English Department Student Travel Opportunities

Local & Regional Excursions Embedded in English & Film Studies Courses

English classes regularly incorporate travel to local, regional, and farther-flung destinations into the syllabi. Locally, classes have visited Wexner Center for film screenings and “talk back” sessions with directors, strolled art walk routes in Old Towne East, examined manuscripts in Ohio State University’s Rare Books Library and Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum. We’ve journeyed to Yellow Springs and the Ohio Caverns to find inspiration for creative writing; students have built their own itineraries for class travel to Baltimore, MD and Washington, DC to practice travel writing. We’ve carpooled, ridden trains, and taken buses on multiple trips to Chicago to see play performances and attend conferences. We’ve visited museum exhibits and discussed aesthetic choices with directors & choreographers in New York City.

Student Travel Grants

The English Department annually awards $500 travel grants to current English majors seeking assistance to complete independent archival or field research for critical or creative work, travel to literary festivals or readings, or attend and/or present their work at creative or scholarly conference. Applications are submitted by students and reviewed by faculty each fall semester.

Students are encouraged to develop independent excursions to enrich their creative or scholarly work: study the letters and manuscripts of your favorite author in library archives; reach out to publishing, advertising, non-profit, etc. professionals to arrange shadowing visits with them so you can learn more about how their industries works; immerse yourself in different geographical areas for your next creative project; contact your favorite contemporary author to arrange an in-person interview; etc.

ENGL 2290: Literary Locations

This enrichment course is devoted to incorporating extensive relevant travel opportunities in classroom-based courses offered by the English department. In addition to traveling to domestic/international locations as a group, students participate in several seminars dedicated to preparing for and reflecting on the academic significance of the journey. The semester (most often Spring or May term) concludes with written assignments evolving out of students’ travel experience.