ENGL 1080 Literature Core
In Literature Core, students explore the principal motives which prompt people to read literature: to assemble and assess the shape and values of one's own culture, to discover alternative ways of looking at the world, to gain insight into issues of permanent human importance as well as issues of contemporary urgency, and to enjoy the linguistic and formal satisfactions of literary art. Literature Core will strive to develop the student's capacity to read and write with clarity and engagement, to allow for that dialogue between the past and present we call history, and to provide an introduction to literary genres. For course descriptions of the individual sections please see: www.bc.edu/literaturecore
Course overview
- Department
- English
- School
- MCAS
- Credits
- 3
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Offered
- Every Fall, Every Summer
Catalog details
- Satisfies core
- Literature
Requirements fulfilled
- English: English Core courses (two courses): First-Year Writing Seminar and Literature Core (Current University Catalog; students should confirm their catalog year)
- University Core: Literature (All undergraduates)
Course evaluations
- Course rating
- 4.01 / 5 · Very Good
- Instructor rating
- 4.25 / 5 · Very Good
- Terms evaluated
- 14
| Term | Instructor | Course overall | Instructor overall | Well organized | Clear learning objectives | Intellectually challenging | Helpful assignments | Applicable beyond course | Attendance necessary | Weekly effort | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | Allison Adair | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 1–3 hrs/week | 13 of 19 |
| Spring 2026 | Brian Zimmerman | 4.1 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 4–6 hrs/week | 19 of 21 |
| Spring 2026 | Catherine Enwright | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 1–3 hrs/week | 17 of 22 |
| Spring 2026 | Daniel Leonard | 4.1 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4–6 hrs/week | 30 of 41 |
| Spring 2026 | Frances Restuccia | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 4–6 hrs/week | 9 of 12 |
| Spring 2026 | Joanne Mikula | 4.1 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 1–3 hrs/week | 18 of 22 |
| Spring 2026 | John Alden | 4.8 | 4.9 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4–6 hrs/week | 19 of 22 |
| Spring 2026 | Joseph Nugent | 4.2 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4–6 hrs/week | 18 of 22 |
| Spring 2026 | Julia Woodward | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 1–3 hrs/week | 23 of 24 |
| Spring 2026 | Kelly Gray | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 1–3 hrs/week | 40 of 44 |
| Spring 2026 | Kenneth Haley | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 1–3 hrs/week | 18 of 22 |
| Spring 2026 | Kristen Case | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | — | 18 of 21 |
| Spring 2026 | Krithika Vachali | 3.5 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 4–6 hrs/week | 31 of 43 |
| Spring 2026 | Lauren Wilwerding | 3.6 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4–6 hrs/week | 35 of 43 |
| Spring 2026 | Lorenzo Puente | 4.8 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4–6 hrs/week | 18 of 22 |
| Spring 2026 | Luke Brown | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 1–3 hrs/week | 18 of 22 |
| Spring 2026 | Maia Mcaleavey | 4.7 | 4.9 | 5.0 | 4.9 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 1–3 hrs/week | 20 of 22 |
| Spring 2026 | Margaret Summerfield | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 1–3 hrs/week | 13 of 22 |
| Spring 2026 | Marjorie Howes | 4.1 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 1–3 hrs/week | 18 of 22 |
| Spring 2026 | Matthew Mersky | 3.4 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 1–3 hrs/week | 12 of 21 |
| Spring 2026 | Megan Crotty | 4.2 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 1–3 hrs/week | 9 of 18 |
| Spring 2026 | Rebekah Waalkes | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4–6 hrs/week | 20 of 22 |
| Spring 2026 | Robert Baskin | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4–6 hrs/week | 19 of 22 |
| Spring 2026 | Thomas Epstein | 3.7 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4–6 hrs/week | 19 of 21 |
| Spring 2026 | Thomas Kaplan-Maxfield | 4.1 | 4.6 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 1–3 hrs/week | 20 of 22 |
