(14) UC/12-BA(Hons)/2
UNIVERSITY OF CANTERBURY
Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha
Template 2: Qualification Change -2012
Proposal Description
R
Purpose of the proposal:
To amend the prerequisites for the BA(Hons) in English as a result of the decision to merge the Cinema Studies and
English Programmes at Honours level.
Justification
In order to make better use of available resources it was decided in 2011 to discontinue the Honours, Masters and
Doctoral programmes in Cinema Studies and to merge the Cinema Studies and English postgraduate programmes.
Opportunities for stage three students to pursue postgraduate work in Cinema Studies were immediately made
available in 2012 through the English programme under the course codes ENGL 442 Directed Reading and Writing and
ENGL 480 Research Essay. Students wishing to enter postgraduate courses from Cinema Studies were managed through
a waiver of the prerequisite process. This proposal aims to formalise the merger of Cinema Studies and English at
Honours level. There will be no changes to course requirements for the undergraduate major in Cinema Studies or
English, and undergrad course offerings will continue to remain coded CINE or ENGL as they are now. However a major
in CINE will now become a recognised prerequisite for entry into ENGL honours. In the future, new Honours courses
that combine interdisciplinary areas in English and Cinema Studies will be developed. Opportunities for Dr Wiles and Dr
Wright to supervise MA and PhD theses will continue to exist through the English programme. The proposal thus
reflects the aims of Department of English, Cinema and Digital Humanities to further concentrate teaching resources by
encouraging closer connection between closely-related but formerly more isolated disciplinary formations.
Acceptability
This proposal is the result of extensive discussion amongst all staff in English and Cinema Studies and consultation with
selected current and intending honours students in these programmes. It is part of an overall plan for the future of the
programmes concerned that has been approved by the Arts Pro-Vice Chancellor and the Arts Management Committee.
Goals of the programme
The English Programme at Honours, Masters and Postgraduate levels has for some time encouraged study and research
into cultural texts other than literary ones, especially visual creative texts such as films. The proposed merger of CINE
and ENGL at these levels therefore formalises and further encourages existing trends, in a way that is well-recognised
and orthodox in other English programmes in this country and overseas. The goal is to create a more flexible but also
more intimately interconnected and interdisciplinary honours degree in English; one more compatible with trends in the
study of cinema and literature elsewhere; and one especially relevant to students who intend to become high school
teachers, or indeed to any students who have been through the NZ English Secondary Curriculum, which is founded on
the close interweaving of the study of oral, written and visual forms of language.
Graduate profile
The proposed merger of the CINE and ENGL postgraduate programmes will fulfil the following aspects of the graduate
profiles of the two pre-existing programmes:
Knowledge and Ideas attained:
 General knowledge of cultural history, traditions and movements
 General understanding of textual (literary or cinematic) forms and genres
 Specialised knowledge of particular literary or cinematic forms, genres, histories, traditions or movements
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 Knowledge of relevant research resources
 Knowledge of scholarship in selected areas of discipline
 Knowledge of critical concepts, terms and methods
Specific Skills Attained:
 Ability to conduct close formal analysis of texts (literary or cinematic)
 Ability to relate literary or cinematic texts to their social, historical and cultural contexts
 Ability to conduct independent, creative and/or original research into texts and contexts
 Ability to present response to reading, study and research in the form of an academic essay using exposition,
interpretation, analysis and argument
 Ability to understand and deploy critical concepts and methodologies
General Attributes:
 Broad cultural and historical knowledge
 Advanced skills in written and oral communication, especially the presentation of analysis, critique, interpretation
and argument
 Highly-developed capacity for critical thinking and detailed analysis of meaning and form in literary or cinematic texts
 Intellectual self-confidence
 Initiative, self-motivation and self-discipline in the pursuit of research, reading and writing.
Outcome statement
With the above attributes, skills and knowledges, graduates will be well-prepared for work, or for vocation-specific
training, in the education sector; in the creative and cultural industries; in media and broadcasting; or in a wide range of
research, commercial or public service roles.
