Senate Document Number 0600S

Date of Senate Approval 1/20/2000

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Statement of Faculty Senate Action:

APC Document #2: New Minor in the Department of Literature and Language: Minor in Creative Writing

Effective Date: Fall 2000

Add Minor in Creative Writing. To be added after Minor in Literature (page 141) and under Optional Minor Fields of Concentration (page 39).

18 hours in Literature and Language courses: LIT 241, six hours selected from LIT 321, 322, 323, 324; nine additional hours selected from LANG 353, 361, 363, 365, 366, 367, 461, 463, 465 (at least 3 of these hours must be at the 400 level).

Impact Statement: A minor in creative writing will offer our students an opportunity to study creative writing in a serious and sustained manner while at the same time pursuing a degree outside the area of literature and language.

Concurrences: The addition of a minor in creative writing will have no impact on other departments.

Staffing: No additional staff will be required. Students choosing to minor in creative writing will be able to choose courses from among those already being offered on a regular basis.

Rationale:
Over the past three years, we have been receiving an increasing number of requests from students for a minor in creative writing. Many of these students have heard about our creative writing program prior to enrolling at UNCA, or they hear about it once they've begun taking courses here. Typically, these students wish to pursue degrees in other areas-in the sciences, social sciences, or the humanities-, but they also want an opportunity to study creative writing formally and to be recognized for having achieved a certain level of mastery of creative writing at UNCA. At present, we are turning away about five students a semester who would like an opportunity to study creative writing in some depth. Offering a minor in creative writing would serve these students without adding any pressure on the department to increase its course offerings or add new faculty members.