The Work We Do
University English is dedicated to promoting the discipline of English – literature, language and linguistics, and creative writing – both within and beyond the University sector. We hold two meetings a year – a two-day conference and Annual General Meeting in Spring, and one-day Ordinary General Meeting online in early December – which are designed to bring departmental representatives and HoDs together to discuss and debate current issues, to share experience, and to collaborate for the good of the sector as a whole. For more details on our AGMs and OGMs, see our Events page
UE also organises ad hoc days for subject leads, and collaborates with colleagues in the English Association and the Institute of English Studies in running events including English: Shared Futures conferences, Action On… days, and the Speaking for English series. For more details see English Resources
We are one of the main professional groups consulted by funding bodies and other national agencies when they wish to gauge the views of the English subject community. We take a lead in major initiatives to bring issues and successes relating to English Studies to the attention of these agencies and to universities in the rest of the UK. Because of its broad representation and policy of active consultation with members, University English has considerable influence in key areas of education.
Most recently, we have launched a PR campaign, #EnglishCreates, aimed at 16-18 year-olds with the ambition to increase the numbers of students reading English at university. For more information see EnglishCreates
University English is run by an Executive Committee which meets several times a year to organise initiatives and events, to liaise with other professional organisations and learned societies, and to arrange consultations with its members. Members of the exec give their time voluntarily. UE is a non-profit organisation, and our events, campaigns, and activities are funded by departments’ membership fees, on which we wholly rely for our work in supporting the sector.
Member Benefits
- Representation and access to collective expertise, consultation, and support.
- Attendance at the spring Conference and Annual General Meeting
- Attendance at the winter Ordinary General Meeting
- ESSE Membership
- UE Book Prize eligibility
- Access to resources and data, including data produced by the SUMS Group on HE English