Course Description

ENG 103: Rhetoric and Writing (3) 

Introduces and develops understanding of principles of rhetoric; basic research methods; elements, strategies, and conventions of persuasion used in constructing written and multi-modal texts. Prerequisite: appropriate placement.  Not open to students who have credit in ENG 101 or 102.

Course 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 ENG 103 are designed to enable students to achieve the course goals:

  • 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 ENG 103 are required to complete:

  • Four or more writing projects, approximately three to four 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).

NOTE: In order to fulfill the University's Core Curriculum requirement in Writing Program courses, students must earn a minimum grade of C to pass; a grade of C- is not considered acceptable. Writing Program courses may be repeated as many times as necessary to meet the requirement but:

  • The first and all other grades will show up on the transcript.
  • Only the most recent grade earned in the course will be used to compute the cumulative GPA.
  • A grade of W will not replace a previous grade.
  • Course credit hours apply only once to graduation requirements.

(Please see Ball Point for a more complete explanation of these policies.)

Evaluation
Students 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.

Approved Texts for English 103

  • The primary text for ENG 103 is Ball Point Vol. 1. Faculty may also order an approved supplemental text.