Demand for artistic writing programs outpaces provide

It might sound that placing phrases to paper is difficult, however for these concerned about artistic writing lessons, it is perhaps harder to get into a category.

Many artistic writing programs are recognized for his or her lengthy waitlists and enrollment caps, however the root of the problem lies with a low provide of lecturers and programs to satisfy the excessive scholar demand for programs. The low provide of lecturers stems from an excellent bigger downside: funding. 

For Kathaleen Mallard ’25, it was extremely troublesome for her to get into the artistic writing lessons she wished, at the same time as an English main with a artistic writing emphasis. 

“I really feel just like the demand was clearly a lot higher than the quantity of lessons that there have been, so it was exhausting to get into something,” Mallard mentioned. A few of her programs required course enrollment varieties, however seniority remained a big issue of choice, making it troublesome to enroll into the lessons that have been a part of the core main necessities. 

Mallard believes that this might have an effect on college students sooner or later who want to pursue an English main with a artistic writing emphasis or a artistic writing minor, who could not get to discover lessons within the division due to low enrollment caps. She additionally raised the waitlist expertise for artistic writing programs. Since most individuals are unlikely to drop their spots in school, it’s actually exhausting to get off the waitlist for these lessons, Mallard mentioned. 

Dean Wiley ’26, an English main with an emphasis in artistic writing, echoed this sentiment. Wiley referred to his expertise taking a artistic nonfiction class final yr that was 70% seniors. With the implementation of staggered enrollment, Wiley worries underclassmen gained’t have entry to many artistic writing lessons, deterring them from pursuing a artistic writing minor.

“Why would I need to put this quantity [of work] right into a minor after which finally simply do half the [minor] as a result of I wasn’t in a position to [enroll], or I’ve to hold it into one other quarter or another semester as a result of … there’s simply not sufficient professors,” Wiley mentioned, utilizing a hypothetical instance. 

Tom Kealey, a lecturer in artistic writing, acknowledged Mallard and Wiley’s considerations.

“Positively, if college students can’t get into artistic writing lessons till their junior yr, then most gained’t have the ability to fulfill the artistic writing minor necessities, and even the English main necessities,” Kealey wrote in an announcement to The Day by day. 

Kealey wrote that the rationale for the lack to satisfy scholar calls for comes from inadequate funding inside the artistic writing division. 

Edward Porter, a lecturer in artistic writing, mentioned that previously, when there was elevated enrollment within the artistic writing program, the College adjusted by growing their funding. Within the face of excessive scholar demand, he mentioned, this system is at the moment underfunded and college students who’re concerned about taking artistic writing lessons, majoring or minoring in artistic writing are usually not being served. 

Lots of the lecturers within the artistic writing division are available in initially as Stegner Fellows, which is a two-year fellowship for 5 writers in fiction and 5 in prose. Stegner Fellows spend their time at Stanford writing and attending workshops beneath the steering of school. After completion of their fellowship, Stegner Fellows are invited to use for a Jones lectureship.

Austin Smith, a lecturer in artistic writing, wrote that previously they “had one-year renewable contracts that may be prolonged indefinitely so long as we have been efficient lecturers and wished to remain.” 

Nonetheless, Smith wrote {that a} four-year cap on lectureships was applied, that means that new Jones lecturers employed after the cap can be terminated after their 4 years, contributing to the shortage of lecturers. 

The 2022-2023 tutorial yr was the primary time lecturers with the four-year cap of their contracts weren’t given lecturer positions. “Within the spring of this yr, we simply had, I imagine, the primary group of lecturers [let go] after their 4 years,” mentioned Keith Ekiss, a lecturer in artistic writing. On the identical time, Ekiss mentioned lots of of undergraduate college students have been on waitlists and unable to get into lessons. 

In a written assertion, Elizabeth Tallent and Nicholas Jenkins, co-directors of the artistic writing program, wrote that this system is searching for to discover a long-term resolution: “As a major step, in December the Program will host a listening session for undergraduate minors in artistic writing and for English majors with a artistic writing emphasis, whose voices and views will play a vital position in this system’s planning for the long run.”