Capstone

English majors at CSUCI take the Capstone course in their final semester, as a culmination of their work in the program. To enter the course students must submit an acceptable portfolio to the instructor of the appropriate Capstone course. At the completion of the course the English Program hosts Capstone Presentations in which students share their work with the campus community.

We're collecting some model Capstone papers from former students to give you an idea of what varied subjects students have chosen and what a successful Capstone paper looks like. You can view these papers on the Electronic Course Pack for English 499, under Professors Joan Peters or Mary Adler's names. The password is CAPSTONE.

Currently, the English Program at CSUCI offers two Capstone courses, one for English: Literature and Writing (contact Professor Joan Peters ) and one for English Education (contact Professor Mary Adler ). Each is described below.

Capstone in English: Literature and Writing

The purpose of this course is to complete English Majors' undergraduate studies with a long paper or project concentrated in an area of their emphasis or certificate that will round out their B.A. in English. Interdisciplinary majors are welcome but require the student to find a professor in the other relevant discipline to help guide and evaluate the project. Creative Writing Emphasis students may do a writing project to extend or create a work in their principal genre if they are not simultaneously enrolled in creative writing course in that genre. If they are, they can do a critical work on a playwright, poet or fiction writer. The creative writing option is only available to students in that emphasis.

The course is tailored to the individual backgrounds and divergent needs of each student. Based on their portfolios and their goals as English Majors, the course will guide students in mastering the areas they choose to develop. Students will work independently and in a seminar setting, with each presenting his or her completed stage of the project for the rest of the class to critique. At each of these presentations, students will plan out the projects' next stage. They will also meet with the professor individually whenever necessary for moving forward. Each student will have a plan for each week's work and have the completed work by the agreed on time, whether it is their turn to present or not.

There's also an opportunity to do an interdisciplinary internship combining literature and history. Working with an intern from the history department, the student would help to develop a class curriculum and write a paper about the materials collected.

Examples of projects from previous capstones: To more fully complete her multicultural emphasis English degree, one student complemented her knowledge of contemporary literature with a research paper on an early 20 th century African-American classic: Zora Neal Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God . Not having yet used literary criticism, biographical, or historical research to study literature, this student learned the critical skills necessary for graduate study. The other student completed her Technical Writing certificate within the English program with a documentary film and written report on the problems facing Gay Teens. With the additional guidance of one of CSUCI's psychology professors, she conducted live interviews, presented an oral history, used the new research in the area, and covered new developments, such as the Harvey Milk High School for gay and lesbian adolescents. Other papers include an examination of literature about Law, literature of the 2 nd wave of the women's movement, an analysis of the poetry of William Butler Yeats, a discussion of the theme of abuse in Alice Walker's The Color Purple, an analysis of Emmerson's "Individual Mind." Papers are on file from 5 previous capstones for the students' examination.

Expected Student Outcomes:

Students will 1)master research methods, documentation, and presentation 2)develop the skills necessary for sustaining a 20 page paper/project in their areas 3)strengthen skills of independent study 4)enrich their critical abilities in helping one another with successive drafts 5)prepare themselves for graduate study and graduate school admissions 6)improve written and verbal communicative skills in presenting their results.

Capstone in English Education

Students in this capstone-who are interested in pursuing careers as middle or high school teachers, administrators, or library media teachers-have already taken Sequence C or the equivalent. Based on students' portfolios, interests and goals, students will develop a plan to explore an area relevant to the field of English Education. This exploration will include each of the following:

1. Extensive reading, to include appropriate young adult texts in diverse genres as well as relevant professional and critical literature;
2. A systematic program of research that incorporates classroom observations and/or interactions in an English or Language Arts setting;
3. A written product suitable for publication in an appropriate journal and/or presentation to an audience of teachers, parents, and/or students.

Expected Student Outcomes:

Through this course, students will

• Develop participant/observer research methods, documentation, and presentation skills
• Work collaboratively to build the skills necessary for sustaining a 15-20 page paper/project in their areas
• Demonstrate the skills for independent thinking, study, and action
• Enrich their critical abilities in helping one another with successive drafts
• Prepare themselves for credential programs, graduate study, and/or graduate school admissions
• Present themselves as professional, capable, thoughtful, and considerate student researchers when in school settings
• Improve written and verbal communicative skills in presenting their results.