Jump to content

Purdue


Recommended Posts

So, do we think the first full set of acceptances is already out? 

 

I know they send the whole email where they ask you not to freak out until you officially get a rejection, but it'd be nice to have a clearer idea of what's going on. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, I haven't heard anything yet (beyond LinkedIn notifying me that one of my POI's was scoping out my page, ha!). I'd like to know sooner than later, as well, so I can finalize my travel plans for March. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Fall 2013 Courses below, minus various practicums and research hours, for those interested. Let me know if you need anything decoded.

 

 

 

50100-001-47946    Intro To Engl Studies              MWF     01:30 PM-02:20 PM    PR Schneider

50500-006-19701    Approaches/Creative Wr           TR        03:00 PM-04:15 PM    ML Leader/PG Shreve

50500-008-19703    Prof Writing Practicum            TR        12:00 PM-01:15 PM    MJ Salvo

50600-001-19704    Intro Engl & Gnrl Ling            TR        04:30 PM-05:45 PM    V Raskin

50900-001-63073    Fiction Writing                      TR        10:30 AM-11:45 AM   Visiting Faculty

51200-001-38339    Engl Syntax Syntac Thy          MWF     11:30 AM-12:20 PM    JS Francis

51500-001-54571    Adv Professional Writ             TR        01:30 PM-02:45 PM    JL Bay

51600-001-19709    Engl Sec Lng/Theor Fnd          TR        03:00 PM-04:15 PM    AJ Silva

54100-001-63533    Stds In Chaucer's CT               R          04:30 PM-07:20 PM    RA Malo

54800-001-64246    Victorian Literature                W         06:00 PM-08:50 PM    DF Felluga

55300-001-63540    Col & Early Amer Lit              TR        03:00 PM-04:15 PM   

56300-001-62901    Historical Linguistics              TR        12:00 PM-01:15 PM    R Channon

56500-001-61331    Sociolinguistics                     MWF     01:30 PM-02:20 PM    MS Berns

58600-001-61561    Theory Of Film                     W         03:30 PM-05:20 PM    LA Duerfahrd

58600-LA1-61562   Theory Of Film                     M         06:30 PM-09:20 PM    LA Duerfahrd

58900-001-19717    Directed Writing                                ARR HRS                TS Conard-Salvo

58900-002-52291    Prospectus Writing                             ARR HRS                PR Schneider

58900-003-63145    LAB-Field Methods                M         06:30 PM-07:20 PM    EE Benedicto

59100-001-46326    Int Composition Theory           TR        12:00 PM-01:15 PM    KM Leon

59400-001-63542    Contemporary Poetry              TR        10:30 AM-11:45 AM   WS Flory

59600-003-52497    Intro To Inquiry In SLS           T          06:00 PM-08:50 PM    AJ Ginther

59600-004-62839    Drama And Drama Theory        TR        10:30 AM-11:45 AM   BI Allert

59600-005-63077    Field Methods                       W         06:30 PM-09:20 PM    EE Benedicto

60500-001-63373    Computers Lang & Rhet          TR        03:00 PM-04:15 PM    MJ Salvo

60600-001-19749    Sem In Poetry Writing             M         11:30 AM-02:20 PM    MJ Boruch

60900-001-19751    Sem In Fiction Writing            W         11:30 AM-02:20 PM    SD Solwitz

61100-001-63375    Old English Language             MWF     12:30 PM-01:20 PM    SF Hughes

61800-001-63008    Quantitative Research             TR        01:30 PM-02:45 PM    DJ Olson

62400-001-52237    Comp St: Modern                   F          11:30 AM-02:20 PM    PA Sullivan

62700-001-63383    Semantics Of Humor              R          06:30 PM-09:20 PM    V Raskin

62900-001-53414    Writing For Publication In SLS  TR        01:30 PM-02:45 PM    AJ Ginther

63100-001-63385    World Englishes                    MWF     03:30 PM-04:20 PM    MS Berns

63300-001-63408    Piers Plowman                      T          06:30 PM-09:20 PM    MR Johnston

