Introducing the FUS Faculty: Andra Yount

ADJUNCT PROFESSOR, LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES

Ph.D. The University of Texas at Dallas, USA
M.A. Texas Woman’s University, USA
M.A. Southern Methodist University, USA
B.A. University of North Texas, USA

Office: Kaletsch Campus, Office 8
Email: ayount@fus.edu

Andra Yount is an Adjunct Professor of Languages and Literatures within the Division of Arts and Cultures. She received her PhD in Visual and Performing Arts from The University of Texas at Dallas with a dissertation on incorporating performance studies and movement into EAL pedagogy. She also earned an MA in Dance from Texas Woman’s University, an MA in English (creative writing emphasis) from Southern Methodist University, and a BA in English Composition from the University of North Texas.

A writer and former dancer, Yount has taught courses in arts and humanities subjects at universities in the United States, South Korea, China, Italy, and Switzerland, from literature to ballet technique to English as an Additional Language. Her current interests include creative writing for the stage and screen and embarking on a medical humanities project.

2024-2025 Courses

WTG 130	Academic Writing: Entering the Conversation	FALL 2024
This course provides students with a bridge to university-level academic writing. It is designed to help students further develop their critical writing skills. It looks at best practices for research and use of information, including evaluation and effective incorporation of outside sources through paraphrase, summary and correct citation formats, and addresses the development of structure and expression in academic writing and techniques for effectively sharing information in both written and oral forms. Upon successful completion of WTG 130 (i.e. with a minimum final grade of C) the student must take WTG 150 in the following semester.
WTG 150	Academic Writing: Crossing Borders	FALL 2024
Designed as a discussion/workshop seminar, this writing course develops students’ awareness of scholarly discourse and their participation in it: what makes academic discourse different from other kinds of writing, how different disciplines approach analysis and evidence, and what counts as effective communication within scholarly communities. Through the study of borders -- what they are, how they shape culture, politics and society, and why they change -- the course helps students develop academic communication strategies that are applicable across the curriculum at Franklin. The main focus of the course is to help students develop strategies for joining the academic conversation, covering skills such as close reading and responding to texts; generating, supporting and sharing ideas in both oral and written form; and scholarly researching. Drawing from a wide selection of texts and media about cross-border and cross cultural practices, which has recently garnered much attention among scholars and speaks to the Franklin mission, students will explore various academic responses to the phenomenon of border crossing, concluding with a research-based final project and defense. Succesful completion of WTG 150 requires a minimum final grade of C. (This writing-intensive course counts towards the Academic Writing core requirement.)
WTG 150	Academic Writing: Crossing Borders	SPRING 2025
Designed as a discussion/workshop seminar, this writing course develops students’ awareness of scholarly discourse and their participation in it: what makes academic discourse different from other kinds of writing, how different disciplines approach analysis and evidence, and what counts as effective communication within scholarly communities. Through the study of borders -- what they are, how they shape culture, politics and society, and why they change -- the course helps students develop academic communication strategies that are applicable across the curriculum at Franklin. The main focus of the course is to help students develop strategies for joining the academic conversation, covering skills such as close reading and responding to texts; generating, supporting and sharing ideas in both oral and written form; and scholarly researching. Drawing from a wide selection of texts and media about cross-border and cross cultural practices, which has recently garnered much attention among scholars and speaks to the Franklin mission, students will explore various academic responses to the phenomenon of border crossing, concluding with a research-based final project and defense. Succesful completion of WTG 150 requires a minimum final grade of C. (This writing-intensive course counts towards the Academic Writing core requirement.)

Publications:

Yount, Andra. “Developing a Collaborative Pedagogy: Integrating Movement into the Creative Writing Workshop.” International Journal of the Arts in Society. 5.5 (2011): 151-168.

Yount, Andra. Pas de trois. Thesis/Novella. Southern Methodist University, 2004.

Conferences:

Yount, Andra. “Moving Toward Language Acquisition: A Case Study Adapting Laban Movement Analysis in the International EAL Classroom.” Zurich, Switzerland. ICDST 2019: 21st International Conference on Dance Studies and Techniques. 14-15 Jan 2019.

Yount, Andra. “The Digital Archive and App as Alternative Dance Spaces.” University of Limerick. Limerick, Ireland. Light Moves Symposium, Festival of Screen dance: Peeling Away the Layers. 19-22 Nov 2015.

Yount, Andra. “Writing Without a Page: Documenting Dance in the Digital Age.” Stanford University. Stanford, CA. 19th Performance Studies International Conference. 26-30 Jun 2013.

Yount, Andra. All Cats are Gray…Translation of Spanish play Todos los pardos son gatos by Mexican writer Martha Cerda. 2011. Collaboration with the author.

Yount, Andra. “Toward a Collaborative Pedagogy: Integrating Movement into the Creative Writing Workshop.” University of Sydney. Sydney College of the Arts, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Fifth International Conference on the Arts in Society. 22-25 Jul 2010. Session Chair.

Yount, Andra. “Invisible Disabilities: Making the Unseen Seen for the Purpose of Healing.” University of California, Berkeley. Berkeley, CA. Dance Under Construction: The 10th Annual Dance Studies Conference. 25-26 Apr 2008.

Yount, Andra. “Movement and Narrative in Zola’s L’Assommoir and Nana.” Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort, Honolulu, HI. Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities, 12-15 Jan 2007. Session Chair, Conference Presentation.