First-Year Composition aims to help students learn how to craft an argument based on different sources of information. This entails teaching students a general set of reasoning strategies that they can use to persuade an audience. Our course in argument is essentially a course in rhetoric, the art of discovering what to say and using language to share what people know, believe, and value. In turn, rhetoric provides a way to think about writing as part of a discourse that aims to bring about understanding of some public issue and, perhaps, agreement or action. Our emphasis on rhetoric is in keeping with the University's civic goals: to nurture in each student a sense of moral responsibility as citizens.
First-Year Composition aims at developing the following writing skills that prepare students to write in the University: (1) identifying an issue amid different and conflicting points of view; (2) framing and sustaining an argument that not only includes both the analysis and exposition of information but also establishes what is at stake in the argument; (3) providing relevant evidence to support a given point of view; (4) identifying and analyzing potential counter arguments; and (5) developing skills for writing a University-level research proposal, for conducting original research, and for using both print and electronic resources.
First-Year Composition also aims at developing the critical reading skills that are complementary with the writing skills above: these skills include the ability to (1) identify a writer's line of argument; (2) evaluate a writer's claim in light of the evidence the writer provides; (3) identify underlying assumptions as well as what a writer leaves unsaid; and (4) evaluate the implications of an argument.
Students may choose from the following First-Year Composition courses depending on their individual interests and placement status:
FYC 13090: Introduction to Academic Writing and Research
The aim of First-Year Composition 13090 is to give students a thorough overview of the conventions of academic writing and research. During the course of the term, students will write three kinds of papers: (1) a “framed” argument that integrates an interpretation of different readings; (2) a “researched” argument based on both assigned readings and library sources; and (3) rhetorical analyses that entail focusing on how writers use language to fulfill their goals. These papers help students come to terms with the conventions of academic writing and argument, preparing them for the kind of writing assignments they will encounter in FYC 13100 and other writing-intensive courses. Unlike in FYC 13100, however, students in FYC 13090 write papers that are relatively brief, allowing extra time and opportunity to practice and cultivate their writing skills. (Three credits. Note: this course does not satisfy the FYC 13100 requirement)
FYC 13100: First-Year Composition
First-Year Composition is designed to help students learn how to identify an issue amid conflicting points of view and craft an argument based on various sources of information. The course stresses the identification and analysis of potential counter-arguments and aims to develop skills for writing a research proposal, for conducting original research, and for using print and electronic resources from the library. (Three credits)
FYC 13200: Community-Based First-Year Composition
In cooperation wit the Center for Social Concerns, these sections of composition place students in learning situations in the wider community. (Four credits)
FYC 13300: Multimedia First-Year Composition
Multimedia sections of First-Year Composition teach students how to make the most of a wide array of technological resources which address the challenges of composing in the 21st century. (Three credits)
FYC 13400: Advanced First-Year Composition
Advanced First-Year Composition is a writing workshop designed as an elective for students who have Advanced Placement credit for First Year Composition but who seek opportunities to enhance their academic writing skills. Space is limited. (Three credits)
FYC 13500: Advanced First-Year Multimedia Composition
Advanced First-Year Multimedia Composition is a writing workshop designed as an elective for students who have Advanced Placement Credit for Fist Year Composition but who seek opportunities to enhance their academic writing skills and the related technological skills as outlined in the course description for FYC 13200. Space is limited. (Three credits)