63300-002-63410    Renaissance Texts/Theory        TR        10:30 AM-11:45 AM   PW White

63500-001-63415    Restoration/18th Century Lit     M         04:30 PM-07:20 PM    M Powell

65700-001-57844    Social & Novel Early America   R          06:00 PM-08:50 PM    CJ Lukasik

66800-001-63151    Cultural Interpretation&Theory MW      04:30 PM-05:45 PM    A Plotnitsky

67800-001-64247    Faulkner Seminar                   TR        10:30 AM-11:45 AM   JN Duvall

67900-001-64248    Joyce Seminar                       T          04:30 PM-07:20 PM    MT Linett

68000-001-63390    Digital Studio                       T          06:30 PM-09:20 PM    NR Johnson

68000-002-63391    Assessment                          M         11:30 AM-02:20 PM    RD Johnson-Sheehan

68000-003-63393    Institutional Rhetoric              W         11:30 AM-02:20 PM    PA Sullivan

69600-001-63061    Chicago Renaissance               T          04:30 PM-07:20 PM    BV Mullen

69600-002-63302    Women And Modernity           W         04:30 PM-07:20 PM    E Coda

69600-003-63350    Teacher In Fiction And Film     T          04:30 PM-07:20 PM    M Shoffner

69600-004-63424    Postmodern Blackness             M         06:00 PM-08:50 PM    MD David

69600-005-63528    Lang Complex Adap Sys          TR        04:30 PM-05:45 PM    JD Sundquist

Edited by ComeBackZinc
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I found out that i got accepted to the PhD program at Purdue in mid-February. If you are still waiting at this point, you may be waiting for someone to decline.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ComeBackZinc,

 

Thanks so much for the information about 2013 fall classes at Purdue! If found out several weeks ago that I've been accepted to the M.A. program in Literature, and I'm planning to visit campus in a couple weeks to get a feel for the department. I know that your field is rhetoric and comp, but do you have any friends who specialize in literary theory and/or cultural studies? If I decide to attend Purdue and stay on for the PhD (assuming I can maintain good standing), I'd want my focus to be in the theory and cultural studies program. Do you know anyone in that field? If so, has he/she had a good experience?

 

I've been offered funding in the form of a TAship, and it seems that most grad students begin with teaching freshman comp. Have you done any TAing at Purdue? If so, what's your experience been like? Has the workload still allowed you enough time to focus on your own studies?

 

Is it possible to live off $13,000 a year in West Lafayette/ Lafayette?

 

What do most M.A. and PhD students do during the summer months? Is there summer funding available, and, if so, how easy is it to receive?

 

I know that I'll be able to ask current students these sort of questions when I visit campus, but I'd love to hear your honest opinion about any of these issues, if you have the time to respond.

 

Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi ArcticKind, let's see!

 

I have several close friends in both literature and TCS. While people are aware of the divisions between programs, I think you'll find that, all in all, people get along quite well. (People from just about every program are currently represented in Echo Base, a houseshare that a bunch of people got together for.) TCS students seem to enjoy it, although I haven't taken any of those classes. That's probably the program with the most hybridity, so you'll have plenty of opportunity to try different things out. Many rhet/comp students take TCS courses, and several of our faculty members such as Thomas Rickert and Samantha Blackmon regularly teach classes in those subjects. It's not unusual for TCS people to take a rhet/comp secondary.

 

All PhD students at Purdue are eligible for 5 years of funding, as I understand it. Some small number get fellowships for the first two years. I have taught ENGL 106, Introductory Composition at Purdue, for my first two years here, and I've quite enjoyed it. Here, freshman composition is a 4 credit class, so if you can teach a 1/1 load. However, after your first year, you will have the opportunity to apply for different positions if you'd like. Some options include 108, which is a service learning class which involves working with a community partner; 106i, which is a special section of freshman comp especially for non-native speakers of English (a necessity at a school with 9,000 international students); business writing; technical and professional writing; or working in our renowned writing lab. There are many other options as well. I'll personally be working for Purdue's Oral English Proficiency Program in the fall. Understand, however, that most of these are quarter time, so you'll have to double up to get your usual funding.

