On completing this course, students are expected to have enhanced the following knowledge and skills: analytic and critical reading strategies; a basic understanding of rhetorical situations and rhetorical analysis; the ability to write for specific audiences and discourse communities, using effective conversations for these situations; the ability to write texts that are organized, coherent and substantive, demonstrating rhetorical, linguistic design and analytical competence. The course provides instruction and practice in academic and civic writing for well-educated readers. Students complete at least 20 pages of revised and polished writing, in multiple assignments, as well as additional exercises. Final portfolio.
This course builds on the writing and rhetorical skills learned in WRIT 1122 by shifting attention from general rhetorical strategies to specific rhetorical strategies that shape different kinds of academic inquiry. Through introduction to quantitative, qualitative, and textual research traditions, students identify how written reasoning varies in terms of the questions posed, the kind of evidence used to answer them, and the nature of the audience or forum for the result. In addition, the course teaches how to shape research into substantive academic arguments, with attention to the ethical consequences of their rhetorical choices. Students are asked to develop further their linguistic, design, and reasoning competencies, with added consideration of citation conventions. Students complete at least 20 pages of revised and polished writing, in multiple assignments, as well as numerous additional exercises, in projects requiring library-based research as well as other types. Final portfolio. Prerequisite: WRIT 1122.
A writing course for advanced first-year students, emphasizing rhetorical strategies for different academic and civic audiences and purposes; critical reading and analysis; and research. Course sections focus on a coherent set of texts, usually on an issue or theme; contact the Writing Program for specific information each quarter. Students complete at least 20 pages of polished prose in multiple assignments. Final portfolio. Satisfies the same graduation requirement as WRIT 1122. Prerequisite (one of the following): Admission to honors program; score of three or better on AP Language and Composition or Language and Literature exams, or four on the IB English; or specific permission of the director of writing.
A continuation of WRIT 1622, this is a writing course for advanced first-year students, emphasizing rhetorical strategies for different academic and civic audiences and purposes; critical reading and analysis; and research. The course has a significant research component. Course sections focus on a coherent set of texts, usually on an issue or theme; contract the Writing Program for specific information each quarter. Students complete at least 20 pages of polished prose in multiple assignments. Final portfolio. Satisfies the same graduation requirement as WRIT 1133. Prerequisites: WRIT 1122 or 1622, plus one of the following: either admission to the honors program; score of three or better on AP Language and Composition or Language and Literature exams, or four on the IB English; or specific permission of the director of writing.
Honors Writing is designed for students who will benefit from a particularly rigorous and in-depth experience with language. This class offers a theme around which students read serious and challenging texts, including some primary readings in rhetorical theory, and write at least 25 pages of polished prose, with additional less formal writings. The course offers advanced instruction in rhetorical theory and practice, as well as writing in multiple research traditions in the academy. Class has a highly participatory discussion format and students will have latitude in choosing and directing much of their work. Topics vary from section to section. Required for honors students. Prerequisites: admission to the honors program and either WRIT 1622 or WRIT 1122; or permission of the director of writing, in consultation with the director of honors.
In learning to write memoir, a writer is learning how to analyze memory, select experiences, invent narratives--all while still being "truthful." In this course, students distinguish memoir from other forms of writing about the self, including autobiography, diaries and journals, blogs, and letters. They read excerpts of published memoirs and drafts of memoirs they write during the course, with a particular interest in how these writers shape and represent their experiences textually: how do people construct the stories they tell about their lives? What is the value of personal writing for writers and readers? And perhaps most importantly, how can we begin to create stories of experiences in compelling ways? Students complete multiple writing projects, including at least one polished short memoir.
"Be concise. Don't split infinitives. Write with flow. Don't end a sentence with a preposition. Avoid the passive voice. Never use "I" in academic writing." Everyone has these maxims about writing and grammar. This course will interrogate those maxims, and provide systematic ways to draft, revise, and polish prose based on the needs and demands of the audience. More specifically, students consider matters of sentence structure and sentence rhythm, cohesion and concision, as well as voice and point of view. Through a series of shorter and longer writing assignments, in-class exercises and activities, and course readings, students hone their writing and grammar skills, all with the goal of writing with improved clarity and grace. The course is open to all students who want to take their writing to a next level of sophistication, clarity, and range. Prerequisite: WRIT 1122 or permission of instructor.