Welcome letter to students winter 26/27

Würzburg, 29 September 2026

Dear students of English and American Studies at JMU Würzburg,

“A word after a word after a word is power,” Margaret Atwood writes in her poetry collection True Stories (1981). Over the summer, I enjoyed reading Atwood’s recent memoir Book of Lives (2025), which once again reminds us of the importance of thinking, writing and reading about the power of words – including both their aesthetic and creative value, but also the manipulative potential of words. In a world with rising populist parties and generative AI, it is all the more important to commit together to the process of learning, discussing, and critically engaging with language and words. Fortunately we all have the chance to do so every day in English and American Studies.

With this in mind, I would like to warmly welcome you to the new semester on behalf of all our colleagues – including all first-semester students. We are looking forward to getting to know you in our classes, lectures, seminars, and other activities!

In this letter, I’d like to share some important information regarding your studies:

• To those who study towards a teaching degree, PLEASE MAKE SURE you select the required courses for “Historisch-thematisch” and “Theoretisch” seminars. It is essential that you have completed the required classes BEFORE registering for the state exam. Otherwise, the Prüfungsamt will be unable to confirm that you have completed the necessary courses. 
• Regular attendance is part of an active learning process. Please attend all classes and, if you are unable to attend, let your lecturers or professors know.
• Use your university email address for all university-related communication.
• Remember to register for exams if you want to receive credit points.
• Write your term papers, presentations, and all other assignments yourselves! Plagiarism and AI-generated papers result in ‘deskilling’ and will not prepare you well for your final exams.
• Our Erasmus programme offers excellent opportunities to go abroad every year, e.g., to Cambridge, Liverpool or Warwick. Check out: https://www.neuphil.uni-wuerzburg.de/anglistik/study-programmes/auslandsaufenthalt/
• For mobility programs with partner universities in the United States, check out https://www.uni-wuerzburg.de/international/studieren-im-ausland/mit-dem-international-office-ins-ausland/weltweite-austauschprogramme/ or contact our American Studies faculty.
• If you would like to get advice on academic writing, the ‘Schreibzentrum’ offers courses as well as individual consultations for both English and German writing projects: https://www.uni-wuerzburg.de/schreibzentrum/

I wish you – and all of us – a successful and inspiring start into the new semester!

Kind regards,

Prof. Dr. Kirsten Sandrock

(Chair of the English Department)

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