 

I personally have found it doable to live on $13k in Lafayette, if you're frugal. If you feel like you really need more money, there are a few options. One thing you can do is teach a learning community, special sections that involve out-of-class social events and working with teachers of different classes. It's not a lot more money, but you do get an additional stipend. Also, after your first year, you can sometimes earn three quarters time, for example by tutoring for the writing lab and teaching a 106, which many people find quite doable. You will also receive a small bump in pay in your second and third years. Don't get me wrong: it's humanities grad school, and it's tough. (Particularly galling since the engineering students can make in the $30k range or higher.) But it's doable, in part because rent is so cheap out here.

 

The summers are definitely one of the major downsides; there just isn't a lot of summer funding available. The summer teaching jobs are quite competitive. Some people have had luck teaching at Ivy Tech, the local community college. There is talk of starting a summer Intensive English Program, which would provide more opportunities for summer work, but right now, that's one of the definite downsides. There have also been several people who have gotten work through a summer reading tutoring program that operates out of Indianapolis.

 

Hope this helps, let me know if you have more questions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, ComeBackZinc! 

 

I really appreciate your willingness to answer my questions! From your posts on here, it seems that your experience at Purdue has been quite good, which is encouraging of course. The camaraderie within the department and the potential to take a variety of courses are especially appealing to me.

 

It's too bad to hear about the lack of summer funding. Do you have a sense of what students who are not able to receive funding or find teaching positions in the area do during the summers? Do they stay in town and pursue their own research, work other non-academic jobs to save up, leave town, or something else?

 

You mentioned that housing is inexpensive in the area-- a definite plus! Do you have any recommendations about where ideal, but cheap housing might be found? Are there any particular areas of town or apartment complexes where graduate students have tended to have good luck? Or, on the other hand, any places to stay away from?

 

I'm a pretty frugal person generally; I don't spend money indulgently (except on coffee). I'm curious, though, did you find that you had any sort of major unexpected costs as a graduate student? 

 

Also, the Purdue website says that the city has an efficient bus system. Is that true? Or do you find that it's best to have a car to get places? (I will be bringing a car wherever I end up attending, but I'd prefer not to have to drive often if possible.)

 

Finally: Is there anything particular that you would recommend I make sure to do/see when I visit campus in a couple weeks? Or in Lafayette generally?

 

 

Thank you, again, for your honest and advice! I'm very grateful. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think a fair number of people leave town for the summer and take jobs wherever they happen to live. Some people are able to find miscellaneous funding on campus; with a campus this size, there's always jobs to be done. That's more during the semester, but some in the summer as well. (There was a GA available, cataloging and archiving Neil Armstrong's papers... I was tempted.) I think the reading tutoring I talked about is through the Institute of Reading Development.

 

The biggest thing with housing, to my mind, is being able to take a little time and find just what you want. There are some real gems, but you have to sort through a lot of worse places to find them. With 40,000 students and a generally itinerant population, there's lots of incentive for landlords to buy old properties and rent them out without really keeping them up. However, there's also a lot of cool old buildings with a lot of character that you can rent out for cheap. Generally speaking, grad students tend to live over the bridge in Lafayette, undergrads in West Lafayette right near campus. There are exceptions, of course, and I'm not really sure about other departments, but that's how it generally goes. There are two major roadways between the cities, and a lovely pedestrian bridge between them, so it's easy to get between the two towns. People mostly want to avoid living too close to campus if only because it's so undergrad-y; Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night are what you'd expect from all of the undergrad houseshares and the insane number of fraternities. Same thing with the bars: Lafayette's bars are more grownup, West Lafayette's tend toward the undergrad meatmarket type. That's not to say that I'd never live in West Lafayette. There are some great ethnic restaurants and access that close to campus is obviously a plus. One thing you'll find about Lafayette: neighborhoods are very inconsistent. You'll be in a part of town that seems really junky and not the type of place you might want to live, and then you'll go another block and it'll be lovely. You really have to explore and get a sense of what's out there.

