Pedagogy Jan 2022

Undergraduate Research and the Enrollment Crisis in English Literature

Brian Cooper Ballentine

Abstract

AbstractDeclines in undergraduate enrollments in English literature are well documented, and departments need to develop a coherent set of productive, practical responses to enrollment pressures. Drawing on studies of undergraduate research in STEM disciplines, this article explores how undergraduate research experiences in English literature can be envisioned not as unique, one-on-one experiences for motivated and interested students but as a curricular intervention that spans the undergraduate academic experience, fosters scholarly identity, and promotes inclusivity in scholarly training. Rather than functioning “by arrangement,” undergraduate research in English should be a coordinated enterprise that is established as an expectation for incoming students and a feature of every level of the major.

Journal
Pedagogy
Published
2022-01-01
DOI
10.1215/15314200-9385454
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Open Access
Closed
Topics
literary studies
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (1)

  1. Reeds (2026)
    Defining and Teaching Close Reading as Disciplinary Method
    Pedagogy

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