Composition Programs

Instruction and tutorial oversight/assistance in critical reading, writing, and editing to support students with an English ACT below 17 who are concurrently enrolled in ENGL 1010. Course will be capped at 25 students.

ENGL 0990 provides students with a supplemental workshop to improve their college-level writing, and critical reading and thinking skills. This course is required of students with an ACT English sub-score lower than 17 as a co-requisite to English 0990. This class is also recommended for ESL and nontraditional students as well as for all students who would like extra support in English 0990. The credit hours for English 0990 do not count toward either the 36-37 semester hours for a general associate’s or bachelor’s degree, or the 20-21 semester hours required for an applied associate degree.

A test-out option is available for students required to take ENGL 0990, but feel that their skills surpass the ENGL 0990 level. The test-out requires students to read a short essay, critically analyze the information presented, and then synthesize a well-written and constructed personal response. Essays will be independently evaluated to determine if the ENGL 0990 requirement can be waived.

By the end of ENGL 0990, students should

• understand the purposes and satisfactions of academic writing.
• develop critical reading techniques.>
• apply effective pre-writing strategies in the development of promising rough drafts.
• recognize writing as a series of recursive processes leading to a complete, well-developed essay.
• edit their own writing with an eye toward well-developed paragraphs using concrete ideas and clear purpose statements, clear sentences, accurate word choice, and proper grammar, punctuation and mechanics.
• read and respond appropriately and thoughtfully to their peers’ writing by learning what writing workshops are, how they work, and why they are an important part of the writing process.
• understand MLA basics, including MLA document formatting, a works cited page, and in-text citations/parenthetical notes.

In order for students to complete ENGL 0990 with a passing grade, they must

• participate in two face-to-face tutoring sessions with writing assistants from in the SUU English Department Writing Center before the last month of the semester.
• workshop three papers during the in-class, peer review workshops.
• attend during scheduled class times with no more than four unexcused absences.

In ENGL 0990, instructors and tutors will

• facilitate and regulate workshop groups to create an environment in which students will share their work and receive direction about possible revision strategies.
• Give direct instruction as the need arises on questions of essay organization, grammar, and documentation.
• present lectures and activities that seek to give direct instruction on concepts that are treated as assumed knowledge in English 0990 or that English 0990 find especially challenging.
• maintain standards of professional conduct appropriate for a college classroom.
• respect the confidentiality of students’ personal and academic lives.

Tutors for ENGL 0990 will be hired based on the following criteria:

• Declared English major or minor.
• Completion of English 1010 and 2010 with the minimum grade of an A-.
• A minimum GPA of 3.0 overall and 3.5 in English classes.
• An interest in tutoring and teaching that must be consistently reinforced by the tutor’s actions and attitudes after being hired.

Course Description

The first of the required GE writing courses introduces students to academic composition. Students will engage in writing as a process, pre-drafting strategies, multiple drafts, peer review, and large and small-scale revisions. Students with ACT English scores below 29 are required to take ENGL 1010 before enrolling in ENGL 2010. Those with scores below 17 must concurrently enroll in ENGL 0990 Academic Writing Workshop.

Learning Outcomes

Written Communication

• • Construct rhetorical arguments that demonstrate awareness of purpose, audience, and context
  • Organize and use relevant and compelling content for specific rhetorical situations and audiences
  • Use straightforward and relatively error-free language that conveys meaning to readers

Information Literacy

• • Identify and locate credible and appropriate information for a rhetorical purpose
  • Evaluate sources and attribute them appropriately according to a writing style

Critical Thinking

• • Evaluate and interpret source material and readings using an analytic approach
  • Analyze assumptions about evidence and argument in conjunction with the context of the rhetorical situation
  • Compose arguments that demonstrate a clear reliance on logic and the ability to evaluate and prioritize evidence

In English 1010, instructors will

• Prepare and distribute a syllabus that includes Essential Learning Outcomes (ELOs), activities and assignments related to ELOs, and an assessment grid that articulates relationships between ELOs and activities
• Guide students to sources and help them critically evaluate and synthesize the sources into their own writing
• Require multiple drafts on all major papers that include instructor and peer response to student writing, as well as revised writing.

• Require 12-15 pages of polished writing.
  • Two major essays.
  • A persuasive writing project of at least six pages that includes at least four cited sources documented according to MLA style.

• Assign approximately 10-15 pages of informal writing, which might include exploratory writing, journal writing, audience analysis, and responses to assigned readings.
• Require at least 100 pages of reading including authors representing diverse perspectives.
• Assign 2-4 pages of formal or informal writing that reflects the student’s understanding of the writing process

The second of the GE writing courses emphasizes the development of an effective academic style in argumentative essays that makes use of traditional rhetorical patterns, culminating in a major research paper. Subtopics will vary. Students with ACT English scores below 29 must take ENGL 1010 before enrolling in ENGL 2010.

Student Learning Outcomes

Written Communication

Construct arguments that demonstrate rhetorical awareness of purpose, audience, and context

• • Employ accurate and diverse diction, appropriate tone, and construct sentences varied in structure
  • Define the scope of the research question or thesis completely and determine key concepts.
  • Design and construct arguments for specific audiences with an emphasis on organizing, sustaining, and maintaining consistency
  • employ standard grammatical usage, including correct punctuation for discipline, and adhere to a specific style guide

Information Literacy

Identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively and responsibly use and share information to achieve an intended purpose.

• Access and document information and relevant sources using a variety of search strategies
• Correctly use primary and secondary sources (including paraphrase, summary, and quotations) in ways that are true to the original text

Inquiry and Analysis

Systematically explore issues through the collection and analysis of evidence that result in informed conclusions and judgments.

• • Break complex topics or issues into parts to gain a better understanding of them. 
  • Arrange and synthesize evidence to reveal insightful patterns, differences, or similarities related to focus

In English 2010, instructors will

• • Prepare and distribute a syllabus that includes Essential Learning Outcomes (ELOs), activities and assignments related to ELOs, and an assessment grid that articulates relationships between ELOs and activities
  • Assign at least 2-4 pages of formal or informal writing that reflects the student’s understanding of the writing process
  • Require 18-20 pages of polished writing, which must include
  • A persuasive writing project of 3-6 pages that includes at least four cited sources
  • At least one other short writing that requires multiple drafts, which could include narrative work or annotated bibliography
  • A research paper of at least 10 pages of text with at least seven appropriately documented sources  (according to an appropriate style guide)
  • Require multiple drafts on all major papers, including instructor and peer response to student writing, as well as student revision.
  • Assign approximately 10-15 pages of informal writing, which might include exploratory writing, journal writing, annotated bibliography, and responses to assigned readings.
  • Require at least 150 pages of reading, including authors representing diverse perspectives that contribute to a student’s understanding of the course content but should not be the focus of the class.