 

For context, my own apartment (which I love) is a huge two bedroom, the top floor of a big house, which has a dishwasher, on-floor washer and dryer, a porch, backyard, and off-street parking, two blocks from downtown Lafayette and 30 minutes walk to campus. I pay $750 a month.

 

It's important to say, though, that a lot of people consider Lafayette a drag. It's definitely in the minus column. I do think that some people don't have the context to know what a really small town is like, and it could be a lot worse. I like the bars and restaurants, and there's the farmers market, an independent bookstore, some galleries and shops, and a seemingly unsustainable number of yoga studios. But it's quiet, and small, and you won't meet a lot of people out and about. I've said this before on this board, but I have definitely found Lafayette to be a bigger problem since I became single. Indianapolis is an hour away and Chicago two, and I know some people who head out of town every other weekend or so. I find Lafayette totally doable, but many people report it as a constant frustration.

 

I have actually been living car-free since October. The bus system is very serviceable, particularly for Purdue students, as the school heavily subsidizes the system and uses it as our campus transportation system. (Which is a necessity; if I walked from my office to the tennis courts, it would easily take me over an hour.) It's a bit of a pain to get to the supermarket, and you can expect buses to run 5-10 minutes late, but for a town of this size, it's an impressive system.

 

On your visit, I would take care to check out both West Lafayette and Lafayette in general. Also, try to get a sense of how much you like the campus. I will say: the campus has its own charms, and it's grown on me. But it will never be mistaken for beautiful. If you go to visit that den of sin and avarice, Indiana University's campus in Bloomington, you'll see a gorgeous campus. Purdue's is... functional. The campus mirrors Purdue as a whole: it's a huge, efficient, somewhat impersonal machine for research and education. The departments are modular and distinct, without a lot of crossover for grad students or faculty. Just about everything is brick. The size and monotony can feel alienating. Some of the buildings, such as the student union, are lovely, but almost nowhere is cozy. Make sure you check out the library, which is one of my biggest complaints. Not in terms of resources; the library resources, as with the school's resources in general, are incredible. But they're done the way Purdue does everything: separated and efficient. I think we now have 14 libraries, down from a one-time high of (I think) 24. Each is devoted to separate specialties, with engineering of course having the most. They work fine. But they aren't the kind of places you want to find a cozy corner in and curl up, and there's no major library hub on campus. It can be a bit of a drag.

 

That said... I absolutely love it here. Love it. I have found the faculty and staff to be incredibly engaged and approachable, from the grad director to the professors in my own department to the director of the writing lab to the administrative assistants in the office. The range of classes available, for someone of my interests, is incredible. We have a bunch of great resources like an indigenous and endangered languages lab, a second language acquisition lab, access to Purdue's incredible technological resources, lots of cool events.... I saw the Joffrey Ballet perform the Rite of Spring on campus a couple weekends ago, and if you're into college sports, the Big 10 is pretty crazy (even though our teams aren't good). Moreover, I just find it inspiring to be around so much research and crazy stuff going on. There's a functioning nuclear reactor in the basement of the Electrical Engineering building; awhile back, I was sitting in the union reading to see some undergrads drive a solar car around the corner. Academic stuff, college stuff, I love it.

 

Definitely ask about the numbers when you're here-- ask about job placement rate, time to graduate, percentage of people who complete prelims who end up finishing their dissertation, etc. Chat with TCS people, who will know a lot more than I do about what that program is really like. And more than anything, try to get a sense of the culture and whether you feel like you'd fit in.

 

Oh, and don't walk under the bell tower.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted this on the Waitlist thread, but wanted to leave a message here too:

 

If anyone is still waiting to hear from Purdue, I've just declined their offer. Hopefully that will mean good news for someone here!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 11 months later...

In case anyone is interested, I have copy and pasted the Fall 2014 English graduate classes below, with the exception of the teaching practicums, which I have removed. These were just released internally today. If you need anything decoded please let me know.

