English, Languages & Fine Arts General Education

The English area intends that all students learn the uses of language, the rhetorical purpose and structure of texts, both the ones they read and the ones they create; the importance of cultural contexts, and the philosophical and ethical implications of literary portrayals of human behavior. All students should learn the necessary skills to express their insights in reasoned and well-crafted oral and written discourse. Such learning should help prepare students for lives distinguished by intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, aesthetic sensitivity and professional competence. Our curriculum is intended to help students develop an awareness of and appreciation for ethical and humanistic values and for cultural diversity, values that should reinforce the desire of our students for lives of leadership, service and civic responsibility. (Adapted with permission of the Iona College English Department.)

The English, Languages and Fine Arts Department offers composition, literature, and creative and technical writing courses that fulfill mandatory requirements for other associate degree programs. Students can choose from face-to-face, hybrid or fully online courses. Composition courses hone students' writing skills with a focus on academic types of writing, so that students will be ready to write assignments in their other courses. Specialized writing courses such as technical writing and journalism are pragmatic and offer workplace writing skills. Creative writing courses give students a chance to explore and develop a creative voice.

The English, Languages and Fine Arts Department also offers preparatory courses in English and Reading for those students who do not meet college readiness expectations. These courses are offered by dedicated faculty. The courses are designed to help students prepare for success in academics and in the world of work. Students will learn to integrate reading, writing, communicating and applying technology in order to succeed in any college-level courses.

Literature courses offer diverse perspectives. Courses with a focus on world literature and minority literature of the United States expand students'€™ knowledge of the human condition and human cultures, especially in relation to behavior, ideas and values expressed in works of human imagination and thought. The American and British surveys of literature enable students to apply the skill of close reading to a variety of texts and analyze how the historical and cultural contexts contribute to a work's theme and artistic impact. Focus on specific topics like gender and literary theory equip students to respond to literary styles, techniques and genres and to apply critical-thinking skills in the analysis and evaluation of literature.

East Fork: An Online Journal of the Arts was founded in Fall of 2009. It is a student-run, wholly online journal featuring work from current and former UC Clermont students, as well as students at two-year colleges nationwide. The journal features poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, visual art of all kinds and multimedia art forms such as original musical compositions, video-poems and American Sign Language poems. It also sponsors an annual High School Creative Writing Contest every spring.

The Lantern, UC Clermont's student newspaper, is another student-run online publication. Students can serve as writers, editors,or photographers and may earn college credit. Students write news, features and opinion pieces focused on events at UC Clermont.

The UC Clermont College Writing Certificate enhances any degree program by providing students with an opportunity to develop their writing skills in the areas of journalism, creative writing and technical writing. This 12-15 credit hour certificate allows students to choose electives from any of these areas and finishes with a required capstone course that develops a portfolio of professional work and helps the student explore publishing, writing and career options in a variety of fields and genres. Students who earn a Writing Certificate will have a distinct advantage over others when it comes time to exercise their writing skills in both personal and professional areas of their lives.

The studio and art history curriculum mutually support the goal of visual expression within the arts. Each course is designed to enhance students' aesthetic vision, technical skills and historical or theoretical understanding of art. Through studio art courses, students begin to explore creative solutions to design challenges, develop a symbolic and expressive understanding of form, and learn how to convey thought, meaning and emotion through their art work. Through all art courses, students learn the value of critical thinking by developing the ability to interpret the cultural and symbolic meanings embodied in both contemporary and historical art work.

The Fine Arts Area does not have a degree-granting program; the studio and art history courses meet general education requirements for the general student population, including Fine Arts, Historical Perspectives, and Diversity Culture requirements. Most students who are interested in art earn an Associate of Liberal Arts degree at UC Clermont and then transfer to a four-year program to earn a bachelor's degree. Art faculty regularly advise students about art programs in the greater Cincinnati area, including UC's College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning. In addition to course work, other meaningful learning experiences are provided for students through visiting artist lectures, workshops, campus gallery exhibitions and visits to area art museums.

UC Clermont offers the following courses in fine arts:

• Ceramics
• Drawing
• Fundamental Concepts of Art
• Fibers
• Metal Clay
• Painting

We also offer the following courses in Art History:

• Survey I and II
• Women in Art

In a culturally diverse world, the language area of Clermont College plays a pivotal role in providing UC Clermont students with communicative skills in world languages and cultural knowledge expertise, thus expanding multi-cultural awareness that is essential for them to function effectively as global citizens. Specifically, the area fulfills this service mission through offering language courses to students who must meet language requirements and facilitating regular contact between cultures on our campus. Additionally, the language area encourages students to participate in experiential learning opportunities locally and globally, while reminding our entire community that knowledge of world languages and cultures is a valuable tool for personal and professional growth.

UC Clermont offers the following language courses:

• American Sign Language
• French
• German
• Spanish

We also offer world culture courses for France, Mexico and Spain. 

All students who plan to take Spanish, French or German and who have had previous experience in that language should take a language placement test. Results of this test will help determine which course the student should take. To get more information about language placement testing, please visit Placement Assessments or contact CCLanguagePlacement@uc.edu .

For a language placement assessment in American Sign Language, please contact Kim Clifford. 

Based on placement test scores and grades earned in the completed course, students may receive credit in the language, up to a maximum of 10 credit hours. For example, if a student places into French 1012 and earns a C minus or better, they could receive credit for French 1011.