Composition Courses at Drew University
 
The composition program offers a number of courses on a regular basis, and others in response to demand.  English 1, a 4-credit course,  is offered both Fall and Spring semesters, and may be taken in order to satisfy the Drew Writing Requirement or as a way to strengthen overall writing skills.  English 1-A, a 2-credit course,  is offered in the Fall semester only and emphasizes all aspects of English 1 aside from the reseach paper (permission from the director of composition is required for students wishing to enroll in this class).  English 2, a 2-credit class, is offered in the first half of the Spring semester and again in the second half.  English 2 focuses on college-level research using both the Internet and traditionallibrary and interview sources.  English 2 may satisfy the Drew Writing Requirement in some cases, or it may be taken to strengthen research and research-writing skills (permission from the director of composition is required for students wishing to enroll in this class).  On an irregular basis, the composition program also offers English 3-A, a 2-credit course in argumentation, and English 3-B, a 2-credit course in discipline-specific writing.
English 1/ Writing (4 credits)
English 1 introduces students to a variety of expository and academic forms of writing.  The emphasis is on academic writing skills, of which general writing skills are an important component.  Students refine their ability to  write summaries, syntheses, analyses, comparisons, and definitions, and practice combining those forms into larger academic papers.  The course presents a variety of methods of  pre-writing, organizing, developing, drafting, revising, and editing academic papers, in addition to introducing students to college-level internet and library research skills.  English 1 is run as a writer's workshop where students discuss essays (both professional and those written by their peers), explore writing and critical thinking strategies, and practice the skills they have learned.  Individual conferences with the instructors, meetings with writing tutors, and comments on papers and drafts are all designed to help students acquire greater control over their writing, develop a more fluid writing style, and master the art of academic writing.  Many but not all sections of English 1 are taught in a networked classroom using the students' own computers connected to the Drew computer network. This increases the students' computer literacy skills at the same time as they are increasing their academic and general literacy skills. 
60% of the grade for English 1 is determined by two portfolios (the first worth 20%, and the second worth 40%) evaluated by the instructor and other instructors of English 1.  The final 40% of the course grade is awarded by the course instructor based on each student's overall effort and contribution to the class. Sample on-line syllabi
English 1-A/ Writing (2 credits)
English 1-A is a two credit course offered in the fall semester to first year students.  This course offers students an introduction to college-level writing skills, including note-taking, summary writing, critical thinking, developing a thesis, and writing and analyzing arguments.  The course pays particular attention to grammar and style; the development of ideas, sentences, and paragraphs; and organizing and developing brief papers.  Students keep a writer's journal, meet regularly with the instructor, and attend weekly tutoring sessions at the University Writing Center.  The course is taught in a networked classroom using the studnets' own computers connected to the Drew computer network. 
Students registering for English 1-A must register for English 1 in the spring of their first year. 
Sample on-line syllabi.
English 2/ Research writing (2 credits)
English 2 is a 7-week course in advanced paper-writing and research skills offered the first and second half of each spring semester.  This course is designed for students who have exempted the writing requirement or already completed English 1 but would like to take their research and expository writing skills to a new level.  Students in the class learn how to conduct academic research on a topic of their choice using the Internet and the library to find sources. Emphasis will be on the selection of texts, the evaluation of those texts, analysis and synthesis of sources, and the development of a solid thesis derived from the evidence and supported by it in an academic research paper.  The principles and strategies taught in this class are also applicable to students writing or planning to write honors theses. The course is taught in a networked classroom using the students' own computers connected to the Drew computer network. Research papers may be presented in the form of linked html documents in some . 
Sample on-line syllabus.
English 3-A/Argumentation (2 credits)
English 3-A is a 7-week course in advanced argumentation sometimes offered the first and second half of each spring semester (check with the department for the next offering).  Students in this course will study theories of argumentation and analyze persuasive stragies in a variety of locations including the media, political speeches, legal cases, and Internet sites.  Students will also learn to apply these strategies in their own writing. 
NOTE:  This course does not satisfy the Drew Writing Requirement. 
English 3-B/ Writing for your major (2 credits)
English 3-B is a 7-week course in academic writing sometimes offered the first and second half of each spring semester (check with the department for the next offering).  The course may be taught in specific departments with a direct focus on the academic discourse conventions of that discipline, or it may be taught as a general writing across the curriculum course in which students will learn how to conduct textual research and write it up according to the general discourse conventions of the sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities. 
NOTE:  This course does not satisfy the Drew Writing Requirement.

  [Top of page] [Drew University]  [Drew Composition Program]  [Questions & Comments]


Last updated June 22, 1999