Department of English Scholarship for Racial Equity

Since WKU opened its doors in 1906, the liberal arts have been at the center of the university. Potter College of Arts & Letters (PCAL) is one of WKU’s five academic colleges, alongside the Mahurin Honors College. PCAL is rooted in the belief that understanding history, society, and culture helps students better understand and succeed in the world.

Among its wide range of careers and programs, PCAL is home to the Department of English. The Department of English shines, above all, for one reason. From faculty and staff to students, the department stands out because of the enthusiasm, passion, and thoughtfulness of the individuals who comprise it. That excellence is consistent and evident, with the department holding one of the highest concentrations of honors students at WKU and within the college, undergraduates publishing and presenting their work regularly at conferences, and a strong record of students receiving national prizes, such as the Fulbright.

The lifeblood of the English department is diversity. Not only is it vital to study and celebrate representational texts in the classroom, but it is also critical that the student body engaging in those conversations is racially and ethnically diverse. The inclusion of varied voices and backgrounds are what make a department, college, and university great.

To further promote that mission, faculty within the Department of English established the Department of English Scholarship for Racial Equity in 2020. The fund assists deserving full-time WKU students who are majoring in the Department of English, with first preference going to those who are members of an underrepresented or historically disadvantaged group, have financial need, and maintain at least a 2.0 GPA in all WKU English courses. Through this fund, the department’s legacy continues on in perpetuity.