The English Department at Perimeter College gives students far more than just skills, rules, and basic elements of good writing. In our courses, students gain the ability to think analytically and critically. That’s important today when employers seek candidates who can problem-solve in an ever-changing world. At Perimeter College, students learn how to communicate effectively, think creatively and clearly articulate a well-reasoned solution.
Because all students are required to take at least two composition courses, the English Department is Perimeter College’s largest academic department. Our instructors are highly credentialed, and our primary responsibility is teaching. All faculty teach first-year composition and are dedicated to providing exceptional quality instruction in core areas, so students may take classes with experienced, dedicated professors from the start. In all of our courses—from literature to creative writing, learning support to composition—our focus is student success.
Revival: Lost Southern Voices Festival
Revival: Lost Southern Voices — A Festival for Readers is a celebration of lost or underappreciated Southern writers and their works. During this two-day literary festival, invited authors and scholars discuss writers whose groundbreaking voices no longer receive the attention they deserve.
We invite the public, scholars, students, writers, and readers to join us as we revive these lost voices. This two-day literary festival is co-hosted annually by Perimeter College Georgia State University and the Georgia Center for the Book, with support from Georgia Humanities.
In the spring of 2022, we look forward to presenting our sixth annual Revival: Lost Southern Voices — A Festival for Readers. Please see our website for additional details. Please plan to attend!
English Pathway
When students study English at Perimeter College, they learn from award-winning playwrights, novelists and poets, as well as scholars recognized for contributions to literary studies and teaching. One faculty member has written plays produced by and performed at the Alliance Theatre. One is writing a six-episode arc for the comic “Deadpool,” and another has twice been named Georgia Writer of the Year. Faculty members have gained national recognition through grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and Pushcart Awards. Members of the English faculty have been awarded Georgia Governor’s Teaching Fellows for their methods, practices and contributions to learning environments.
At Perimeter College, our instructors’ focus is on students and teaching. Still, English Department faculty members remain active in research fields by presenting at national conferences and publishing creative and scholarly works.
We are dedicated to helping students succeed academically and professionally. We provide classroom instruction that builds the skills necessary for academically rigorous work, and our faculty’s supportive mentoring and guidance enables students to discover the motivation they need to succeed after graduation.
Academic Initiatives
Perimeter College English courses prepare students to excel beyond the classroom. You will have opportunities to publish your best papers and creative works in two Perimeter College publications:
The Polishing Cloth is a collection of the best student essays from English Composition, Developmental Studies, English as a Second Language and other disciplines. The publication, started in 1984 by faculty member Sarah Larson on the Dunwoody Campus of Perimeter College, complements the course textbook by providing essays for students to analyze and critique. Essays from “The Polishing Cloth” have been reprinted in other textbooks used by students across the country.
Creative License is an award-winning literary and arts magazine published annually by and for the students of Perimeter College. Its mission is to provide an outlet for students’ creative expression and to serve as a classroom teaching tool to promote learning and unity among Perimeter College campus communities. The goal of the literary journal is to expose the unique perspectives of Perimeter College students, and it is compiled of student work that reflects the college’s unique and diverse population. “Creative License” was first published in spring 1993 by a small group of visionaries led by Dr. Rosemary Cox, the faculty editor of the premier edition of the publication. In honor of the vision, service, and inspiration provided by Dr. Cox, the annual student awards given in the categories of Art, Photography, Poetry and Short Fiction are now known as The Rosemary Cox Prizes.
Local workshops, visiting writer series, publishing support and mentoring — Each campus hosts a local workshop where students and community members meet to share and discuss their creative works. Students are encouraged to participate in creative writing workshops or help coordinate a visiting writer lecture series. Students can be mentored through the process of publishing in print and electronic media. Because many of our faculty have been or are currently involved in professional writing activities, including fiction and nonfiction, film and TV production, technical writing and editing, students who major in English gain valuable insight into a variety of professional opportunities.
Other Initiatives: Through its operation on five campuses and online, Perimeter College engages students in events and opportunities that provide learning beyond the classroom.
Offerings vary but recent examples include:
The Georgia Poetry Circuit, in which the Honors Program sponsors an annual reading tour by award-winning poets.
The Dunwoody Campus Poetry Slam, emceed by a nationally recognized performance poet and featuring student participants.
Student clubs also plan, organize, and host readings by novelists, essayists, TV scriptwriters and graphic novelists.
We encourage students to be more than audience members. Students volunteer at the Decatur Book Festival; they produce, write and act in plays and webisodes; they perform as singer-songwriters and read their poetry at open-mics; and they set up blogs and podcasts. We challenge students not only to engage with the great literary texts of others, but to see themselves as capable of producing works that move and persuade audiences.
Message from the Department Chair
Perimeter College’s English Department includes more than 80 full-time faculty members representing a variety of educational experiences and professional achievements. Our mission is to encourage and engage students at all levels as they become proficient in composition and literary studies. We are dedicated to the highest quality of instruction, incorporating effective teaching methods with innovative modes of delivery.
Our faculty’s commitment to students is evidenced by our student’s successes. Whether students continue their academic career on Georgia State University’s Atlanta Campus or transfer to another four-year institution, the skills they acquire in their Perimeter College English courses prepare them well. We are here to help our students achieve their academic goals, and we look forward to their future success.
Dr.Shane Bruce
Interim Chair, Department of English
FAQs
A: Yes. Students who are placed in both ENGL 1101 and ENGL 0999 must continue to enroll in both classes until they earn a “C” or better in ENGL 1101.
A: No. Once a student who is placed in both ENGL 1101 and ENGL 0999 has passed ENGL 1101 with a “C” or better, the student may move on to ENGL 1102.
