work completed
and planned for the completion of the degree must be included in the plan of
study at the time of submission.
It is the obligation of the candidate to obtain plan of study forms from the creative writing director, to fill them out, and to return them to the creative writing director for approval and submission to the dean of the Graduate School.
Students may make changes of
up to three courses in the plan of study by submitting a written request,
providing the request has been endorsed by the creative writing director. More
extensive changes may be accomplished by filing a new plan of study marked
“Revised Plan”. (see Program Forms: Change in a Plan of Study,
p.12)
“READINGS” AND “STUDIES” COURSES
In general those courses
which are called “Readings in ...” will be broadly based in subject matter.
They will normally terminate in a comprehensive course examination, but will
not require a long seminar or term paper. On the other hand, those courses
which are called “Studies in ...” will normally include the writing of a term
paper, but will not end with a comprehensive course examination. This procedure
will reduce duplication of skill training and provide more opportunity for the
student to read widely in literature.
ENRICHMENT COURSES EXPLAINED
Students should be able to show
that the course chosen for enrichment credit complements their course of study
and is of significant academic merit. Before enrolling, students should seek
the advice and consent of the creative writing director (see Program Forms: MFA
Enrichment Prospectus, p.13).
DIRECTED READINGS: LIMITATIONS AND PROCEDURE
English 855 is intended for
the qualified student as an opportunity to do further work beyond the regular
courses in the Department of English.
It is not permissible to use
directed readings to make up deficiencies in the general areas of English and
American literature, to cover areas which are already covered by regular
courses in the department, or to accommodate schedule difficulties.
For MFA students, such hours
may begin only after the student has completed a course in creative writing,
only upon the recommendation of the instructor involved, and only upon approval
of the director of creative writing .
In order to undertake a
directed reading, the student must first find an instructor who is willing to
direct the course. Having found such an instructor, the student may then
develop and present a prospectus (which should include statement of purpose,
method of evaluation, and bibliography, and must be signed by the instructor
involved; see Program Forms: English 855 - Directed Readings: Prospectus
(MFA), p.14) to the director of creative writing for approval. The
prospectus must be approved prior to the student's enrollment in English 855
(preferably during the preceding semester).
Upon completion of the
course, the student must file a statement form with the Graduate School. Forms
are available in the creative writing director’s office.
BOOK LIST AND COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION PROCEDURE
MFA Master Reading List
When the MFA candidate
enters the program, he or she will receive a master reading list (by genre),
and be informed that when he or she is assigned a final writing project
director, the two of them (candidate and director) will compose a candidate’s
reading list, using titles from the master list.
Candidate’s Reading List
When the MFA candidate’s
project director is agreed upon, the project director and the candidate will
compose a candidate’s list of 30 titles.
The candidate’s list will include at least 5 titles from periods before the
modern/post-modern, at least 15 titles from the modern/post-modern period, and
at least 5 critical/theory titles. The
candidate will be allowed to select 5 additional titles not on the master
reading list, with the agreement of the project director. In exceptional cases, wherein the project
director and the candidate wish to further modify the candidate’s list, they
may together petition the creative writing committee to do so.
Since an approved reading
list (one signed by both the project director and by the candidate) must be
submitted with the candidate's application to take the comprehensive
examination, the reading list should be developed well in advance of that
application.
Comprehensive Examination Procedure
The comprehensive examination for MFA candidates is
based on the candidate’s reading list of 30 books chosen from the MFA master
reading list by the candidate’s final writing project director and the
candidate.
Students should take the
comprehensive examination in the last semester of their course work or as close
to that time as is feasible; in no event may a student sit for the
comprehensive examination prior to his or her submission of the plan of study.
The comprehensive examination is given twice a year (in the fall and spring
semesters); no comprehensive examination is given during the summer session.
Students are required to
give the director of creative writing and the graduate coordinator (who
proctors the examination), four weeks in advance of the scheduled date of
the examination, written notice of their intention to take the
comprehensive, including an approved book list.
