The goal of the RIH English program is to provide students with opportunities to explore the important role that literature and language play in their personal and academic lives. While the English program stresses proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and listening, it also provides experiences and activities that help students become discriminating users of print and non-print media. Literary and media works, selected for both excellence in content and style and relevance to student interests, promote humanistic attitudes, aesthetic appreciation, and critical evaluation skills. Ultimately, the English Department is committed to helping students recognize and appreciate the power, art, and craft of written and verbal communication as the critical bridges between them and the 21st century world around them.