 

2/24/2014 ENGLISH DEPARTMENT-- GRADUATE COURSES -- FALL 2014

50600-001-68603 Intro English & General Linguistics TR 04:30 PM-05:45 PM V Raskin
51000-001-67789 Hist Of Engl Language TR 10:30 AM-11:45 AM MK Niepokuj
51100-001-67790 Semantics T 06:30 PM-09:20 PM F Raskin
51200-001-38339 English Syntax Syntacic Theory RB Wilber
51300-001-65335 English Phonology TR 09:00 AM-10:15 AM
51500-001-54571 Adv Professional Writing TR 01:30 PM-02:45 PM MJ Salvo
51600-001-19709 Engl Second Language:Theory Foundations MWF 10:30 AM-11:20 AM
53100-001-68452 Rise Of The Novel W 06:30 PM-09:20 PM M Powell
54400-001-68450 Milton MWF 12:30 PM-01:20 PM AA Duran
55300-001-68454 Colonial & Early American Lit T 04:30 PM-07:20 PM CJ Lukasik
56000-001-68424 Modern American Poetry MWF 10:30 AM-11:20 AM DC Morris
56500-001-61331 Sociolinguistics TTH 10:30 AM-11:45 AM BA Brown
58000-001-68462 Theories Modernism & Postmodernism MWF 02:30 PM-03:20 PM A Plotnitsky
58600-001-61561 Theory Of Film W 03:30 PM-05:20 PM L Duerfahrd
58600-LA1-61562 Theory Of Film M 06:30 PM-09:20 PM L Duerfahrd
58900-001-19717 Directed Writing Arrange Hours
59000-001-19723 Directed Reading Arrange Hours
59100-001-46326 Introduction to Composition Theory TR 12:00 PM-01:15 PM S Blackmon
59600-003-52497 Inquiry In Second Language Studies M 06:30 PM-09:20 PM DS Atkinson
59600-006-68227 Rhetoric, Technology, & Game History T 04:30 PM-07:20 PM NR Johnson
59600-007-68463 Ecocriticism T 04:30 PM-07:20 PM RP Marzec
59900-001-68602 Academic Language And Content Online Arrange Hours P Morita-Mullaney
60600-001-19749 Sem In Poetry Writing W 11:30 AM-02:20 PM DS Platt
60900-001-19751 Sem In Fiction Writing M 11:30 AM-02:20 PM
61300-001-68464 Middle English Language M 04:30 PM-07:20 PM RA Malo
61500-001-67791 A Reading Of Beowulf MWF 10:30 AM-11:20 AM SF Hughes
61900-001-67801 Qualitative Research W 06:30 PM-09:20 PM AS Atkinson
62400-001-52237 Composition Studies: Rhetoric of the Modern Period F 11:30 AM-02:20 PM PA Sullivan
62700-002-67802 Experimental Syntax MWF 01:30 PM-02:20 PM EJ Francis
62900-002-67785 Pedagogy & World Englishes TR 03:00 PM-04:15 PM MS Berns
62900-003-67805 Classroom Assessment MWF 01:30 PM-02:20 PM AJ Ginther
62900-004-67806 Digital Tech In The Classroom MWF 02:30 PM-03:20 PM
64200-001-68448 Shakespeare & The Queen's Men TR 12:00 PM-01:15 PM PW White
64700-001-68466 Seminar in the Romantic Movement M 04:30 PM-07:20 PM DF Felluga
65700-001-68467 Transatlantic Children's Lit R 04:30 PM-07:20 PM DA Pacheco
67300-001-68468 Cultural Studies in  South & SouthEast Asia W 04:30 PM-07:20 PM A Sagar
67800-002-68470 New Crisis Of Black Intellect TR 03:00 PM-04:15 PM JR Saunders
68000-004-67809 Gender Rhetoric & Body M 11:30 AM-02:20 PM JL Bay
68000-005-67812 Medical & Environmental Wrting TR 10:30 AM-11:45 AM RD Johnson-Sheehan
68000-006-67813 Professional Writing Theory W 11:30 AM-02:20 PM PA Sullivan
68100-001-66722 Hutton Lecture Series in Rhetoric & Composition R 03:00 PM-05:50 PM S Blackmon
69000-001-64979 Second Language Internship/ESL Arrange Hours
69600-007-68102 Reading The Midwest R 04:30 PM-07:20 PM CP Knoeller
69600-008-68893 The Bakhtin Seminar W 04:30 PM-07:20 PM H Mancing
69800-001- Rsrch MA/MFA Thesis Arrange Hours
69900-001- Research PhD Thesis Arrange Hours

