English

Welcome to the English Department

The ability to read and write effectively is invaluable in modern society. The WVC English Department seeks to engage students in thinking critically about writing, reading, researching and the ways those skills affect individuals, their communities and the world. Those skills are universal to every other discipline; therefore, students who complete courses in the English Department increase their chances of succeeding in all other areas.

The English Department offers General Education courses in Composition, Literature and Creative Writing in face-to-face and online modes. Those courses prepare students for completing an AA/AS degree, transferring to universities, life-long learning and enrichment, and meeting the demands of contemporary labor markets in diverse fields such as communication, publishing, law, social work, public relations, marketing, writing, politics, teaching and expanding opportunities in technology.

Best Essays Contest and Anthology

We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospection.

The Department of English sponsors an annual writing competition honoring West Valley College's best student writers enrolled in composition and literature courses. The winning essays are published in The West Valley College Best Essays hard copy and online anthology, and the top three winners may be awarded a cash prize.

The West Valley College Department of English privileges and supports effective writing, and that is why the contest and anthology are so important; they celebrate and illustrate that our students work diligently to understand and hone the skills that enable them to write perceptively and creatively.

Students can submit up to two essays written for any of their WVC English composition or literature courses taken within that academic year. The panel of judges consists of at least three English faculty members and at least one WVC student who intends to major in English. They read and rank the essays anonymously.

One piece of artwork is chosen for the front cover of the Anthology. Students in ARTS 55 are encouraged to submit artwork.

Submit an Essay

Voices: The Literary & Arts Journal of West Valley College

Voices is a literary and arts magazine that showcases the diverse voices of West Valley College. It is published each spring and is produced by the members of the WVC Voices Literary Club.

Current students, alumni, faculty and staff of West Valley College are invited to submit their work. We are looking for original fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, and art.

Voices accepts submissions on a rolling basis.