The examination itself
requires essay answers. It is divided into three segments requiring 1-1/2 hours
each to complete. There will be alternative questions in each part, and there
will be two readers for the examination, one the writer of the questions and
the other a faculty member chosen by the director of creative writing. The
possible grades are High Pass, Pass, and Fail. If, on any section of the exam,
there is a split between passing and failing votes, a third reader will be
asked to resolve the grade. Students will not be allowed to take one part of
the examination on one date and another part on a following date. Students who
fail all or part of an examination will be allowed to repeat the examination once.
FINAL WRITING PROJECT AND REVIEW PROCEDURE (also
see MFA
Final Writing Project Preparation and Procedure, p.8.)
Final Writing Project
The MFA work is concluded by
the presentation of a creative project of book length, appropriate to the genre
in which it is written--poetry, short fiction, or novel. It is intended to be the final demonstration
of the student's creative proficiency and should be of publishable quality. It
should not be a collection of miscellaneous items written in various genres,
but rather, a coherent and single literary work.
Preliminary Steps
The candidate should
establish as early as possible with the creative writing director (before
enrolling in project hours) the kind of project he or she wishes to submit.
The candidate should discuss
the project with the senior faculty member with whom he or she will develop the
project.
The creative writing
director will then name a director for the project, usually, but not always, the faculty member
who helped develop the project. The director will also name a second reader.
The candidate will then
submit to the creative writing director a statement (see Program Forms: English 875 MFA Final Writing Project:
Prospectus, p.14)
approved and signed by the project director and the second reader which
contains the following:
Tentative title;
A tentative statement of the
nature of the project (novel, collected short fiction, poetry);
An estimation of the length
of the project.
After examining the
proposal, the creative writing director will approve or disapprove the project
and may offer specific suggestions about the future development of the approved
project. The director must provide
written reason for declining a proposal.
The sponsoring faculty member may appeal that decision to the creative
writing committee as a whole.
The creative writing
director will then file the approved project.
The candidate may then
enroll in MFA Final Writing Project hours (English 875).
The Project Director and the
Second Reader
The candidate and the
project director will work together to fulfill the requirements for the final
writing project.
When the project director
feels that the project has been adequately completed, the candidate will submit
it to a second reader appointed by the creative writing director in
consultation with the student and his/her project director.
The second reader is
empowered to make suggestions for revision of the project. His or her suggestions will be made both to
the candidate and to the project director.
Final Writing Project Review
By the end of the eighth
week of the semester, any student who wishes to submit the project for review
must apply to the director of creative writing for a date by which to submit
the project to the review committee (see Program Forms: Application to
submit Final Writing Project, p.15). Final dates for completion of the
project review are available from the director of creative writing and are
posted. No project review will be carried out during the summer session.
Upon receipt of the
student's application for a submission date, the creative writing director will
recommend a review committee. The full committee consists of the student's
project director, his or her second
reader, and a third member drawn from the Department of English. The project director presides at the review
committee meeting. The student will
be notified in writing by the director of creative writing regarding the
results of the final writing project review.
If he or she chooses, the
MFA student may provide, along with the project, a short written introduction
for the members of the review committee. This introduction should not be
lengthy; it is not to be an explanation of the project, nor should it be
interpreted as an attempt to force the candidate to justify the project.
Rather, it should serve the committee, one member of which is drawn from
outside the creative writing program, as a place from which the candidate
believes discussion of the project ought to start. It will become part of the
project as filed with the Graduate School.
Recommended length is 2 to 4 pages.
At least ten days before the
scheduled date for the review, the student must submit one printed copy (letter
quality) of the project to each member of his or her committee. (See Guide to the Preparation of Theses
and Dissertations for mechanical requirements. Requirements are the
same as for thesis). The copies of a project presented to members of the review
committee should be “printer ready” and substantially free from errors. The
project director will be responsible for insuring that the project is
presentable.
