English 103

Course Description

Introduction to composition with an emphasis on writing short essays. Includes assigned readings. Introduction to basic research methods. Taught in technology enhanced classrooms. Prerequisite: appropriate combination of SAT verbal or ACT English scores and academic index. Not open to students who have credit in ENG 101 or 102. Credit Hours: 3.

Course Rationale and Goals

English 103 introduces students to the fundamentals of rhetoric; to the elements, strategies, and conventions common to persuasion; to the use of those elements, strategies, and conventions in the construction of their own persuasive visual and verbal texts.

At the completion of English 103, students will be able to achieve the following goals:

• Understand that persuasion—both visual and verbal—is integral to reading and composing.
• Understand how persuasive visual and verbal texts are composed for different audiences and different purposes.
• Develop effective strategies of invention, drafting, and revision for different rhetorical situations and individual composing styles.
• Compose texts in various media using solid logic, claims, evidence, creativity, and audience awareness.
• Integrate primary and secondary research as appropriate to the rhetorical situation.
• Develop strategies for becoming more critical and careful readers of both their own and others’ texts.
• Demonstrate a professional attitude towards their writing by focusing on the need for appropriate format, syntax, punctuation, and spelling.
• Take responsibility for their own progress.
• Develop the ability to work well with others on composing tasks.

Course Content and Format

The content and format of English 103 are designed to enable students to achieve the course goals; specifically, students in English 103 will:

• Discuss, analyze, and respond to a variety of visual and verbal texts to identify rhetorical elements, strategies, and conventions.
• Discuss, analyze, and respond to the persuasive logics by which various visual and verbal texts achieve, or fail to achieve, their purposes.
• Collaborate in developing ideas, analyzing visual and verbal texts, and providing peer feedback.
• Compose persuasive texts through multiple drafts, revising based on peer feedback, self-reflection, instructor’s written comments, and teacher-student conferences.
• Reflect (orally and textually) on the rhetorical choices and decisions they are required to make as authors to shape a text for a specific audience and purpose.
• Reflect (orally and textually) on the rhetorical choices and decisions they are required to make in order to construct meaning out of another’s text.
• Complete a variety of writing assignments for multiple purposes, audiences, and contexts, using various media, and including primary and secondary research.

Requirements

As an outcome of the course content and format, which enable the accomplishment of the course goals, students in English 103 will be required to complete:

• Four or more writing projects, approximately 3 to 4 pages each, that address different rhetorical situations.
• Reading assignments for discussion, analysis, and response.
• Informal writing assignments (such as journals, reading reflections, in-class writings, or smaller pieces that lead to the major writing assignments).

Evaluation

Students will provide anonymous evaluations of the course. Instructors are urged to evaluate and revise individual syllabuses on a regular basis. ENG 103 is subject to curriculum review by the Writing Committee.

Texts

See the list of approved texts for English 103.

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