É«ÖÐÉ«

First-Year Writing

Director of Writing at É«ÖÐÉ« & Coordinator of First-Year Writing: Dr. Crystal N. Fodrey (English and Writing Arts)

All É«ÖÐÉ« first-year undergraduates take one or two First-Year Writing courses. The skills students develop in their first-year writing course(s) will give them a solid foundation in writing for all classes throughout their four years at É«ÖÐÉ«. Students work collaboratively with classmates, the professor, and the Writing Fellow to improve writing, build community, and explore available campus resources to achieve academic and personal success during their time at É«ÖÐÉ«. 

First-Year Writing helps students transition to college life by outlining academic expectations and helping the student to develop critical thinking skills. Students will generate research questions, find and evaluate sources, and make informed decisions about how best to achieve their purposes in various writing situations. The subject area focus of each section of First-Year Writing course varies, but all sections are similar in their approach: students develop the skills of critical reading, research, argumentation, revision, and reflection. 

Throughout the first-year writing course(s) students will:

1. Develop a clear and cohesive argument with persuasive appeals using evidence from critical reading and research.
2. Implement, and subsequently reflect upon, writing strategies and conventions suited to a variety of purposes, audiences, and context-appropriate genres and media.
3. Demonstrate ability to generate and pursue lines of inquiry; search, collect, and select sources appropriate to writing project(s); and document according to context-appropriate standards.
4. Provide substantial and useful revision suggestions to other writers, and revise writing using responses from others writers, including classmates, Writing Fellows, Writing Center tutors, and instructor.
5. Collaborate with faculty and Writing Fellows, and engage with the University community—students, faculty, and staff—to promote personal success at É«ÖÐÉ« University.
6. Reflect on learning to make interdisciplinary connections among course topic, education in the liberal arts, and both individual and community identity.

First-Year Writing Courses: 

WRIT 101: College Reading and Writing 
College Reading and Writing is designed to help students transition to college expectations and introduces students to academic literacy practices of critical reading and writing essential to academic success at the college level. Students work collaboratively with classmates, the professor, and the Writing Fellow to improve writing, build community, and explore available campus resources to achieve academic and personal success during their time at É«ÖÐÉ«. (This course, a precursor to our interdisciplinary Writing Seminars, is required for some incoming students based on academic history and is recommended to others based on responses given on the new student survey and availability.) 

LinC 101: First-Year Writing Seminar
First-Year Writing Seminar (FYWS) introduces students to academic literacy practices central to success in any discipline at É«ÖÐÉ« University. The course is designed to help students transition to college expectations, generate research questions, find and evaluate sources, and make informed decisions about how best to achieve their purposes in various writing situations. The subject area focus of each section of First-Year Writing Seminar varies, but all sections are similar in their approach: students develop the skills of critical reading, research, argumentation, revision, and reflection; and students work collaboratively with classmates, the professor, and the Writing Fellow to improve writing, build community, and explore available campus resources to achieve academic and personal success during their time at É«ÖÐÉ«. (Fall semester only. Meets LinC F1 Requirement.) Click here to see Fall LinC 101 course topics.

LinC 102: Writing Seminar
Writing Seminar introduces students to academic literacy practices central to success in any discipline at É«ÖÐÉ« University. The course is designed to help students transition to college expectations, generate research questions, find and evaluate sources, and make informed decisions about how best to achieve their purposes in various writing situations. The subject area focus of each section of Writing Seminar varies, but all sections are similar in their approach: students develop the skills of critical reading, research, argumentation, revision, and reflection; and students work collaboratively with classmates, the professor, and the Writing Fellow to improve writing. (This course is for transfer students, students who successfully complete Writing 101: College Reading and Writing, and any other students who need first-year writing credit. Meets LinC F1 Requirement.)

WRIT 105: College Reading and Writing for Multilingual Learners I

College Reading and Writing for Multilingual Learners I is designed to help students transition to US college expectations and introduces students to academic literacy practices of critical reading and writing essential to academic success at the college level. Students work collaboratively with classmates, the professor, and the Writing Fellow to develop English literacies, build community, and explore available campus resources to achieve academic and personal success during their time at É«ÖÐÉ«.

WRIT 106: College Reading and Writing for Multilingual Learners II
College Reading and Writing for Multilingual Learners II builds on the English and academic literacy practices from College Reading and Writing for Multilingual Learners I. The course is designed to help students develop academic reading and writing skills and strategies, generate research questions, find and evaluate sources, and make informed decisions about how best to achieve their purposes in various writing situations. Prerequisite: WRIT 105. (Meets LinC F1 Requirement.)