If the three members of the committee
unanimously accept the project, the project will be approved and credit awarded
for hours taken in MFA Final Writing Project:
English 875. If the committee
judges the candidate's project to be of exceptional merit, they may approve it with
distinction. The award of distinction
also requires a unanimous vote of the committee.
All review committee votes will be cast by secret ballot.
Regulations Concerning Rejection of Final Writing Project
If a project is rejected,
the candidate will be advised by his or her committee to carry out one or more
of the following suggestions:
Re-write the project
(project unacceptable);
Take further coursework in
prescribed areas (candidate not yet prepared to do the project properly).
The candidate must wait at least ninety days before
resubmitting the project.
MFA FINAL WRITING PROJECT PREPARATION AND PROCEDURE
During the semester in which
the project is submitted for review, the candidate is responsible for being
aware of the following information in addition to that prescribed by the Guide
to the Preparation of Theses and Dissertations (available from the
Graduate School) and for observing the following deadlines.
Reading and Direction (Project Director and 2nd
Reader)
In order to allow the
candidate ample time to prepare the project, or to have the project prepared,
the director should have completed his or her direction of the project by at
least one month prior to the date upon which copies must be in the hands
of review committee members. (Copies must be in the hands of review committee
members by 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the review committee
meeting).
The 2nd reader should have
completed his or her comment upon the project by at least two weeks prior
to the date upon which copies must be in the hands of review committee members.
Project length
Fiction—100 pages or more
Poetry—40 pages or more
Paper
The three copies
specifically used by the review committee members may be photocopied on
inexpensive 16-20 weight paper, as long as they will not be used for the bound
project copies.
Typing (or printing)
Fiction should be double
spaced.
Poetry (unless form dictates
otherwise) should be single spaced.
Symbols or illustrations not
typed must be in black India ink.
Copies Required
Three bound copies of the
project are required, (2 copies to be submitted to the Graduate School, 1 copy
to the Department of English). Copies should not be bound prior to
project review, since changes may be required.
After the project is
accepted by the review committee, the project director will be responsible for
the Recommendation For Degree form which he or she will sign when
corrections (if any) have been made. The Recommendation For Degree form
must accompany the unbound, corrected copy of the project that is taken to the
Graduate School for review. A
representative of the dean of the Graduate School will check the order of the
project, margins and pagination, clarity of type, and other features to ensure
that the finished product has a professional and uniform appearance.
If the bindery cannot, for
any reason, bind the project in time to meet deadlines for submission, the
candidate must then submit a statement from the bindery to the Graduate School
instead of the bound project.
The Project Title Page
is bound with the project, without signatures. When all three bound
copies are returned to the department, the appropriate individuals will sign
them and one copy will be kept in the department library. The student must
submit two copies to the Graduate School.
GRADUATE
DEADLINES
At the beginning of each
semester, the Graduate deadlines for the current academic year will be posted
on the graduate bulletin board. This
schedule will include deadlines for the following:
Application for degree card
filed in the Graduate School office;
Application to submit Final Writing Project date;
Intent to sit for the Comprehensive Examination date;
Comprehensive Examination date;
Copies of the Final Project to
Review Committee date;
Final Project Review
Committee meeting dates;
All other degree requirements must
be met date;
One commencement is held
each year in May at Wichita State University.
Students completing degree requirements during the Summer Session
following commencement or the fall semester may obtain their diplomas from the
registrar's office or request that their diplomas be mailed. These students may attend Commencement
exercises the following May. Each
graduate's name appears in the Commencement program, with the completion date
of the graduate work.
ENGLISH 855 DIRECTED
READINGS: PROSPECTUS (MFA)
(THREE SIGNED COPIES OF THIS FORM ARE REQUIRED: 1) STUDENT; 2)
INSTRUCTOR;
3) CREATIVE WRITING DIRECTOR.)
