Dear Gradwriters,
Like MaryAnn, I have also somehow been enrolled as a participant in your online-course. And, again like MaryAnn, I would like to ask you to perhaps kick me out. After all, this is (as it should be) primarily 'your space' ... (However, I am not sure about who originally set up the course room and whether that person may need to stay enrolled for the room to 'hold' ;-)
Most importantly, I'd like to signal my agreement with the position already taken by all of you: The Gradwriting Group should remain as it is, i.e. independently self-organised, flexible, open, de-tached from the logic of credits etc.
As to the people writing (or planning to write) a dissertation under the supervision of a person at the Lehrstuhl für Englische Literatur- und Kulturwissenschaft, I think that MaryAnn's point is very helpful: we do have the -- unfortunately named -- "T&D" format. Indeed, Adrian has already presented his project in this format, and both Camille and Anna Frieda will do so very soon. => I could simply issue a certificate for you, and those of you who need to do so can present this certificate to the grad school. (I guess this will work; if not, I trust we can work out a solution as to how to present the information differently.) Others who are planning a dissertation attached to the ELK chair might perhaps want to contact me in due time to arrange a presentation in the T&D format.
One last thought: I have only now learned about the American Studies cooperation between Würzburg, Bamberg and Bayreuth. This seems a very good thing. I do not know whether the Americanists would be keen for people with non-Americanist topics to join this format -- but if so, this might be an option, of course. On a different note: I am not sure whether there are people who'd like to have and join an additional Würzburg-based PhD (& Habil?) colloquium -- either one that takes on board the 'English-speaking' philologies generally or would perhaps even have a broader perspective, such as literary and cultural studies in all the modern philologies. If so, the best approach might be to work your needs and ideals out amongst yourself and then contact one or two professors with a suggestion. Perhaps, this could start a process of inductively developing a format? However, I certainly do not wish to 'force' this ...
All best wishes!
Zeno Ackermann
