by Herkimer College will be introducing a new English program to students in the fall of 2026. Matthew Powers, an English instructor at Herkimer College, explained that the idea of an English major had been thrown around for a while, due to the amount of English expertise at Herkimer College. Powers was asked by a prior dean of the college to help design a program solely based for students interested in studying literature and the English language, ultimately leading to the creation of this new program.
The creation of this major is solely based around English, and is designed to introduce and train students to study different pieces of literature in select ways as opposed to the very broad study of literature required for Humanities majors.
“If you don’t like to read, this major is not for you,” Powers said. Powers describes students who best suit this major as students who love reading with intent, paying attention to given detail, and examining the English language and its structures. Students will be pushed to identify the larger ideas behind the various pieces of literature and will be asking themselves how to get a better sense of the author based on the words on the page.
This major pushes students to identify and understand the larger ideas behind literature and the evolution of the English language. There are many intersecting interests such as poetry and literary arts that coincide within this major. Students will also be exposed to topics such as history and sociology when studying literature. Students who like close reading and understand critical thinking perspectives should definitely take this into consideration.
Some key learning objectives students will take from this program include increased strength in writing abilities, as this major requires a frequent amount of writing. Students will be challenged to observe and put words into different perspectives, giving them a better sense of their analytical skills, and also enriching their own perspective on literature. They will also have improved research skills studying the back and forth dialogue between characters.
Powers’ advice to incoming students entering this program in the fall is to “…bring your passion and enthusiasm… One of the best things you can do is just be excited to read.”