Student's name:
Date:
Name of sponsoring
instructor:
Subject matter of course(s):
Method of evaluation:
Tentative bibliography:
Student's
signature:______________________________________________________________
Instructor's signature:_____________________________________________________________
Director of Creative
Writing: :_________________________
______approve ______disapprove
CHANGE IN PLAN OF STUDY FORM.(see program director)
MFA ENRICHMENT PROSPECTUS
(TWO SIGNED COPIES OF THIS FORM ARE REQUIRED: 1) STUDENT; 2) CREATIVE
WRITING DIRECTOR).
Student's name:
Date:
Proposed course (in another
department):
Statement of the rationale
for taking the proposed course (how will it enrich the primary endeavor--the
writing of fiction or poetry?):
Student's
signature:_____________________________________________________________
Director of Creative
Writing:_____________________________________________________
ENGLISH 875 MFA FINAL
WRITING PROJECT: PROSPECTUS
(FOUR SIGNED COPIES OF THIS FORM ARE REQUIRED: 1) STUDENT; 2) PROJECT
DIRECTOR; 3) SECOND READER; 4) CREATIVE WRITING DIRECTOR).
Student's name:
Date:
Name of Director:
Name of Second reader:
Tentative title:
Tentative statement of the
nature of the project (novel, collected short fiction, poetry):
Estimation of the length of
the project:
Student's
signature:_____________________________________________________________
Director's
signature:____________________________________________________________
Second reader's
signature________________________________________________________
Director of Creative
Writing:_____________________________________________________
APPLICATION TO SUBMIT
FINAL WRITING PROJECT
This form should be
completed by the end of the eighth week of the semester during which the
applicant will be submitting the Final Writing Project. Applicants should be prepared to meet with
the Director of Creative Writing in order to discuss possibilities regarding
the committee.
Student's name:
Date:
Name of Director:
Name of Second reader:
Other English department
member requested:
Student's signature:_____________________________________________________________
Criteria and Procedures —MFA Fellowships
The following criteria and procedures are used for
the recommendation of MFA students for the MFA Fellowships.
Criteria:
Advanced standing (2nd semester or beyond);
Recommendation of regular
Creative Writing faculty on the basis of achievement as a writer;
Recipients may hold a
fellowship for no more than a total of two (2) semesters;
Recipients must enroll full
time in their degree program and pursue their scholarly work;
Recipients must be eligible
for a graduate research assistantship;
Recipients may not hold any
other remunerative employment, except by special approval of the department chairperson
and the dean of the Graduate School.
Procedure:
The director of creative writing compiles a list of
those MFA students whose records conform to 1) under Criteria.
The creative writing director solicits sample manuscripts
from eligible MFA students.
These manuscripts are made available to the creative
writing faculty, who are then asked in writing for their nominations.
When nominations are returned, the creative writing
faculty votes (either by ballot or in a meeting of the committee) to award the
MFA Fellowships.
The results of the vote are communicated to the
department chairperson who, in turn, submits the recommendation to the graduate
dean.
Notification of the awards is transmitted directly
from the graduate dean to the recipients. Announcements of the award are not
made until after official notification from the graduate dean.
In any given semester, if the committee determines
that a sufficient number of students have not been doing work of appropriate
quality in one or another genre, the committee may award fewer than the
available fellowships.
Criteria and Procedures—MFA GTA to teach 285Q
The
following criteria and procedures are used for the recommendation of an MFA GTA
to teach a section of English 285Q: Introduction to Creative Writing.
Criteria:
1. Superior academic record;
2. At least
one (1) year of experience as a teaching assistant in the writing program, with
superior performance;
3. Recommendation of regular creative writing
faculty on the basis of achievement as a writer;
4. Recommendation of visiting tutors (if
possible).
Procedure:
The
creative writing director compiles a list of MFA GTAs whose records conform to
1) and 2) under Criteria.
The
director of creative writing polls all MFA GTAs on the list, inquiring as to
availability and willingness to teach 285Q during the specified semester.
The
director provides each faculty member with a list of MFA GTAs who are willing
and able to undertake the instruction of a section of 285Q and a nominating
ballot. The creative writing faculty are then asked for their nominations.
Members
are apprised of the names of nominees and are then polled until a majority
approves a particular candidate.
