The Department of English of the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology is committed to shaping globally competent graduates through responsive curricula in English Language Studies, and Literary & Cultural Studies.

The faculty is composed of not only highly qualified educators, but of scholars who remain steadfast in engaging in cutting-edge research and sustainable community initiatives that create meaningful impact. 

Since language and language diversity is de-emphasized in most global policies, studies show that some have disproportionate impacts on vulnerable populations, which refutes the core intentions of the Sustainable Development Goals. Considering the role of language not only as a tool for communication, but as an effective instrument for expressing and (re-)defining identities, while expressing respect for diversity, fostering inclusivity, and paving for peacebuilding and negotiation, the Department of English advances its niche in the research landscape of Mindanao to document languages and narratives that (re-)define the people of Mindanao as influenced by their history and constant interactions with other nations and cultures, and inquire on and challenge the multiple ways in which Mindanao and its people are represented in various ways.

With a strong commitment to internationalization, the department has forged formidable partnerships with high-caliber academic institutions worldwide, ensuring a dynamic and globally enriched learning environment for our students.

The study of literature always poses a challenge, not only because of the centrality of human experience across genres, but more importantly because it points to a plurality of voices representing the diversity of cultures expressed in specific contexts. Mindanao hosts such a universe of multiplicity and richness given her controversial landscape punctuated by cultural diversity and rambunctious politics. It is in this context that the Bachelor of Arts in Literary and Cultural Studies (BA LCS) is offered, in line with CHED’s vision of a broadened outcomes-based education for those interested to pursue literature and culture as lateral windows of inquiry. Given the latitude to create modified programs that meet CHED’s structured outcomes, the English Department responds to the challenge by highlighting the importance of a terrain for an appreciation of the local and global, and the classical and contemporary, in the study of texts reflecting multicultural and interdisciplinary perspectives. The basis of this program is CMO 21 Series of 2017, which stipulates the policies, standards and guidelines for the BA in Literary and Cultural Studies (BALCS). Additionally, the offering of this program realizes one of the targets in the five- year plan set by the Department during its strategic planning last March 2016.

As the ASEAN academic landscape offers exploratory spaces for cultural studies’ affinities, this program aims to develop students’ expansive sense of culture, which further motivates them to pursue a graduate degree in culture and the arts. With the Masters in Culture and Arts Studies (MCAS) of the Center for Culture and Arts Studies of the Institute, graduates of BALCS would have the opportunity to further develop their aesthetic and intellectual evaluations of Philippine art and history within the context of geopolitical confluences of the ASEAN agenda of integration. Associating this broad spectrum of cultural divergence and convergence demands conceptual weaving of the literatures of these countries, and by doing so, BALCS acts as a conduit in exploring Mindanao literature and other literatures of the world. This is clearly stipulated in the program outcomes, namely to explore and conceptualize “Mindanao Literature” as informed by the socio-political and cultural environment of Mindanao and to apply a cultural studies approach in exploring and investigating literary forms through interdisciplinary methodologies.

The blend of literature and culture is a given, and by default, these two dimensions are aspects of the same body: the texts and their contexts. The emphasis here does not only refer to the study of texts but also to their respective contexts. It is this holistic approach to the acquisition of ‘literary’ competencies that highlights the uniqueness of the program. The students are expected to explore classic works and those out of the mainstream, as well as literary theories that cut through a cross section of viewpoints. The multicultural and interdisciplinary perspectives in this way allow students to sharpen their communicative competencies—their macro-micro skills in reading, writing, speaking, listening, critical thinking and interpretation, including translation. The combination of skills, values and imagination becomes integral to the course design so that alignment with the Institute’s vision for a relevant program in this age of trans-regionalization and internationalization can be realized.

In 2017, the English Department launched the first-ever National Conference-Workshop on Language and Literature (NCWoLL), a landmark event that exceeded expectations. With an initial projection of 150 participants, the conference drew an overwhelming 300 attendees, including educators from private and public elementary and high schools, faculty members from state universities and colleges, and both undergraduate and graduate students from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Building on this success, the 2018 NCWoLL welcomed esteemed academic leaders, including Prof. Wendell P. Capili, Ph.D., then Assistant Vice President for Public Affairs of the University of the Philippines System and now Chair of the Technical Panel for Literature at CHED, who delivered an address on behalf of CHED Director Prospero De Vera. The conference featured plenary sessions, research paper presentations, parallel workshops, and a cultural night—each fostering critical discussions on evolving trends, challenges, and pedagogical innovations in English language and literature education.

We proudly honor our distinguished faculty awardees whose dedication, passion, and commitment have set new standards of excellence. Their outstanding contributions in teaching, research, and community service have enriched our academic community, inspired students, and advanced the mission of our institution. These awards recognize not only their exceptional accomplishments but also their unwavering commitment to fostering innovation, leadership, and positive change within and beyond the university.