Author: Emily Jensen
In the absence of English and Comparative Literary Studies (ECLS) Professor Warren Montag, out for surgery, and Journalism Professor Bob Sipchen, who moved to San Francisco to work for Sierra Magazine, many of this semester’s junior and senior ECLS majors and students interested in Journalism are finding themselves at the mercy of a strange education.
All of Montag’s and Sipchen’s classes have been taken over by members of the ECLS Department or guest professors from the Los Angeles Times.
Montag, whose personal health specifics remain private, became ill at the beginning of the semester, thus leaving little time to arrange alternatives for his three classes: Literary Criticism (ECLS 370), Junior Seminar (390) and Senior Seminar (490). Between August 29 and September 4, ECLS Chair John Swift – along with Associate Dean of Arts and Humanities Irene Girton and Interim Dean of the College Eric Frank – deliberated with Montag on the various options.
“We all shared a sense that it would be best not to cancel the classes, but that we also needed to try to ensure, if not an identical experience for the students, one of real educational excellence,” Swift said.
ECLS 390, which Swift said “usually reflects the ongoing research interests of its instructor,” has been taken over by Visiting Scholar Professor Filippo Del Lucchese (Ph.D. University of Pisa). A personal friend of Montag’s, Del Lucchese is an expert on European moral and political philosophy, which happen to be the center of Montag’s research.
Max Abrams (junior), a student in the newly modified class, felt the replacement was well chosen. “Professor Del Lucchese is doing a great job filling in and giving a different perspective on things,” he said.
Stephanie Bundy (junior) agreed. “Stuff happens, and when it does, everybody just has to be a little flexible,” she said. “I think most students would agree that we just want to see Professor Montag feeling better, and until then we’ll just go with the flow.”
ECLS 490 also underwent a fairly smooth transition. Since it typically has various guest professors throughout the semester and is less focused on one specific professor, it has not been too much of a stretch to welcome Adjunt Professor Julie Prebel.
ECLS 370, however, drew more controversy. “I took Lit Crit mostly because of Montag; it doesn’t count toward anything unless you’re doing honors,” ECLS major Sarah Ford (senior) said. For various reasons, including Montag’s absence, Ford dropped the class. Swift confirms that other students also left the class once they found out that Montag would not be teaching.
Students who remained enrolled in the course are now following an entirely revised syllabus from Prebel, who specializes in cultural studies, historical approaches, feminist approaches and the history of science. She and Montag agreed the entire class needed an overhaul to accommodate her different perspective.
“Obviously, they’re not getting Professor Montag, but I’m pretty sure they’re getting an excellent course in literary criticism taught by a well-qualified professor,” Swift said.
Sipchen sees his absence from campus as an opportunity to blaze the trail for a new kind of journalistic curriculum. Sipchen, who formerly worked for the Los Angeles Times while simultaneously teaching Oxy’s journalism class, accepted the position of Editor-in-Chief for Sierra Magazine in the spring of 2007. The job required him to move to San Francisco, and his absence left English Writing 285 without a professor.
Sipchen saw this as a golden opportunity for his students. “For quite a while I’ve thought that Occidental could benefit from an innovative, intensive journalism program that would ground students in the basic tenets of the trade’s theory and practice as well as the importance of a vigorous free press to democracy,” Sipchen wrote from New York, where he was attending a magazine conference.
Sipchen’s idea has manifested itself via a course featuring some of the best journalists in the United States, Sipchen said. These highly qualified reporters and editors will be teaching as guest professors throughout the semester, including five Pulitzer Prize winners.
“I taught the first class and will drop in from time to time as the semester progresses,” Sipchen said. “Meanwhile, I’m overseeing the project from afar.”
Alice Short, the News Features Editor for the California section of the LA Times, has already been to Oxy to teach a session of the course. “I’m thrilled to see others take an interest in reporting and writing and editing . . . and speaking about journalism is a good reminder of why I got into the business,” she said.
When asked about the students themselves, she said they were engaged and funny. “I’d certainly come back and do it again if asked,” she said.
Some students had mixed reactions to the course’s teaching style. “It feels like this is an awesome way to teach the class, because you get a different taste of the journalism world each day,” Anahid Yahjian (first-year) said. “The bad part, however, is that it seems we won’t be able to get any real feedback on our writing assignments, since there is a new teacher every day.”
This article has been archived, for more requests please contact us via the support system.