Should,
in any given semester, the committee conclude that no available MFA GTA is
qualified to teach a section of 285Q,
or if enrollments will not allow the scheduling of an additional 285Q section, the committee will not award the
course.
Directed Readings Credit for
Editing Mikrokosmos
If the individual chosen to
be editor of Mikrokosmos is an MFA degree candidate, that individual may
receive up to 3 hours of English 855—Directed Readings credit for editing the
magazine. The supervising faculty member
is the advisor to Mikrokosmos. A
855 prospectus must be filed with the director of creative writing in order for
credit to be awarded.
MIKROKOSMOS CONSTITUTION
Preamble
Mikrokosmos exists to provide an outlet for the creative works of Wichita State
University students, faculty, and alumni.
It is intended for distribution to WSU students and faculty and to other
academic institutions, and it shall not claim rights to any material published.
Article
I
The
Association
Section 1. Name
The name of this
student organization and its publication shall
be Mikrokosmos
Section 2. Membership
All students
and faculty of Wichita State University are ipso
facto participants in Mikrokosmos activities,
insofar as they are the intended audience of Mikrokosmos and insofar as they are invited to submit their
creative works for publication in Mikrokosmos.
Section 3. Duties
The duties of Mikrokosmos shall be:
a. to provide a
publication outlet for original creative works by interested students, faculty,
and alumni of Wichita State University;
b. to provide a
quality literary journal for Wichita State University;
c. to provide
editorial, production, and management experience for the staff of Mikrokosmos, who will be, with the
exception of the faculty advisor(s), Wichita State University students.
Article
II
Officers
Section 1. Composition
The officers
of the association shall be the faculty advisor(s), the Editor-in-Chief, the
assistant editors, and the staff.
Section 2. Appointment
The
Editor-in-Chief of Mikrokosmos shall
be nominated by a committee consisting of the faculty advisor(s) and the
outgoing Editor-in-Chief. This
nomination must be approved by the creative writing committee of the Department
of English, WSU.
Assistant
editors and staff shall be appointed by the new Editor-in-Chief, after
consultation with the faculty advisor(s).
These appointments must be approved by the Creative Writing Committee.
The faculty
advisor(s) shall be appointed by the creative writing committee upon
recommendation by the Editor-in-Chief.
Section 3. Faculty
Advisor(s)
The faculty
advisor(s) of Mikrokosmos shall have
the following duties and responsibilities:
a.
to appoint officers in conjunction with the Editor-in-Chief;
b.
to serve in a consulting capacity to the editorial staff;
c.
to arrange monthly meetings with the Editor-in-Chief and necessary staff in
order to ascertain progress and success with the publication of Mikrokosmos;
d.
to be the final authority in financial and technical matters concerning Mikrokosmos, upon the approval of the
creative writing committee of the Department of English, WSU.
Section 4. Editor-in-Chief
The Editor-in-Chief of Mikrokosmos shall
have the following duties and responsibilities:
a. to appoint the assistant editors and staff in conjunction with the
faculty advisor(s);
b. to oversee the selection and editing of materials published by Mikrokosmos;
c. to be responsible for Mikrokosmos
budget procedures and to serve as custodian of funds.
Section 5. Assistant Editors
The assistant
editors shall have the following duties and responsibilities:
a. to assist in the selection and editing of materials published by Mikrokosmos;
b. to distribute Mikrokosmos to
the faculty and student body of WSU;
c. to assist the Editor-in-Chief with any other duties necessary for
the publication of Mikrokosmos.
Section 6. Staff
The staff
shall have the following duties and responsibilities:
a. to assist the Editor-in-Chief with duties necessary for the publication
of Mikrokosmos;
b. to
distribute Mikrokosmos to the faculty
and student body of WSU.
Section 7. Recall
The following
are grounds for the removal of any individual charged with duties and
responsibilities to Mikrokosmos:
a.
gross in competency (i.e. failure to attend meetings, failure to carry out
assignments or to discharge duties, etc.);
b.
attempted or actual mismanagement of funds.
