English & Humanities

Develop a richer understanding of human society and culture.

Available Programs

Ready To Get Started?

Our students have busy schedules, so Coastline's instructors offer classes during Fall, Winter Intersession, Spring, and Summer in 4-week, 8-week, and 16-week sessions.

Take a look at our topics below to get a better sense of the English & Humanities department and commonly asked questions. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact the English & Humanities department.

• Academic Reading and Writing

  Enrolling in Academic Reading and Writing

  In accordance with California laws AB 705 and AB 1705, all incoming Coastline students enter English C1000: Academic Reading and Writing (4 units), ideally during their first semester. Students who would like additional support may enroll in the Writing Center.

  The Writing Center is a tuition-free course that enables you to work directly with a Coastline English or ESL faculty member on their writing. By enrolling in Academic Reading and Writing in your first semester, you increase your chances of completing your first-year composition requirement within your first year.

  Questions? Send us an email.

• Current English Offerings

  Current English Offerings

  English C1000 Academic Reading and Writing teaches students grammar and punctuation conventions, logic, critical thinking, fallacies, reading comprehension strategies, research methods, and the structures of the most common essay modes.

  After completing English C1000, students who are planning to transfer to the University of California, to any private college or university in California, or to any university may take English C1001 Critical Thinking and Writing. Students who are on the IGETC (Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum) track are required to take 1001, which focuses on reading critically, thinking critically, writing argumentative essays, and writing a research paper. Students may also take English C1003 Critical Thinking and Writing Through Literature to satisfy this requirement.

  For other types of writing, students may take Fiction Writing, Technical Writing, Business Writing, or Business Communication. Coastline has a wide variety of literature courses from which to choose: Appreciation of Literature, Children's Literature, American Lit through the Civil War, American Lit 1865 to Present, Introduction to African American Literature, Asian American and Transpacific Literature, Borderlands and Beyond: Chicano/a, Latine & Latin American Lit, British Lit to 1800, British Lit Since 1800, Gothic Victorian Lit, and Contemporary Gothic Lit.

• Humanities Offerings

  Humanities Offerings

  Coastline's Humanities courses provide insights into historical, religious, intellectual, socio-political, philosophical, and cultural values through the study of arts and civilizations. Our three offerings: HUM C100 Introduction to the Humanities, HUM C110 Humanities through the Arts, and HUM C135 History and Appreciation of the Cinema also fulfill IGETC Area 3, CSU Area C, CCC Group C, and the CCC Global and Multicultural Studies requirement.

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment

English, ESL, and Math Placement

All Coastline students are eligible to register for transfer-level English composition and Math courses, regardless of educational background.

Students' initial placement for English, ESL, or Math is based on multiple measures, beginning with the high school information a student reports on the Coastline application.

Learn more at Counseling | Assessment.

Our English faculty bring a wide range of academic interests, professional experiences, and personal passions to Coastline’s online learning community. They include several newer faculty members as well as department chair Dr. Marilyn Brock, whose teaching and scholarship reflect the depth and range of the discipline. Together, these faculty reflect the curiosity, care, and intellectual energy that define English at Coastline.

Juan Manuel Mendoza

Juan Manuel Mendoza

Juan Manuel Mendoza

Juan Manuel Mendoza is an adjunct instructor of English. His academic interests include: rhetoric and composition, ancient literature—especially the Bible as literature—business, economics, and personal development, and he enjoys helping students connect ideas across these disciplines. Outside the classroom, he loves cooking and experimenting on his backyard smoker, and he is also a trained coffee enthusiast who enjoys crafting the perfect espresso shot. He is continually inspired by learning, whether through podcasts, films, or exploring real estate as part of his investment interests. A favorite motto of his comes from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: “Believe in six impossible things before breakfast,” which reminds him to dream big and pursue goals others might dismiss. He is excited to be part of the Coastline community and always happy to talk about class topics—or even swap book, recipe, or coffee recommendations!

Lucy Vazquez

Lucy Vazquez

Lucy Vazquez

Lucy Vazquez is an English instructor at Coastline. Just as many of you are beginning your college journey, hers also began at a community college, where her passion for English started the moment she was introduced to Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess.” That spark led her to pursue her M.A. in English at Cal State Dominguez Hills, where she studied a wide range of literature. Her heart, however, is especially in British literature, particularly the Romantic and Victorian eras. Even with that background, she still loves diving into a good fantasy book when she needs an escape. When she’s not teaching, she enjoys learning about gardening basics and practicing her golf swing.

