Beyond the Classroom
Our department provides exceptional resources and opportunities for students, faculty, and the rest of the academic world through stellar centers, publications, and ways to get involved. Explore this section to learn more.
Resources
The Writing Lab
UL Lafayette’s Writing Lab, located in Dupré Library, offers specialty feedback and consultations on writing assignments, creative works, lab reports, resumes, and more. Students drop by or schedule appointments with trained tutors to review their works in progress. Those visiting the Writing Lab can benefit from the tutors’ expertises.
English Majors and Graduate students have the opportunity to learn about the program and join the Writing Lab team. Benefits of working in the Writing Lab include evaluating writing goals and outcomes, learning to give effective feedback, and guiding students to productive writing practices. This experience can be placed on resumes and graduate school applications.
The Ernest J. Gaines Center
The Ernest J. Gaines Centers offers scholars valuable archival resources and educational tools that provide historical resources about Gaines and his work.
The Studio
The Studio serves as a 21st century lab and small-group workspace for UL students in the English Department to learn, create, prosper, and transition from student to professional. The Studio includes computers with programs like Adobe InDesign and MS Visio, providing you with the tools and work space you need to develop, design, and edit professional writing and video projects.
Publications
Rougarou: Journal of Arts & Literature
Rougarou is the graduate-run online literary journal that publishes a spring and a fall issue. Graduate students have the opportunity to take on roles such as co-editor-In chief, managing editor, copy editor, webmaster, social media manager, genre editor, reader, and more. Gain valuable experience working for a literary journal.
The Southwestern Review
The Southwestern Review (SWR) is UL Lafayette’s in-house print literary journal, featuring creative work from current students. The SWR is produced annually by the Creative Writing Program under the editorship of a faculty advisor and a team of graduate and undergraduate students. Students collaborate on the editorial team providing a valuable opportunity to refine skills in the selection of creative works and design of a literary journal. The journal provides an excellent opportunity for student writers. Publication allows students to showcase their creative work and learn about the publication process.
Get Involved
English Graduate Student Organization
The English Graduate Student Association (EGSA) focuses on student advocacy, communication between faculty and students, community building, and professionalization.
Global Souths Conference
UL Lafayette graduate students organize and host the interdisciplinary Global Souths Conference featuring studies from scholars exploring the relations between the southern U.S. and the Global Souths. This three-day academic conference located in Lafayette presents the opportunity for students to share scholarly research pertaining to regional identity, pedagogy in the wake of globalization, anticolonialism, and more. Explore the Global Souths webpage to see how you can get involved.
Thursday Night Reading Series
UL Lafayette creative writing students and faculty share their work on Thursday evenings throughout the semester. At an off campus venue, writers read poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and drama to a supportive audience. A few times a year, students have the opportunity to engage with published authors reading as part of the Deep South Writers series. For more information about the Thursday Night Reading Series, follow the Creative Writing Program on Instagram @ULLafayetteCWP or the UL Lafayette CWP Facebook page.
Ragin’ Writers
UL Lafayette’s Ragin’ Writers creative writing club serves as a great creative outlet for undergraduate students in any major. As a member, students benefit from feedback provided by peers with diverse writing backgrounds, collaborate in a group setting to plan and organize events, and engage in leadership positions to manage the organization. The skills developed by participating in this extracurricular extend beyond writing and are transferable to workplace environments.