Removal procedures, which may be initiated by the Editor-in-Chief or the faculty advisor(s) are subject to approval, in all cases, by the Creative Writing Committee, Department of English, WSU.
Section 8. Meetings
The meetings
of Mikrokosmos staff shall occur at
the request of the Editor-in-Chief or the faculty advisor(s).
Article III
Editorial Policies
The following
articles shall be the editorial policy of Mikrokosmos:
a.
submissions shall be taken from WSU students, faculty, and alumni, (Student
shall be defined as any individual enrolled at WSU. Faculty shall be
defined as any individual hired by the university for instructional purposes.
This includes part-time and guest faculty. Alumnus shall be defined as
any individual who has previously enrolled at WSU.);
b.
Editors-in-Chief should not publish their own works in Mikrokosmos; however, material from assistant editors and staff may
be published at the editor’s discretion;
c.
the academic freedom of the student organization known as Mikrokosmos shall be respected by the faculty advisor(s), the
Creative Writing Committee, and other members of the University.
Article IV
Constitutional Amendments
This
constitution shall be amended if such an amendment is agreeable both to the
faculty advisor(s) and the Editor-in-Chief and if such an amendment is approved
by a majority vote of the Creative Writing Committee, Department of English,
WSU.
Article
V
Discrimination
No person
interested in participating in Mikrokosmos
shall be discriminated against for reasons of race, sex, religious beliefs,
or national origin.
EGSA (English Graduate Student Association) constitution
Preamble
The English Graduate Student
Association (EGSA) exists to represent English graduate students and to act as
their advocate within the department, the university, and the community.
Article I
The Association
Section 1. Name
The name of the Association
shall be the English Graduate Student ~Association, hereafter denoted as EGSA.
Section 2. Membership
Students
admitted to the Graduate School of the Wichita State University and assigned to
the Department of English for advising automatically shall be members of the
EGSA with voting privileges and the right to attend all meetings, regardless of
sex, race, religious faith, or national origin.
Section 3. Function
The
EGSA is intended to provide a forum where members may exchange information,
focus on common problems in the study and teaching of English, and unite to
present proposals, recommendations, or grievances to the Department of English.
Article II
The
Executive Committee
Section 1. Composition and
Function
The Executive Committee
shall be elected by the membership and shall consist of the President,
Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The Executive Committee shall be responsible
for the administration of all EGSA activities, including research, policy,
correspondence, programs, and financial and fund-raising functions.
Section 2. Officers
(A) President
(1) The President shall be responsible for
conducting all EGSA meetings.
(2) The President, directed by and subject to the
Executive Committee, shall be considered official spokesperson for the EGSA.
(3) Any agreements reached by the President during negotiations on any
matter with any body
on behalf of the EGSA are provisional and
subject to ratification by the Executive
Committee.
(B) Vice-President
(1) The
Vice-President, in the event of absence of the President, shall conduct EGSA
meetings.
(2) The
Vice-President shall be responsible for the coordination, planning and
publicity for programming sponsored by the EGSA.
(3) The
Vice-President shall oversee the functions and progress of the various program
committees.
(C)
Secretary
(1) The
Secretary shall be responsible for keeping minutes of all EGSA meetings.
(2)
The Secretary, directed by the President, shall be responsible for notifying
all appropriate parties of EGSA meetings, including committee meetings.
(3) The
Secretary shall be responsible for conducting elections.
(4) The Secretary shall be responsible for assisting the Vice-President
in the coordination of
programming sponsored by the EGSA.
(D)
Treasurer
(1) The
Treasurer, under the direction of the Executive Committee, shall be responsible
for handling any funds passing through the jurisdiction of the EGSA and for
keeping appropriate records.
(2) The
Treasurer shall be responsible for conducting budget negotiations between EGSA
and the Student Government Association (SGA).