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi ArcticKind, let's see!

 

I have several close friends in both literature and TCS. While people are aware of the divisions between programs, I think you'll find that, all in all, people get along quite well. (People from just about every program are currently represented in Echo Base, a houseshare that a bunch of people got together for.) TCS students seem to enjoy it, although I haven't taken any of those classes. That's probably the program with the most hybridity, so you'll have plenty of opportunity to try different things out. Many rhet/comp students take TCS courses, and several of our faculty members such as Thomas Rickert and Samantha Blackmon regularly teach classes in those subjects. It's not unusual for TCS people to take a rhet/comp secondary.

 

All PhD students at Purdue are eligible for 5 years of funding, as I understand it. Some small number get fellowships for the first two years. I have taught ENGL 106, Introductory Composition at Purdue, for my first two years here, and I've quite enjoyed it. Here, freshman composition is a 4 credit class, so if you can teach a 1/1 load. However, after your first year, you will have the opportunity to apply for different positions if you'd like. Some options include 108, which is a service learning class which involves working with a community partner; 106i, which is a special section of freshman comp especially for non-native speakers of English (a necessity at a school with 9,000 international students); business writing; technical and professional writing; or working in our renowned writing lab. There are many other options as well. I'll personally be working for Purdue's Oral English Proficiency Program in the fall. Understand, however, that most of these are quarter time, so you'll have to double up to get your usual funding.

 

I personally have found it doable to live on $13k in Lafayette, if you're frugal. If you feel like you really need more money, there are a few options. One thing you can do is teach a learning community, special sections that involve out-of-class social events and working with teachers of different classes. It's not a lot more money, but you do get an additional stipend. Also, after your first year, you can sometimes earn three quarters time, for example by tutoring for the writing lab and teaching a 106, which many people find quite doable. You will also receive a small bump in pay in your second and third years. Don't get me wrong: it's humanities grad school, and it's tough. (Particularly galling since the engineering students can make in the $30k range or higher.) But it's doable, in part because rent is so cheap out here.

 

The summers are definitely one of the major downsides; there just isn't a lot of summer funding available. The summer teaching jobs are quite competitive. Some people have had luck teaching at Ivy Tech, the local community college. There is talk of starting a summer Intensive English Program, which would provide more opportunities for summer work, but right now, that's one of the definite downsides. There have also been several people who have gotten work through a summer reading tutoring program that operates out of Indianapolis.

 

Hope this helps, let me know if you have more questions.

I'm a huge fan of Samantha Blackmon (she's a big part of the reason I'm even applying to grad school). I'm disappointed not to see she isn't teaching any gaming-centric classes, but that's just one semester I guess. Also, have they announced who is taking over the OWL yet?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm a huge fan of Samantha Blackmon (she's a big part of the reason I'm even applying to grad school). I'm disappointed not to see she isn't teaching any gaming-centric classes, but that's just one semester I guess. Also, have they announced who is taking over the OWL yet?

 

Sam is a close friend of mine. She's a great mentor and one of the friendliest professors I've ever worked with. She's actually teaching Games and Rhetoric right now. Don't worry-- she'll definitely teach more such classes. Plus there's always events, such as Extra Life, a gaming marathon we do each year to raise money for a children's hospital.

 

As for the OWL-- we are holding a search for advanced associate or full now. We'll likely know candidates in the next several months. Obviously, we were sadly unable to do the usual hiring process to replace Linda. We expect it will be a very competitive hire.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use