Jamie Greuel

Jamie Greuel

Jamie Greuel

Jamie Greuel (she/her) teaches English at Coastline College, and she's also one of the Writing Center Co-Coordinators. She earned AAs at Mt. San Jacinto Community College before earning both her BA and MA in English from Cal State Fullerton. She has known she wanted to work in education since her first day of kindergarten; when she got home from school, she rounded up her younger brother and some paper and started "teaching." Now, her goal as an educator is to help students feel informed about and confident in their choices in writing. Jamie lives at home with her fiancé and their cat, Teto, named for the fox-squirrel in Nausicaa: Valley of the Wind.

Andrea Montoya

Andrea Montoya

Andrea Montoya

Professor Andrea Montoya has been teaching English for 8+ years now. She has both a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree from Cal Poly Pomona with a Dual-Major in English Literature and Rhetoric Composition. She very much enjoys teaching both Composition and Argumentative Writing. Her passions include reading and writing of course - but also, she loves to practice archery, watch Jim Carrey movies, and increase her animation and crafting skills. It’s nice to meet you all and she looks forward to getting to know you in her classes!

Marilyn Brock

Marilyn Brock

Marilyn Brock

Dr. Marilyn Brock is the Chair of the English and Humanities Department at Coastline and a Professor of English. A 2022 recipient of the Hayward Award for Excellence in Education, she teaches courses in composition, critical reasoning, and a range of literary fields, including Victorian and American Gothic, Asian American and Transpacific, African American, and Latine literature. Her research focuses on Digital Humanities, Creative Nonfiction, Historical Fiction, Southeast Asian refugees, Diaspora, the Gothic, Postcolonialism, the Cold War, and the Vietnam War. Dr. Brock is a Fulbright Specialist and has studied History at Harvard, earned a graduate certificate from MIT, a Ph.D. in English and Comparative Literature from the University of Cincinnati, an Ed.D. from Pepperdine University, and a graduate certificate in Ethnic Studies from San Francisco State University. She is also the editor and co-author of From Wollstonecraft to Stoker and has served as project director for the NEH-funded initiative Fifty Years Later: The Vietnam War Through the Eyes of Veterans, Vietnamese, and Southeast Asian Refugees. She is passionate about student success and lives in Orange County with her two children, three dogs, and a cat named Cleopatra.

Interested in English at Coastline? Check out the English Program page.

Publications

StoryLine Magazine

StoryLine Magazine

StoryLine Magazine

Coastline's Arts and Letters Magazine

StoryLine, Coastline College's Arts and Letters Magazine, is published once a year in the fall semester featuring original art, poetry, essays, and short stories by Coastline students. Submit by July 1^st if you would like your original work to be considered for inclusion.

StoryLine's latest issue is now live! Please take a break from your daily grind and check out Issue 7. Pour yourself a cup of inspiration and enjoy!

A plain-text, accessible version of the magazine is embedded within the magazine. Just click on the accessibility icon in the upper left-hand corner.

Department Faculty

Charles Ardinger

cardinger@coastline.edu

Robin Arehart 

rarehart@cccd.edu

Alyson Bossert

abossert@cccd.edu

Tonya Brady

tbrady13@cccd.edu

Marilyn Brock

*Dept. Chair

mvbrock@coastline.edu

Teacher Feature: Marilyn Brock

Oceana Callum

ocallum@coastline.edu

Teacher Feature: Oceana Callum

Maribeth Daniel

mdaniel@cccd.edu

Scott Davis

sdavis@coastline.edu

 

Jamie Greuel

jgreuel@cccd.edu

Josiah Golojuh

jgolojuh@cccd.edu

Michelle Lopez

mlopez208@coastline.edu

Juan Mendoza

jmendoza253@cccd.edu

Mark Meskal

mmeskal@cccd.edu

Andrea Montoya

amontoya40@cccd.edu

Karen Morehouse

kmorehouse@coastline.edu

Kristen Nichols

knichols@coastline.edu

ENGL 133 Teacher Asset Video

Kate Ozbirn

kozbirn@coastline.edu

Mike Phillips 

mphillips70@cccd.edu

Tremonisha Putros

tputros@occ.cccd.edu

Lucia Vazquez

lvazquez42@cccd.edu

Kim Volmer

kvolmer@cccd.edu

To Be Or Not To Be

The ability to communicate effectively on paper is instrumental to academic and professional success. Coastline's English and Humanities courses help you prepare for a certificate, earn a degree, transfer to a university, or advance your career. Our students have busy schedules, so our caring instructors offer classes during fall, spring, and summer in 8-week and 16-week sessions through a variety of deliveries, including classroom, hybrid, independent study, and online.

Coastline has a wide variety of courses in English composition, literature, and writing. Coastline's Humanities courses provide insights into historical, religious, intellectual, socio-political, philosophical, and cultural values through the study of arts and civilizations.