Rate My Professor Linda Quinlan

Dr. Linda Quinlan is an Associate Professor of English at Roberts Wesleyan College, serving as Chair of the Department of Language and Literature, Academic Director, and Director of the College Writing Program. With 30 years of service recognized in 2024, she has shaped the English faculty's offerings, including the English B.A., Adolescence Education: English B.S., and Gender Studies Minor. Her leadership fosters a community of learners dedicated to studying literary works and mastering composition, emphasizing student-centered teaching that nurtures intellectual, personal, and spiritual growth.

Quinlan holds a B.A. in English from the University of Rochester (1982), an M.A. in English Literature from the University of Toronto (1983), and an Ed.D. in Teaching and Curriculum from the University of Rochester (2015). Her dissertation, 'Unexpected Strength: Christian Students in a Secular University,' conducted as Principal Investigator, is a qualitative phenomenological study of self-identified Christian students' experiences at a secular university. Based on 2013-2014 interviews with 10 students from groups like Gospel Worship and Cru, plus faculty and staff, it examines marginalization—such as dismissive comments and social exclusion—and adaptive 'resolve' involving self-assertion, empathy, and supportive networks. The analysis applies Bourdieu’s theory of social and cultural capital, social identity theory, and standpoint feminist theory, highlighting 'outsider-within' dynamics for participants of color. Prior to Roberts Wesleyan around 1994, she taught at colleges in Michigan and Kansas. A lifelong reader and scholar, she specializes in literature, writing, gender studies, and student-centered teaching.