Dr. William G. Gribbin
Professor of English
DeMoss 2131
434-482-2466
wgribbin@liberty.edu
Biography
While growing up on a farm in northwestern Pennsylvania, I learned about Lake Erie winters and beautiful, breeze-filled summers. My father William, an Irish immigrant who served a twelve-year tour of duty with the Royal Irish Rifles, worked in an iron foundry in Erie, PA, where I was born. My mother, a native of Edinboro, PA, graduated from (then) Edinboro State Teachers College and taught elementary school in Erie and the surrounding area.
Following high school, I attended (then) Edinboro State College and began teaching high school English in Pennsylvania. During those years, I earned a M.Ed. in English Education at Edinboro and a Ph.D. in Educational Administration at Penn State.
In 1980, my wife and three children (Matt, Niki, and Mike) moved with me to Lynchburg, Virginia, where I began teaching English at Liberty Baptist College. In 1982 I assumed duties as chairman of the Division of Communications, an entity comprised of the departments of English, special communication, modern languages, journalism, and telecommunications. By 1985 Liberty Baptist College had morphed into Liberty University and the former Division of Communications became the School of Communication of which I was named dean. In 1994, further reorganization led to the creation of the two large departments of English and Modern Languages and the Department of Communication Studies.
Since 1982 I have taught the English Methods class and have continued to supervise student teachers in English at local middle and high schools. Over the years I taught general education English (100, 101, and 102), videotaped ENGL 100 and 101 for the Liberty University School of Lifelong Learning (LUSLL), later videotaped a graduate course in Writing Across the Curriculum, and recently began offering The Teaching of Writing to graduate students in English.
I serve as an outside reader for English Journal and have contributed several articles to it and other journals related to English Education. I continue to serve as a reader for the College Board AP English exam, and as a reader for NCATE/NCTE national recognition applications.
Since 1990 I have served as Liberty University’s NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative. In that capacity I have chaired two self studies leading to certification and have worked closely with rules compliance and student-athlete welfare.
Degrees
Ph.D., Education Administration, The Pennsylvania State University, 1977.
M.Ed., English Education, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, 1971.
B.S., English Education, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, 1964.
B.S., English Education, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, 1964.
Courses Taught
ENGL 419 Methods and Materials in the Teaching of English
ENGL 420 Methods Practicum
ENGL 475 Supervision of Student Teachers
ENGL 597 Writing Across the Curriculum
English 495 Seminar in Literature
English 507 Teaching of Writing
Recent Publications/Presentations
“Conducting Holistic Scoring.” Presentation to Virginia Assessment Group, University of Richmond, April 2002.
“Conducting Holistic Scoring.” Presentation to Virginia Assessment Group, University of Richmond, April 2002.
“Our Ambivalence Toward Teaching Grammar.” English Journal (January 2005).
“Religious Conservatives and Public Schools: Understanding the Religious Right.” English Journal (September 1995).
“SOL’s: The Students Speak Up.” Virginia English Bulletin 53.1 (Spring 2003).
“Using Holistic Scoring in Remedial English.” Presentation to ENGL 100 adjunct faculty, August 2005.
“Supporting the SOL’s.” Presentation to 38th annual Fall Conference, VATE, Dulles, Virginia, October 19, 2007.
“Supporting the SOL’s.” Presentation to 38th annual Fall Conference, VATE, Dulles, Virginia, October 19, 2007.
Grants
2001-2002: wrote and administered college-school partnership grants sponsored by the Virginia Business Education Partnership.
2001-2002: wrote and administered college-school partnership grants sponsored by the Virginia Business Education Partnership.
2001-2002: wrote and administered a research grant sponsored by MPR associates (U.S. Dept. of Education), Washington, DC.
Service
NCNCAA FacultyNCA NCAA Athletics Representative, 1990-present.
Chair, Liberty University Self-study for NCAA Certification 2005-06.
CEE Committee on English Education and English Studies, 1992- 2001.
Chair, Liberty University Self-study for NCAA Certification 2005-06.
CEE Committee on English Education and English Studies, 1992- 2001.
Reader, AP English Exam. The College Board, 1990, 1992-2006.
Member of Liberty Quality Effectiveness Plan committee, 2005 until completion.
