English 103
English 103 uses an intensive approach to the basics of academic writing with emphasis on building written fluency, using conventions of standard written English, and editing for precision and correctness. The course asks students to engage with difficult texts and provides different models and examples of academic writing. English 103 is a writing course in which students read different essays and discuss ways to formulate their writing. Peer revision, collaboration with class members, in-class writing activities, reading, extensive revision of essays, class discussion, and error pattern identification comprise the core requirements. The treatment of writing as a process and as a craft is an essential component of the course. English 103 is required for students who need extra preparation before entering ENG 105. The course does not count for credit toward graduation.
English 105
The first semester course in our one-year sequence introduces students to college-level reading, writing, and thinking. The class provides students with a small-scale version of the larger discourse community they have joined, one that values critical thinking and fosters an understanding of the ways in which ideas are constructed and expressed. Students work on a sequence of writing assignments that enable them to exercise habits of mind and methods of inquiry that yield sophisticated questions and significant answers. Classroom work is oriented toward the students' own process of writing: They learn ways to improve their own work and provide constructive feedback on that of others. Instructors may ask students to freewrite, keep reading response journals, blog, or chat online using the Blackboard course system, as well as to produce polished, formal papers--all with the goal of helping them develop and organize complex ideas, and gain awareness of how to address various audiences for various purposes.
English 106
The second course in the first-year sequence builds on the work of English 105 by asking students to focus more specifically on textual analysis. Students choose from a variety of sections of the course, each of which centers on materials that are thematically related. Whether considering subjects of an historical, social, psychological, or literary nature, students engage in close examination of texts from both academic and popular realms that may include fiction and non-fiction, prose and poetry, and non-print sources such as film and music. Students carry out in-depth research, weigh competing sources against one another, forge complex arguments, and become conversant with the different citations styles used in the academic genres. They continue to refine their strategies for improving their writing based on feedback from instructors and from their classmates.
English 107
English 107 is designed for engineering and science majors and substitutes for English 106. Students read and write about science, medicine, and technology, with the goal of learning to produce accounts of theory and research for a general audience, and to craft well supported arguments about topics in a variety of fields. Sections of the course are broadly themed, with readings drawn from the history, philosophy, and culture of science, science journalism, nature and environmental writing, and science fiction. Students work with scientific databases and peer-reviewed journal articles, and in assignments, translate technical material so that it can be easily understood. They produce several different types of texts, including formal papers using appropriate scientific citations; informal online postings, such as wikis or blogs; and multimedia assignments, such as short videos or podcasts; and are asked to present at least one project orally.
English 208
This course completes the University composition requirement for transfer students who have received transfer credit for either English 105 or English 106. A synthesis of English 105 and 106, this course will ask students to read texts critically and to use textual evidence to develop a sophisticated written argument. The writing assignments will require students to consider audience, tone, organization, and standard conventions of composition in relationship to specific rhetorical tasks. As part of the process, students will gather information, synthesize data, and compare various points of view, with the goal of successfully presenting their results in writing. Not open to students who have taken either English 105 or 106 at UM.
English 230
In English 230, Advanced Professional Communication, students learn the purposes and approaches behind conventional forms of professional writing, such as memoranda, letters, e-mails, and proposals. Through real-world examples, the course underscores the value of clean, correct, and attractive professional writing. With an eye to their own professional development, students practice communication skills: analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing information from a variety of sources and perspectives as well as developing a clear, concise, and functional communication style in multiple forms. This course also emphasizes the use of technology for planning, composing, and editing documents with attention to effective design and presentation. Examining and evaluating ethical issues inherent to professional communications, students also act as critics and editors, developing a sense of professionalism to be continued throughout their careers.