| Fall 2025 | Abigail Tetzlaff | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 4–6 hrs/week | 18 of 24 |
| Fall 2025 | Bonnie Rudner | 4.1 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4–6 hrs/week | 41 of 51 |
| Fall 2025 | Christopher Boucher | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 1–3 hrs/week | 20 of 24 |
| Fall 2025 | Daniel Leonard | 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 1–3 hrs/week | 18 of 24 |
| Fall 2025 | Fangfei Wang | 3.7 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 4–6 hrs/week | 22 of 25 |
| Fall 2025 | Frances Restuccia | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4–6 hrs/week | 21 of 32 |
| Fall 2025 | James Najarian | 3.5 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 4–6 hrs/week | 18 of 24 |
| Fall 2025 | James Smith | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 4.7 | 4–6 hrs/week | 20 of 25 |
| Fall 2025 | Jean Franzino | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4–6 hrs/week | 17 of 25 |
| Fall 2025 | Joseph Nugent | 4.3 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4–6 hrs/week | 18 of 25 |
| Fall 2025 | Kalpana Seshadri | 3.0 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 2.8 | — | 5 of 12 |
| Fall 2025 | Laura Tanner | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4–6 hrs/week | 19 of 23 |
| Fall 2025 | Luke Brown | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 4–6 hrs/week | 21 of 25 |
| Fall 2025 | Matthew Mersky | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 4.3 | 1–3 hrs/week | 29 of 43 |
| Fall 2025 | Megan Crotty | 3.8 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 4–6 hrs/week | 20 of 25 |
Data freshness
Instructors
- Aaron Dell
- Abigail Tetzlaff
- Aeron Hunt
- Aidan Vick
- Alan Richardson
- Allison Adair
- Allison Curseen
- Amy Boesky
- Andrew Petracca
- Andrew Sofer
- Benjamin Paul
- Bonnie Rudner
- Brian Zimmerman
- Cassidy Allen
- Catherine Enwright
- Chandler Shaw
- Christina Klein
- Christopher Boucher
- Christy Pottroff
- Clare Dunsford
- Colleen Taylor
- Daniel Dougherty
- Daniel Leonard
- Elizabeth Kirschner
- Emily Palermo
- Emma Hammack
- Fangfei Wang
- Frances Restuccia
- Gayathri Goel
- George O'har
- Grace Gerrish
- Heather Brennan
- Holly Wiegand
- Isabel Lane
- James Najarian
- James Smith
- Jean Franzino
- Jessica Oyler
- Jessica Pauszek
- Joanne Mikula
- Jocelyn Rice
- John Alden
- John Yargo
- Joseph Nugent
- Jovonna Jones
- Julia Woodward
- Justin Brown-Ramsey
- Kalpana Seshadri
- Kara Mccabe
- Kelley Glasgow
- Kelly Gray
- Kenneth Haley
- Kevin Ohi
- Kristen Case
- Krithika Vachali
- Laura Tanner
- Lauren Crockett-Girard
- Lauren Wilwerding
- Lorenzo Puente
- Luke Brown
- Luke Taylor
- Mackenzie Daly
- Maia Mcaleavey
- Malamatenia Wilson
- Margaret Summerfield
- Marjorie Howes
- Marla Derosa
- Mary J Elliot
- Matthew Gannon
- Matthew Mersky
- Matthew Messer
- Megan Bowman Arndt
- Megan Crotty
- Min Song
- Nell Wasserstrom
- Nicholas Adler
- Noel Ingram
- Paula Mathieu
- Pyunghwa Lee
- Rebekah Mitsein
- Rebekah Waalkes
- Rhonda Frederick
- Robert Baskin
- Robert Lehman
- Robert Stanton
- Sabina Sullivan
- Sharon Wofford
- Shelby Jones
- Susan Michalczyk
- Susan Roberts
- Sylvester Kahyana
- Theodore Lehre
- Thomas Dichter
- Thomas Epstein
- Thomas Kaplan-Maxfield
- Timothy Jackson
- Treseanne Ainsworth
- Troy Woolsey
- Veronica House
- Vincent Portillo
Sections
- Section 01
- Section 02
- Section 03
- Section 04
- Section 05
- Section 06
- Section 07
- Section 09
- Section 10
- Section 11
- Section 12
- Section 13
- Section 14
- Section 15
- Section 16
- Section 17
- Section 18
- Section 19
- Section 20
- Section 21
- Section 22
- Section 23
- Section 24
- Section 25
- Section 26
- Section 27
- Section 28
- Section 29
- Section 30
- Section 31
- Section 32
- Section 33
- Section 34
- Section 35
- Section 36
- Section 37
- Section 38
- Section 39
- Section 40
- Section 41
- Section 01
- Section 03
- Section 04
- Section 05
- Section 06
- Section 07
- Section 08
- Section 09
- Section 10
- Section 11
- Section 12
- Section 13
- Section 14
- Section 15
- Section 16
- Section 17
- Section 18
- Section 19
- Section 20
- Section 21
- Section 22
- Section 23
- Section 24
- Section 25
- Section 26
- Section 27
- Section 29
- Section 30
- Section 31
- Section 32
- Section 33
- Section 01
- Section 02