HC’s Dr. Linda Urschel teaches new EXCEL course
FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, March 20, 2002
Huntington, Ind. "Huntington College's EXCEL Program has just the thing to satisfy your literary interests. This spring, Dr. Linda Urschel will teach Introduction to Literature, a course designed specifically for adults. The class will begin Wednesday, April 10, from 6-10 p.m., and will run for six weeks. Registration is open through April 5. Introduction to Literature will explore the world of the written word, from the classics to detective fiction. In this interactive course, students will enhance judgment skills for what makes a work of literature great as they read, write and discuss a variety of literary genres. It is the latest Gateway course provided by the EXCEL Program, which has already had much success this year with Dr. Beth Burch's Life Science course, Dr. Tom Bergler's History of the United States I, Dr. Janice Fulbright's Survey of the Arts course, and Dr. Paul Fetters' Survey of the Bible course. The Gateway courses are unique credit/non-credit courses that are open to the community-at-large. If literature and writing are areas of interest to you, Huntington College's EXCEL Program offers that opportunity through this course.
The EXCEL Program offers a wonderful opportunity for adults to learn in an academic environment in which their views are respected, said Urschel, chair of the HC English Department and Division of Humane Studies. I've been teaching in the EXCEL Program since it began, and I've been impressed by the richness of the life experience that the students bring to the classes. It's truly a pleasure to teach EXCEL classes and meet working people from interesting backgrounds. I feel as though I learn from them as they learn from me. Every class I teach turns out differently because of the various backgrounds of the students. EXCEL classes are unique learning experiences for both the students and the professors, and I value that variety.
Urschel received a B.S. in Secondary English Education and a MAT from Indiana University and Purdue University at Fort Wayne (IPFW) in 1980 and 1984, respectively. She completed her PhD in 1992 from Ball State University in composition and rhetoric. Urschel holds memberships in the National Council of Teachers of English, Midwest Modern Language Association, College English Association, and Indiana Teachers of Writing.
She currently has research interests in detective fiction and folklore. She will present a paper at the College English Association Conference in Cincinnati in April on the spiritual journeys in the novels of Lee Smith and Sharyn McCrumb.
Urschel has lived in Huntington since 1961. She has been married for 27 years to her husband Mike, who is currently enrolled in the EXCEL Program. They have two sons, Joe and Tim. In 2001, Urschel was selected as Professor of the year by the HC student body.
Linda is an outstanding instructor in adult higher education, and I'm sure that people in this community who are active readers would love the opportunity to take a course from her, said Kathleen O'Donnell, Director of the EXCEL Program for Adults.
For more information on the EXCEL Program, visit www.huntington.edu/excel or contact the EXCEL Program by phone at (260) 359-4162 or by e-mail at excel@huntington.edu.