English 231
Writing in the arts and humanities requires the ability to deeply and critically engage with a variety of texts, and to respond to those engagements in sophisticated and enlightening ways. ENG 231, Advanced Writing for Arts and Humanities, will provide instruction and practice in this set of communicative skills, with a focus on the Arts and Humanities area of knowledge. ENG 231 begins where ENG 106/107 left off: with a basic understanding of rhetorical strategy, of critical questions as the cornerstone of scholarly work, and of writing not as completion of a set formula but rather as a series of judgment calls and choices. ENG 231 enlarges that understanding of the writer’s task by introducing a greater variety of forms, styles, readers, and purposes, and by examining the discursive conventions of scholarly disciplines, looking for ways that humanists in a range of disciplines communicate their work to both peer and public audiences. This course will examine the environments in which publications in these areas are produced (private and academic sector; print and online versions). ENG 231 will also give you practice in communicating the ideas central to the arts and humanities, understanding the needs of both specialist and non-specialist readers, sharing ideas with readers who may be skeptical or biased against their conclusions, and using multimedia tools to increase reader interest and understanding
English 232
ENG 232, Advanced Writing for People and Society, will provide you instruction and practice in this set of communicative skills, with a focus on the People and Society area of knowledge. ENG 232 begins where ENG 106/107 left off: with a basic understanding of rhetorical strategy, of critical questions as the cornerstone of scholarly work, and of writing not as completion of a set formula but rather as a series of judgment calls and choices. ENG 232 enlarges that understanding of the writer’s task by introducing a greater variety of forms, styles, readers, and purposes. This course surveys the discursive conventions of the scholarly disciplines that make up the People and Society area of knowledge, examining how the ideas emerging from these disciplines are communicated to both peer and public audiences. This course will examine the environments in which publications in these areas are produced (private and academic sector; print and online versions). ENG 232 course will also give students practice in communicating the ideas central to the People and Society disciplines, understanding the needs of both specialist and non-specialist readers, sharing ideas with readers who may be skeptical or biased against their conclusions, and using multimedia tools to increase reader interest and understanding.
English 233
ENG 233, Advanced Writing for STEM, is an intensive writing course for students interested in writing at a sophisticated level both within and outside of a university setting. ENG 233 begins where ENG 106/107 left off: with a basic understanding of rhetorical strategy, of critical questions as the cornerstone of scholarly work, and of writing not as completion of a set formula, but rather as a series of judgment calls and choices. ENG 233 enlarges that understanding of the writer’s task by introducing a greater variety of forms, styles, readers, and purposes. In this course, students examine and practice the discursive conventions of writing in and about the sciences, analyzing and producing a variety of texts for various audiences. This course will give students practice in communicating the ideas and findings of science, understanding the needs of readers with and without scientific or technical expertise, sharing ideas with readers who may be skeptical or biased against their conclusions, and using multimedia tools to increase reader interest and understanding of the topic.
English 306
English 306 Advanced Composition is a writing-intensive course designed to help students develop critical thinking skills by building on the skills learned in English 105 and 106. Topics vary, but the goals are consistent: Students learn how to make effective, ambitious arguments and engage in rhetorical analysis. Since students are assumed to have the ability to write papers for college courses, the focus of this course is to give them the necessary skills to articulate their ideas in the world beyond the classroom. In the past, courses have focused on webzines, blog writing, writing in philosophy, and magazine writing.
English 331
What do Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., Justices Antonio Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Attorney Gerry Spence and other lawyers, Editor and Entrepreneur Bryan A. Garner, law students, and English 331 students share in common? Each can--and does—write and win arguments. In English 331, Legal Writing, students critically read legal arguments in different contexts, analyze what makes the arguments more or less effective in "moving" the audience, and apply principles they discover. Sources include court decisions, oral arguments, model briefs and memoranda, dramatic films, role playing, classic arguments, and articles by selected legal scholars. In this critical reading and writing process, students then apply skills to develop their writing and reading to higher levels. The process also includes consideration of moral and ethical issues in persuasion and development of both individual style and flexibility in adapting written arguments to audience, purpose, professional tradition, and strategies in "getting to yes."
English 333
English 333 is an advanced level writing and research course taken primarily by Continuing Education students. In line with the core interdisciplinary colloquia, it aims to strengthen both critical thinking and writing skills. The course familiarizes the student with the research tools and strategies necessary to produce written work that incorporates secondary sources effectively. English 333 examines and develops the kinds of reading, writing, and thinking performed in the academy. This class will model a discourse community that values critical thinking, synthesis, consideration of multiple perspectives, placing information in a historical and social context, and an awareness of the constructed nature of written discourse.
