Self and Other Course Pairing
The Art of Reading (EN 101)
Cultivates reading, writing, thinking, and oral communication skills by investigating the kinds of attention that literary texts, in multiple genres, ask of readers. The course is writing intensive. Topics reflect the range of faculty expertise and interests and are selected to invite student curiosity.
Faculty biography
Dr. Yu Zhang Stearns specializes in late imperial Chinese literature such as poetry, vernacular fiction, and tanci fiction. Her current research focuses on the intersection of gender, text, and religion at the turn of the twentieth century. She is the author of Interfamily Tanci Writing in Nineteenth Century China: Bonds and Boundaries (Lexington Press, 2018), which examines a group of tanci writers connected within one extensive family network and the significance of their works. Her recent and forthcoming publications appear in peer-reviewed journals including Ming Qing Studies, Frontiers of Literary Studies in China, etc. She is also active in publishing book reviews. At Loyola, she teaches Mandarin Chinese and content courses about Chinese literature, film, and gender issues in East Asia. Besides work, she likes to cook, read detective stories, and explore walking trails.
Encountering the Past (HS 100)
Why does history matter? This course explores why the study of the past is essential for understanding our present. Through the lens of a single historical topic that varies by instructor, students are introduced to what it means to think like a historian and weave compelling stories. Along the way, students learn to ask critical questions, to evaluate evidence, to make persuasive arguments, and to write clearly and cogently. The course introduces students to how and why histories are produced, but more than that, it sets out to provide new ways of thinking about the human experience and about our place in the world today.
Faculty biography
Dr. Austin Parks - Bio Coming Soon!
Mentor biography
Kelly Keenan is the director of the Language Learning Center. In this role, she oversees the day-to-day operations of the LLC, which serves as a resource hub and great study spot for students studying language. Kelly received her undergraduate degree here at Loyola and her M.A. at Boston University, where she is currently pursuing her PhD in French literature.
Virtual Advisor
EN 101 satisfies the Literature core requirement for all students. HS 100 satisfies the History core requirement for all students.