Programme overview
Students will take the compulsory ENGL 480 Supervised Research Essay and three taught 400-level ENGL courses, some
of which (for example ENGL 408 Shakespeare on Screen and ENGL 411 Writing Nature, Representing Animals) already
include approaches and material relevant to Cinema Studies. In the future, new Honours courses that combine
interdisciplinary areas in English and Cinema Studies will be developed. Dr Wiles and Dr Wright, and other suitably
qualified staff in English, will supervise ENGL 480 projects that have a Cinema Studies focus. The ENGL 442 Directed
Reading and Writing option will be utilised where appropriate for students who wish to follow a guided course of study
that relates to an area not specifically covered by one of the honours courses.
Proposed teaching/delivery methods:
The compulsory ENGL 480 Research Essay will be supervised alternately by Dr. Wiles and Dr Wright, and the three 400level ENGL courses will be taught by Dr Wiles, Dr Wright and other qualified staff in English whose courses include
approaches and material relevant to Cinema Studies. Topics currently include: adaptation and film, feminist film
studies, topics in film history, and topics in film and literary theory. The courses will be designed to build upon
students’ specialised knowledge and skill areas already acquired from undergraduate courses required for completion of
the BA degree in Cinema Studies. The bulk of each course will be delivered and assessed using relatively traditional
means (lectures, oral presentations, and essays) along with some work with blogging tools and Learn.
Assessment procedures:
Students will produce one or more essays totalling between 8000 to 10,000 words. Other types of assessment,
including blog posts, forums, presentations, and response papers, may also be used. The relationship of the assessment
to learning outcomes is as follows:
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Essays: Used to ensure that students are able to ‘conduct independent, creative and/or original research into
texts and contexts’ and also ‘present a response to reading, study and research in the form of an academic
essay using exposition, interpretation, analysis and argument.’
Presentation: Used to ensure that students possess ‘advanced skills in written and oral communication,
especially the presentation of analysis, critique, interpretation and argument.’
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

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Blog posts: Used to ensure students can analyse, generate solutions to complex problems.
Forums: Used to ensure students can critically engage in online debate using the appropriate tone and register.
Response Papers: Used to ensure students possess the ‘capacity for critical thinking’ and can produce ‘detailed
analysis of meaning and form in literary or/and cinematic texts.’
Predicted student numbers/EFTS
2012 numbers are based on enrolments in Honours courses (ENGL 442 and ENGL 480). We are confident that these
numbers will be rapidly augmented once the combined programme is opened up to Cinema Studies and English
majoring students; and as one or two more cinema-themed ENGL courses are introduced in future years. (By way of
comparison: the highest-enrolling ENGL honours course this year has 20 students enrolled.)
2012: .75 EFTS/ 3 students
2013: 2.5 EFTS / 12 students
2014: 4 EFTS / 16 students
Resources
There will be no new library or other resources required. Furthermore, there will be significant efficiencies in the use of
teaching space and teaching staff with the amalgamation of disciplinary formations.
Plans for monitoring programme quality
The English Honours programme conducts an annual external audit of all courses, whereby a representative sample of
student assessment, along with any borderline or problematic cases, are exchanged with English staff at another New
Zealand University. Since other NZ English programmes either exist in conjunction with Cinema Studies in the way
proposed for our programme here, or else have a close relationship with the teaching of Cinema Studies, this process
will accommodate the new arrangement seamlessly.
The English Programme also reviews its taught courses, regulations, enrolments and outcomes at honours level at
regular intervals: this process is overseen by a dedicated coordinator of Honours students working in conjunction with
the Department Coordinator. The Honours coordinator also keeps in close communication with all honours students,
both collectively and individually, and this practice will be specifically utilised to review quality and identify any
problems during the first year or two of the new arrangement.
Proposed new regulations and prescriptions (use the Calendar Form as follows)
Calendar Form
New Qualification Regulations
UC Calendar 2012 Page 225:
Currently reads:
P: 135 points in English, which must include 60 points at 300-level and another 45 points above 100-level
Amended regulation will read:
P: 135 points in English, which must include 60 points at 300-level and another 45 points above 100-level; or 135 points
in Cinema Studies, which must include 60 points at 300-level and another 45 points above 100-level.
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