Writing Across the Curriculum
English 101: Literature and Composition
Essentials of critical reading and expository writing
Critical and imaginative thinking, thoughtful and responsive reading, effective and well-crafted expository writing: these are traits essential to the academic endeavor students will undertake in their first year, continue across their studies at Washington College, and carry with them into learning and living beyond these environs. Prompted by readings that include a variety of literary genres, authors, and ideas chosen by each instructor, students will expand their capacity for intelligent reading, gain strategies for critical analysis and argumentation, and develop the craft and confidence necessary for composing the kind of writing that will matter in their academic courses and beyond.
Whatever the particular text or focus in the course, all Literature and Composition professors emphasize the following essentials of critical reading and expository writing:
- Compelling critical analysis that builds upon intelligent reading, logical argumentation, and the use of evidence to support a thesis.
- Well-crafted writing that requires revision and deliberate work towards precision of thought, fluency of expression, effectiveness in style, and careful use of academic writing conventions.
- Reflection on thinking and writing that guides students in becoming more conscious of their decisions and their purpose in writing and more aware of their audience.
As a means toward grasping these essentials, English 101 students will experience frequent and intensive writing assignments throughout the semester as well as conferences with their instructor about the progress of their writing. Students can also expect to participate actively in a seminar-style class (no more than 16 students) and take responsibility for their learning: for example, discussing a draft with their professor during office hours, consulting with the Writing Center, listening to and talking with the host of writers who visit the campus each semester sponsored by the Sophie Kerr Lecture series, the Rose O'Neill Literary House, and a variety of academic departments and programs across the campus. In academic study, we value writers and thinkers who are responsive and responsible, who can say what they mean and explain why it matters. Literature and Composition provides the essentials students will need to become such a writer.
Sampling of authors and texts from recent courses:
- Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
- DuBois, The Souls of Black Folks
- Films: Blade Runner, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, My Left Foot
- Joyce, Dubliners
- Sappho, Poems
- Shelley, Frankenstein
- Sophocles, Oedipus Rex
- Stoker, Dracula
- Williams, The Glass Menagerie
- Wolff, This Boy's Life
Guidelines for Faculty
1. The primary purpose of this course is to teach students the essentials of expository writing, including organization, argumentation, use of evidence, and respect for the rules of grammar.
2. A minimum of six graded assignments will be assigned at regular intervals throughout the semester; these assignments need not be limited to essays and might include, at the professor's discretion, revisions of an essay or an exam.
3. Students will have a minimum of two conferences with their professor at appropriate points throughout the semester.
4. Professors may recommend or require that students meet with Writing Center consultants.
5. The course is a College requirement for (and limited to) matriculating students in their first year at Washington College; students may not place out of the requirement with AP English credit.
6. In order to fulfill the ENG 101 requirement, students must achieve a minimum grade of "C-."
As a means of helping students develop a critical awareness of their own writing processes and encouraging thoughtful revision, ENG 101 courses may draw on the resources provided by the Writing Center. Collaboration with the Center can occur in a variety of ways—through in-class workshops, small group writing sessions, or individual writing conferences. By receiving additional individualized support and feedback, students will grow as writers and develop the habits of mind necessary to participate in the academic community.