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English 110: Introduction to College Writing
English 112: College Writing for Transfer Students
English 201: Advanced College Writing
English 290: Images of Women in Contemporary Literature
English 305 (205): Introduction to Technical and Professional Writing
English 397: English Composition Tutoring
My English 110 students learn to integrate critical reading, thinking, and writing. They analyze texts and issues from a variety of perspectives, keep reading and writing journals, and revise drafts with the help of peer review, conferencing, and the Writing Center. Assignments might include a narrative or informative essay, article summaries, argument analyses, and documented argument essays. The focus of this course is on critical reading, reflective writing and revising, and clear and engaging use of effective rhetorical strategies. Students give several brief oral presentations to the class and, at the end of the semester, submit a portfolio of chosen assignments for evaluation.
Students in my English 112 apply writing strategies they have learned in previous college writing courses to a major research project. This project includes a written topic proposal, a written review of the literature, preliminary and annotated bibliographies, written and oral progress reports, and several drafts prepared for peer review. The course includes individual conferences, collaborative planning, peer response sessions, and an oral presentation to the class.
Designed for students across disciplines, my section of this advanced writing course draws on strategies that students have developed in earlier writing instruction to focus on the kinds of writing needed in other college coursework. Students will examine traditional and contemporary writing about topics such as education, family and gender roles, citizenship, social justice, and the environment, and will practice a variety of research and writing strategies on topics of their choice. This course places particular emphasis on critical reading, reflective thinking, and clear writing for general audiences.
My section of this course examines ways in which women are portrayed through a variety of genres such as fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and the media. Students will explore texts from the late nineteenth century to the present, contribute to class discussion about the assignments, and write a series of short comparative essays on related topics of their choice. This course places particular emphasis on the societal assumptions that inform particular images and portrayals of women.
Designed to introduce students to the principles and processes of technical and professional communication, this course stresses careful analysis of purpose, audience, and writing situation in planning, researching, and creating technical or professional documents. It emphasizes clear and accurate writing and applies rhetorical principles and problem-solving strategies to an array of written and oral assignments such as memos, summaries, instructions, formal reports, and proposals.
English 397 is a tutor-training course for students from all disciplines. It focuses on the practical components of tutoring and prepares tutors to work with students enrolled in English 099, 110, and 112. This course addresses a variety of challenges that composition students face and applies writing center theory to the tasks of helping students improve their writing. Students enrolled in this course tutor three to five hours per week in the English Writing Center to meet the University Service-Learning Requirement. Sophomore standing and the successful completion of English 110 or its equivalent are required for enrollment.