Department of Languages and Literatures Collection
Scope and Contents
Series 1, Administrative Records, is comprised of materials related to the functioning of the Department of Languages and Literatures, from early in its history to the mid-1990s. The English Department meeting minutes focus on subjects such as budgets, committee news, curricula, events, faculty teaching assignments, department policies, and department strategic planning. Of note is a handwritten bound ledger, dating from 1906-1923, which contains discussions, among other things, about literary society work and courses. In addition to departmental minutes, files from English Senate are represented. These cover program planning, including the James S. Hearst Lectureship Series; the Writing Competency Program; English Department policies; committee work discussions; Peat Marwick reports; course schedules; strategic planning; reviews of the department’s organization and curricula; and discussion of the journalism program. Other departmental information includes faculty records and departmental annual reports. Additionally, there is a set of information materials (humanities course photograph slides) that explains four sets of educational slides about the Roman Empire, produced by the Eastern Company c. 1935. The reports have historical background about the subjects, as well as a list of locations where the photographs were taken. Finally, the series includes mimeograph copies of radio scripts, 1942-1943, for Iowa State Teachers College (ISTC) KXEL radio broadcasts. These broadcasts were formatted as round table discussions, forums, or readings between and/or by members of the ISTC Department of English Languages and Literature faculty.
The second series, Programs and Ephemera, dating roughly from 1958 to 2016, contains a variety of fliers, brochures, programs, posters, and more. Topics include event announcements; position openings; general information about the department, its graduate program, foreign language programs, and linguistics; summer lecture series and the H.W. Reninger Lectures; and Recognition Reception Programs from the late 2000s to mid-2010s.
Series 3, Publications, consists primarily of publications created and disseminated by the Department of Languages and Literatures, with the exception of the Literary Magazine Review. Included are Critical Thinking / Critical Writing, a collection of award-winning essays from the Iowa Student as Critic Conference and Draftings, featuring student research and writing, in addition to LIT and Say Now!
The final series, Subject Files, includes a variety of topics, many of which overlap with the above series. Please consult the inventory for an in-depth look at which subjects are represented. The series was kept in the arrangement as decided by the collection’s original processor. Typed folder titles were retained.
Dates
- 1906-2016
Creator
Language of Materials
Materials entirely in English.
Conditions Governing Access
Most materials are open for research. Materials related to the confidentiality of personnel, student, medical, and other legally protected records are CLOSED to researchers for 70 years from the date of creation. Consult the archivist with any questions or concerns.
General Use, Reproduction, and Copyright Policies
Many items housed in the Rod Library Special Collections & University Archives, including unpublished images and manuscripts, may be protected by copyright, publication rights, trademarks, or model release rights which the library does not own and for which the library cannot grant permission or licensing. Materials currently under copyright are usually still available for research and limited reproduction under Fair Use laws. However, it is the sole responsibility of the patron to determine whether or not their use of a given material falls within Fair Use guidelines and to obtain permission for said use from the rightful copyright owner.
Sensitive Materials Statement
Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy or similar laws, and the Iowa Open Records Law (see Iowa Code § 22.7). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of Northern Iowa assumes no responsibility.
Biographical / Historical
The Department of Languages and Literature has existed in some form since the Iowa State Normal School (now UNI) was founded in 1876, with coursework in literature offered in the English Literature Department. This department’s name changed to the Language Department (c. 1885) but by 1892, it split into the English Language and Literature Department, the Latin Department, and the Elocution and Physical Culture Department. In 1896, the English Language and Literature Department merged with the Elocution and Physical Culture Department to form the English Department, which lasted until 1909. With the exception of the 1909-1910 academic year, when the department was called the English Language and Literature Department, the Department of English was in place until 1946.
At this point, the English Department changed to the English and Speech Department and, in 1954, added Languages to become the Languages, Speech, and Literature Department. After the Speech Department and Language split away in 1964 and 1966, respectively, the English Language and Literature Department was created. This department existed in the College of Fine Arts and Humanities. In January 2010, it was announced that the Department of English Language and Literature and the Department of Modern Languages would be combined. The Department of Languages and Literatures has existed since then and is part of the College of Humanities, Arts, and Sciences.
Extent
6.65 Linear Feet (12 boxes)
3.58 Linear Feet (oversize folder)
Arrangement
- Series 1: Administrative Records
- Series 2: Programs and Ephemera
- Series 3: Publications
- Series 4: Subject Files
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Additional administrative records and ephemeral content was donated to SC&UA by Kenneth Baughman in 2019.
Appraisal
Materials related to the English Club, Speech Activities Club, and the Culture and Intensive English Program (CIEP) were transferred to different locations in the classification schedule to better reflect the university's organizational structure.
Bibliography
- "University of Northern Iowa announces first round of reorganization plan." Northern Iowan, January 15, 2010. "https://indexuni.library.uni.edu/articles/292430".
Processing Information
The majority of materials were initially processed by Library Associate Dave Hoing, July 2017, with updates in January and April 2018. Processing work for the radio scripts were originally processed by University Archivist Gerald Peterson, date unknown. The finding aid for the scripts was written by Assistant Archivist Dustin Witsman, May 2015, and updated by Dave Hoing, January 2018 and April 2018. Reprocessing and updating done by Archival Processor Tessa Wakefield, December 2020.
- Title
- Department of Languages and Literatures Collection
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script