Introduction to College Writing

Observation and Inquiry

Great writing begins with curiosity. You’ll discuss a number of topics with your classmates and instructors and learn to consider other viewpoints. We encourage you to slow down and notice details, ask questions, and draw connections between texts and larger issues in society and culture. 

Public Engagement

You’ll share your ideas and make your writing accessible to a wider audience by using digital platforms, such as:

• Google Sites, a website building platform. 
• WordPress blogs
• Social media 
• Blackboard or Google Classroom 
• Reference management resources

These technologies will help you brainstorm, research, draft, and revise your writing with the ultimate goal of making your writing accessible to a public audience.

What You’ll Learn 

Writing is a conversation. To participate in this conversation, you’ll learn how to research a particular topic, read critically, and compose arguments. By the end of the course, you should be able to:

• Think critically about texts
• Summarize, analyze, and respond to texts
• Produce writing that has a thesis, engages a specific audience, and uses evidence
• Skillfully and responsibly use library resources and information technology to find print materials and navigate databases
• Evaluate the quality of different writing and sources (library and web-based)
• Write clearly, with attention to correct syntax, grammar, and punctuation
• Appropriately quote and document sources
• Enter and contribute to public conversations on a number of topics