Literature & Languages Student Opportunities

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  • Explore the Possibilities

    As a student in the Literature & Languages program at Saint Francis University you will have plenty of opportunities in the classroom and beyond. Below are just a few of the opportunities waiting for you.

  • Open opportunities

    These opportunities are open to anyone, yet Literature & Language majors can find great career experience via these extra-curricular activities.

    • Bell Tower - SFU yearbook
    • RED Radio - Student Radio Station
    • Troubadour - Student Newspaper
    • ASL Club
    • SFC Literary Guild - Many of our majors are active members of the Literary Guild, which, in addition to hosting public readings and writing workshops, provides transportation and travel money for off-campus cultural events. Last year, for instance, members of the Literary Guild, accompanied by Dr. Kirk Weixel, attended a production of Rent in Pittsburgh.
    • Environmental literature program
    • Peer-reviewed journal Legacy
    • The Western PA Women Writers Bi-Annual Retreat.
  • Sigma Tau Delta - International Collegiate English Honor Society

    Sigma Tau Delta was founded in 1924 at Dakota Wesleyan University to recognize English majors who have displayed superior scholarship in their literary studies.  Saint Francis University established the Phi Chi Chapter of Sigma Tau Delta in 1988 and is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies. To learn more visit: http://www.english.org/sigmatd/about/index.shtml

  • Gunard Berry Carlson Writing Contest

    Each year the School of Arts and Letters hosts the Gunard Berry Carlson Writing Contest to recognize undergraduate students’ outstanding writing and visual artwork. Writing categories include fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and essay writing; visual arts categories include photography, painting (oil or water), sculpture, and sketch. Entries are judged by an interdisciplinary faculty panel, and prizes are awarded as follows:

    Writing Entries

    • First Place: $350 and $350 Tuition Credit
    • Second Place: $200 and $200 Tuition Credit
    • Third Place: $150 and $150 Tuition Credit
    • Fourth Place: $100 and $100 Tuition Credit
    • Honorable Mentions: $25

    Visual Arts Entries

    • First Place: $100
    • Honorable Mentions: $25 

    All winning entries and honorable mentions in both the writing and visual arts categories are published in a university-sponsored literary magazine, with the winning visual arts entry serving as the magazine’s cover image. Any currently enrolled SFU undergraduate may submit writing or artwork for the Gunard Berry Carlson Writing Contest. For more information regarding contest guidelines and submission procedures, please e-mail Dr. Brennan Thomas at bthomas@francis.edu or call 471-1111.

  • Writing Center

    A Humble and Generous Attitude Towards Learning: The university’s writing center, now housed in the English department, provides tutoring services to all undergraduate students, particularly those who feel anxious or uncertain about their writing abilities or are struggling to find their own voice.

    Involvement: English majors selected to tutor in the writing center are trained to guide the center’s clientele through various stages of the writing process; in doing so, tutors enhance not only their interpersonal communication skills but also their understanding of the writing process. This scholarship option is strongly recommended for students pursuing careers in education and professional writing. English majors collaborate with tutors from other disciplines in developing materials for our center’s website and quarterly newsletter, The Write Times.

    About the center: The Writing Center, located in Pasquerilla Library, provides one-to-one consultations and small-group workshops for students seeking assistance with their writing. The center’s peer tutoring staff is trained to work with students at any stage of the writing process on almost any type of assignment. Tutoring services and resources are free to all students enrolled at Saint Francis University.

    For more information regarding the center’s services, please e-mail Dr. Brennan Thomas, Writing Center Director, at writingcenter@francis.edu or visit the writing center’s home page.

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