Program Purpose

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Comparative Literature is the study of literature in its totality. The program major acquaints students with literary study beyond the confines of any one national tradition, and it also trains students in the study of the relationship between literature and other areas of knowledge. Combining the synthesizing skills and knowledge related to individual national literatures, the Comparative Literature utilizes a wide range of linguistic and philosophical knowledge unique to an undergraduate program. The program is intellectually enlarging in that it provides a rigorous academic experience for its students that exposes them to a variety of different cultures and literary traditions. It seeks to be spiritually strengthening and character building through the study of the discipline within a context of the restored gospel and the fundamental moral questions that have provided a basis for literary expression throughout history. It also seeks to give students a basis for lifelong learning and service, regardless of the professional field they end up pursuing.

Curricular Structure

See attached program MAP for curriculum structure. The following briefly describes how courses are designed to support program goals:

Cm Lit 201-202 or 211-212 (recommended course option) - provides students with a general familiarity with Western literary history (in the case of 201-202) or world literary history (in the case of 211-212) as well as some of the basic tools and terminology of literary analysis. These courses also help students to understand the relationship between literature and historical developments, especially intellectual history.

CmLit 310 - introduces majors to the discipline by providing: 1. an understanding of the name, nature, and history of the discipline 2. critical reading skills, emphasizing prosody and other methods of formal literary analysis in verse and prose in English and one other language 3. research and writing skills necessary for scholarly work in the discipline.

CmLit 342 - provides majors with a general introduction to three major Asian literary traditions (from China, Japan, India), emphasizing the differences between Western and Asian literatures, through the detailed study of one classical text from each of the three Asian traditions.

ClCv 110, 241, or 355 - provides students with the background in classical literature necessary for an understanding of its place within Western literary history.

Upper-division literature courses offered in the original language in other programs - provides students with intense and detailed study of literature within one national or linguistic tradition; enables them to deepen knowledge of the two traditions necessary for graduation.

CmLit 420R, 430R, 440R, 450R, 460R - provides students with intense and detailed study of key literary texts and central issues and problems of literary study, including issues in periods and periodization, literary genres, themes and literary typology, the relationship between literature and other areas of knowledge, and issues in contemporary literary theory or the history of literary criticism and theory.

CmLit 497 - gives students the opportunity of demonstrating their competency within the major by (1) handing in a portfolio of their written work completed during the major and (2) writing a final essay on a question determined by the faculty that addresses the student's reading list and tests students on their abilities to meet each of the program goals stated above. Advanced electives taken in other departments provides students with opportunities for advanced, detailed study of literary texts in the original language within the context of a national literary tradition. Provides the grounding necessary for students to obtain a thorough knowledge of literary traditions in two different languages.

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Catalog Information
Major Academic Plan

Learning Outcomes

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Foreign Language Proficiency

Demonstrate the ability to analyze a literary text in at least one language in addition to English.

Literary History and Traditions

Articulate a sound understanding of the broad outlines of western literary history, including the place of Classical Greek and Roman literature within its development, and demonstrate familiarity with the Asian tradition; know the literary traditions of two languages well enough to successfully complete course work and a reading list, chosen in consultation with a faculty adviser.

Literary Analysis and Writing

Use tools and methods of literary analysis central to the discipline of Comparative Literature to read, analyze, and interpret literary texts closely and critically, and in the original language, and to communicate that analysis through clear and persuasive writing.

Researching Problems in Literary Studies

Identify and research a problem in literary study by gaining an understanding of the state of knowledge surrounding the issue, analyzing the primary and secondary sources relevant to it, and formulating and following a method appropriate to the problem.

Evidence of Learning

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Direct Measures

1. Assessment at the course level, which includes an evaluation of student performance on exams, in-class presentations, and written assignments in required courses
2. Assessment of the student's writing prior to graduation as part of CmLit 497, for which the student must submit a portfolio of written work completed during the course of the major. This portfolio is then evaluated to determine if the student has met objectives 3 and 4.
3. Assessment of the final student essay, submitted through CmLit 497, to determine if the student has met learning objectives 1, 2, and 3.
4. Assessment of writing from 200- and 400-level courses conducted at the College's annual assessment retreat.

Indirect Measures

1. One-on-one advisement with each student
2. Post graduation surveys of comparative literature graduates.
3. Recruitment and placement data, especially the placement of students at professional graduate students, as well as reports of student performance at these schools.

Learning and Teaching Assessment and Improvement

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Direct Measures

1. Discuss performance of students at all course levels in regular section meetings. Address any problems at the course level through curricular adjustments in assignments, testing, additional student mentoring, etc.
2. Return to having all faculty read and grade CmLit 497 essays; discuss essays in section meeting.
3. Faculty who participate in the college assessment retreat make a report to the section as a whole on the state of writing in the program. Make curricular adjustments where necessary.
4. Institute regular review of courses (through review of course syllabi, assignments, exams, etc.) to ensure uniformity of expectations and workload as well as appropriate rigor.

Indirect Measures

1. Consider results of annual university survey in section meetings.
2. Draft an in-house survey of graduating seniors to be completed at the time of CmLit 497. Review survey results annually.
3. Institute a system for tracking all program graduates to note graduate school acceptance rates and success in completing graduate degrees, as well as success rates of students who go on to professional schools or other professions, and other relevant data.