Kavoussi, Bonnie J., and Paul C. Mathis. "English Dept. Approves Overhaul of Undergraduate Requirements." HARVARD CRIMSON December 4, 2008.

The English department overwhelmingly approved the largest overhaul of its undergraduate concentration in over 20 years on Tuesday afternoon. The new program would sweep away all the current requirements except Shakespeare and replace them with four subject areas or “affinity groups.” Concentrators would be required to take just one course in each category, giving students greater freedom to take more electives and thus design their own courses of study. Under the proposal, the required courses English 10a and 10b—as well as the pre-1800 literature, American literature, and sophomore seminar requirements—would die. In their place, courses in the four new categories—“Arrivals,” “Poets,” “Diffusions,” and “Shakespeares”—would interweave literary history with textual analysis. At a gathering for prospective concentrators on Tuesday, English professor Stephen J. Greenblatt said that these courses will most likely be small seminars. “This is a complete makeover of the undergraduate program,” said English professor Daniel G. Donoghue, who is also the department’s director of undergraduate studies. “Our approach was to start with a completely clean slate.” . . . Read the rest here: http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=525707. See also: Redden, Elizabeth. "English, Redefined, at Harvard." Inside Higher Ed December 8, 2008.