Full-time Faculty

Department Chair: Marianne Werner

Department secretary: Janet Palermo

Department phone: 530-895-2581

Welcome to the English Department Website!!

Our writing and literature classes will broaden your education and give you skills for success in your academic career. We hope you find many classes that interest you. All of them meet Degree or Transfer Requirements.

Mission Statement

The English Department strives to cultivate an appreciation of language and literature, and to teach students the critical thinking, reading, and writing skills necessary for success in college and beyond.

Why Take English?

English is a vital area of study in today’s world. Employers often specify their need for people who can write well, and the study of literature teaches important close reading and critical thinking skills while providing insight into a wide variety of human experiences and visions of the world.

There is a common view that a four-year college or university offers a superior education in English, yet there are many reasons to recommend Butte’s lower-division English offerings.

• Many of our literature classes are identical in content to their university counterparts, designed to transfer to those institutions and to meet their rigorous standards.
• Our literature classes are generally taught by full-time instructors with many years of teaching experience, rather than by less experienced graduate students.
• Many of our instructors hold Ph.D.s in English and/or have experience in drama and creative writing.
• Our English instructors have chosen to teach English at a community college out of a love of teaching, making them adept at imbuing students with a love of literature and helping students to learn.
• The students in our classes tend to come from a wide variety of ages and backgrounds, adding insight and breadth to class discussions.