A: English courses taken through Perimeter College at Georgia State University transfer readily to other colleges and universities, especially within the University System of Georgia.
A: Interested or prospective Perimeter College students who are non-native speakers of English should contact Admissions for information regarding application and eligibility.
-
- Georgia high school graduates will follow the regular admissions process for traditional students.
- F-1 students should follow the regular admissions process for international students.
- Immigrant/refugee adults should follow the regular admissions process for international students.
Campus Contacts
Main Department Phone: 678-891-2539.
Department Chair
Dr. Shane Bruce
Interim Chair of English
Clarkston Campus, CH-3302
678-212-7538
[email protected]
Alpharetta
Dr. Gina Flowers
Associate Chair of English
Alpharetta Campus, AA-1640
770-274-5568
[email protected]
Tamara Shue
Interim Assistant Chair of English
Alpharetta Campus & Dunwoody Campus, NE-2308
770-274-5482
[email protected]
Clarkston
Dr. Shane Bruce
Interim Department Chair of English
Clarkston Campus, CH-3302
678-212-7538
[email protected]
Dr Lee Furey
Interim Assistant Chair of English
Clarkston Campus & Decatur Campus, CH-3314
770-274-5717
[email protected]
Decatur
Dr. Valerie Matthews
Interim Associate Chair of English
Decatur Campus, SB-2020
678-891-3996
[email protected]
Dunwoody
Dr. Jennifer Colatosti
Interim Associate Chair of English
Dunwoody Campus, NE-2304
770-247-5645
[email protected]
Newton & Online
Interim Associate Chair of English
Newton Campus & Online, 1N-1452
678-891-2768
[email protected]
Interim Assistant Chair of English
Newton Campus and Online
678-212-7543
[email protected]
Student Information on Course Grade Appeals
Course Grade Appeals
Policy and Procedures for Perimeter College English Courses
Students in English classes at Perimeter College may appeal their final course grade on the grounds that the grade was issued in a capricious, arbitrary, or discriminatory manner. This appeal policy and the procedures outlined below are based on the Policy/Procedures for Student Complaints, Petitions for Policy Waivers/Variances and Appeals found in the Georgia State University Code of Conduct. The policies below cover final course grade appeals only for Perimeter College courses taught in the Department of English.
Information for Students
You may appeal only after having officially received the final grade in the course. This appeal process is only for the final course grade, not for individual assignments.
Remember that the syllabus is a contractual agreement between you and your instructor. By staying enrolled in the class, you tacitly accept the policies and terms outlined in the syllabus. Therefore, all matters having to do with department policy or with curriculum and program requirements are not appealable, nor are any of the instructor’s stated classroom policies such as attendance and behavior policies.
In order for a grade appeal to be considered, you must prove that your instructor has issued the grade in a capricious, arbitrary, or discriminatory manner. Refer to the following definitions of these terms:
Capricious refers to a grading decision not resulting from a reasonable and announced grading policy and procedure.
Arbitrary refers to a grading decision for which there is no sound academic reason, or a decision based solely on preference or whim.
Discriminatory refers to a grading decision reflecting differential treatment based on race, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability, or national origin.
According to this policy, unless there is capricious, arbitrary, or discriminatory behavior, the professional judgment of the instructor is not a matter that can be challenged or appealed in this process. It is your responsibility as the student to prove that the grade was issued in a capricious, arbitrary, or discriminatory manner.
All appeals must be submitted within 10 business days after the beginning of the academic semester that follows the semester in which the final course grade was submitted by the instructor, whether or not you are enrolled that semester. A grade appeal must be submitted in writing to the Chair of the Appeals Committee and the instructor who assigned the grade in question. Please carefully complete all the steps below.
If you feel certain that your instructor has issued a final course grade in a capricious, arbitrary, or discriminatory manner, you must complete these steps:
- Talk to your instructor about the situation. You may also request a meeting with the instructor and the Chair of the Appeals Committee if you think a mediating presence would be helpful. Only after attempting to informally resolve the situation by meeting with the instructor can you initiate a formal grade appeal procedure.
- If you cannot resolve the complaint by meeting with the instructor, please contact one of these Assistant Chairs:
-
- Professor NaKeya Bazemore, 678-212-7543, [email protected]
- Professor Tamara Shue, 770-274-5482, [email protected]
- If the complaint remains unresolved, you may initiate the formal appeal process by submitting a written statement of the grievances to the Chair of the Appeals Committee and to the instructor who assigned the grade in question. The statement must include the following elements:
-
- Provide your name, Panther ID, Georgia State email address, course CRN, term, and instructor’s name.
- Document the dates and methods of your informal attempts to resolve the issue.
- Allege that you were the object of capricious, arbitrary, or discriminatory behavior and explain the allegation in detail.
- Include copies of any evidence to which you allude (course syllabus, graded papers, tests, etc.).
- List any witnesses: their names, email addresses, and telephone numbers.
- Explain the specific outcome you would like to see happen.
- The Chair of the English Department will provide a decision to the student in writing, through the
student’s GSU email, normally within ten business days of receiving the formal, written appeal.
It is the student’s responsibility to check GSU email for this decision
For more information, please refer to the Georgia State University Code of Conduct and Administrative Policies, page 32: Section IV.F. II.A.
Meet The Faculty
Dr. Valerie Mathews, English Professor
Testimonials
“The English Department at Perimeter College has been a second family to me. They’ve helped me not only learn more about literature and creative writing, but also more about myself. With their mentorship and sincerity, I have learned the value of stories and storytelling, the value of asking for help, and I discovered how I can better succeed through my writing.”
Justin Beaudrot
Perimeter College 2016 graduate
Pursuing bachelor’s degree at Georgia State University’s Atlanta Campus