Section 3. Procedures
(A)
Meetings
The Executive Committee shall meet at least once every calendar month at the time most convenient to its members. The President is empowered to call additional meetings of the Executive Committee at his or her pleasure. A meeting of the Executive Committee may be called by two members of the Committee provided a written request is delivered to the President at least two days in advance of the meeting. Members of the Executive Committee are expected to attend all meetings of both the Committee and the Association. All Executive Committee meetings, unless otherwise specified by the President, will be open to any EGSA member who wishes to attend.
(B) Resolutions
A simple
majority shall be sufficient to pass any motion or resolution before the
Executive Committee.
(C) Appointments
(1) The Executive Committee shall be responsible
for the appointment of an EGSA representative to the Creative Writing Committee
and to any other departmental or university committees in which EGSA
participates.
(2) The Executive Committee shall appoint a member
to secure and post information on meetings, symposiums, and seminars of
interest to students in both the MA and MFA programs.
(3) The Executive committee shall have the privilege
of proposing formation of ad-hoc committees to serve at the pleasure of the
Committee.
(D) Loans
The Executive
Committee may make personal loans to EGSA members when adequate funds are
available in the EGSA Treasury. Terms will be negotiable on an individual
basis.
Article III
General Procedures
Section 1. Meetings
There shall
be general meetings within the first three (3) weeks of the beginning of the
fall semester and within the last month of the spring semester. Additional
meetings will be scheduled at the discretion of the Executive Committee. Notice
of general meetings must be posted at least one week in advance.
Section 2. Elections
(A) Nominations
Nominations for officers must be filed with the Secretary at least seven (7) days before the election and must carry the signature of the nominee.
(B)
Term of Office
Elections
shall be held during the last month of the spring semester with the new
Executive Committee taking office at the beginning of the fall semester for a
term of one year.
(C) Removal from Office
(1) In the event of conflicts of interest, irresponsibility,
incompetence, failure to represent, or
other such offenses as may be determined
by the Committee, the Executive Committee
may propose the removal of any of its own
members by three votes.
(2) A motion of
no confidence can be brought against the Executive Committee at any general
meeting upon the signed request of at least one-third of the members of the
EGSA.
(3) A motion of
no confidence shall be passed only if a two-thirds majority of all the members
of the EGSA vote for its passage at a general meeting. In the event of the
passage of a motion of no confidence, the Executive Committee shall resign
immediately, and the Secretary of the outgoing Executive Committee shall call
for a by-election within one week following, and shall conduct such election.
(D) Replacement of Officers
In the event of resignation or removal of a member of the Executive
Committee, the Committee shall nominate a replacement, whose nomination shall
be reviewed and affirmed or rejected by the membership of the EGSA.
Article IV
Amendments
(A) Proposed amendments to this Constitution
must be passed by the Executive Committee for recommendation to the general
membership.
(B)
Proposed amendments shall be made available to the general membership no later
than one week before consideration at a general meeting.
(C)
Proposed amendments must be passed by a two-thirds majority of those EGSA
members present and voting at a general meeting.
TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS IN ENGLISH
Except for special fellowships usually awarded to
students already enrolled in our programs, the teaching assistantship is the
only regular form of financial aid that the Department of English is able to
offer. A number of assistantships are
available each year and are awarded on a competitive basis. With satisfactory performance and progress
toward the degree, a teaching assistant may have his or her assistantship
renewed each year for the duration of his or her program.
Teaching assistants normally teach two sections of
English Composition while taking six to nine hours of course work. Those who
lack prior experience are required to take English 780, a degree credit course
in the teaching of composition, and English 667, a non-degree credit course in
English Syntax. Because of the amount of time that teaching takes and courses
require, teaching assistants may not accept outside employment unless they have
the written permission of the English department chairperson.
Teaching assistants are employed for the regular
school year. Summer employment is a possibility, but the opportunities to teach
in the summer are fairly irregular, and a teaching assistant should not make
plans that are built upon the prospect of summer teaching. In addition to a
stipend, teaching assistants receive a 100% reduction in basic tuition though
not of other student fees.
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