Department of English | first year writing: college writing I syllabus

Goals: On completing College Writing I, students will be comfortable composing academic, university-level prose in a variety of modes; will be familiar with and able to meet university-level expectations in writing; will be able to adapt their writing to suit a variety of rhetorical purposes; will be comfortable in making use of sources; will be familiar with the holdings of the library; and will have met the Oral Component goals for College Writing I (below).

Students will write academic expository prose in a variety of rhetorical modes.
Students will write 8 to 10 papers. Length may vary, but students will produce for grading at least 4,000 words during the semester.
At least one of those papers will be written in-class.
At least two papers will address persuasion/argument.
Readings will focus on non-fiction (e.g. essay, biography, editorial, academic articles, and so on).
At least two papers will make use of referenced sources but do not need to be formally documented.
Students will make at least one short prepared oral presentation from notes, and/or participate in at least one group or panel.
Students will be familiarized with the print holdings of the library through a brief introduction and/or tour.

Faculty are encouraged to make use of in-class writing exercises and day-to-day work, e.g. use of journals, drafts and revisions, in-class responses to readings, listservs or web-based discussions, and so on.

Use of the Internet

At their discretion, instructors may make use of the Internet in keeping with the academic tenor of the first-year writing courses. Uses may include

locating source materials on the Internet and the Web
research using public listservs, Usenet newsgroups, and personal email exchange
class-sponsored listserv discussions or web-based conferencing
class-sponsored real-time discussions via IRC or the Web
web-based support for the course by making readings and other materials available on the Web

Oral Component Goals

ENGL 1101: College Writing I: Students will engage in small- and large-group guided discussion, with a focus on critical thinking. Students will be instructed in selecting and organizing material from their written works for short oral presentations and/or group presentations.

Goal: Students will be able to make a short (3 - 5 minute) prepared presentation from notes and/or participate effectively in a group or panel presentation followed by a question and answer period.

Liberal Education Requirements Addendum

Approved by the Department of English
June 3, 1998
Modified for 3 credits
October 31, 2000
Modified to Lib Ed requirements
April 1, 2001