Programs

Freshman Writing Program

We take reading and writing skills seriously because we take your success in future endeavors seriously. 

Writing is a fundamental skill, not only for making sense of the world and one's place in it but also one valued in the postgraduate world--employers look for writers who can analyze and synthesize evidence in appropriate formats and genres for different audiences.

We start building this skill in Composition I and II. The cornerstone of our program, these first-year writing courses help students find their voice, recognize their agency as writers, and discover skills and talents for written communication. Valued by the faculty, these courses are taught by instructors and professors, all of whom are themselves writers and are trained in Writing Pedagogy.

Some of the smallest courses that beginning students take, these courses allow for individual attention, and our faculty work closely with students in Composition courses, helping students recognize their own voices in writing and improve that writing. Graduate assistants often help in the classroom and help staff the Write Place, where students can work one-on-one with undergraduate and graduate writing tutors. 

On these pages you will find the learning outcomes for Composition I and II: what remains most important is the curation of student writing in environments that are supportive of writing and new ideas. 

 

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Courses

English 1001: Composition I
Composition of analytical, expository, and argumentative writing; emphasizes writing as a process.

English 1002: Composition II
Composition of in-depth analytical and argumentative writing using documentation and research. Prerequisite: C or better in ENGL 1001.

Standards for Content and Organization in Papers

Departmental Rubric

Plan

• Choose a subject and narrow it so that it can be sufficiently developed within the limits of the assignment.
• Discover and abide by a controlling position statement or thesis.

Organize

• Organize the sequence of the composition so that it is clear, coherent, and persuasive, making apparent to the readers the logical progression within and between paragraphs.
• Begin and conclude the composition in interesting, engaging, and provocative ways.

Support

• Arrange details, examples, facts, and plausible conjectures to develop and to substantiate claims.
• Draw upon credible, pertinent supporting research when necessary.

Use Language

• Use appropriate language in a given context.
• Abide by grammatical rules and recognized standards of formal usage.
• Learn to identify which occasions and contexts might warrant departure from such rules and usage.

Revise and Proofread

• Reconceive and restructure the argument, gathering and incorporating more effective evidence.
• Draft, edit, revise, and proof carefully.

Additional Resources

Class Attendance Regulations - see the ULM Academic (Undergraduate) Catalog

Academic Cheating and Plagiarism Policy - see the Student Policy Manual [pdf]