Our Mission

Why do we do what we do? Why do we think you should care?

Our world demands reflective and respectful attention to the power of language as it shapes human experience. The Department of Literature & Languages at Marymount University seeks to illuminate and explore the central question of what it means to be human by engaging the myriad ways human experience is rendered in narrative, media, poetry, and performance. We believe that the stories we tell about our communities can shape the reality of those communities, and that studying literature allows us to experience something of what it’s like to live with and in difference. Our program prizes the notion of truth as something defined by meticulous research, knowledge of context, and having the tools to discern between accurate and inaccurate information. Because of this, careful, nuanced attention to the stories we tell generates imaginative agility, a regard for truth, and a self-reflective care for others that can help us reshape both ourselves and the worlds we live in.

In pursuit of this shared vision, our faculty and students are both readers and creators, working to hone their skills as writers and thinkers engaged with the world. As a small department, we are able to interact with students as individuals, providing them with academic and career mentorship, as well as with ample opportunities to work one-on-one with faculty on a variety of projects. Our faculty, expert and productive scholars in their fields, are committed to helping each student achieve their fullest potential in the world.