<p>hi just wondering if anyone know anything about the english department in columbia, particularly at grad level?</p>
<p>I think the english department was a debacle when I was there. I think there were a couple NYTimes articles on the department's problems. I'm not sure if they've fixed any of these issues.</p>
<p>hmmm, like what sort of issues?</p>
<p>I believe that some years back there was a huge and acrimonious philosophical divide in the department, which led to a lot of unfilled positions because they could not agree. It was so intense that the university called in an outside committee which made recommendations on appointments. New people arrived. The waters calmed. I may have the details wrong, but the upshot is that the department did solve those problems, if that's the debacle Columbia2002 refers to.</p>
<p>Yep, sac. That's what I had in mind.</p>