English

Students will develop proficiency in intermediate reading and writing skills. The course emphasizes more advanced skills in reading such as identifying main ideas in long works and across chapters, applying concrete connections to and among abstract passages or ideas and performing close, critical readings of texts supported by evidence. The course further exposes students to research articles, scholarly texts and models of persuasive writing in order to prepare them for the research and argument skills necessary for College Composition I. Students will be expected to reach proficiency in effective written communication including sound mechanics (spelling, punctuation, and grammar), improved vocabulary and diction (word choice), varied sentence structure, tense agreement, use of topic sentences and supporting details and overall development of one singular thesis. Students will also begin to practice information literacy through research exercises and a penultimate annotated bibliography project. This course may not be applied to certificate or degree requirements. Upon completion of the course students must demonstrate the acquisition of these intermediate skills through a final assessment in both reading and writing. A grade of “C” or better is required to advance to ENGL110M. Prerequisite: Placement by Advisor.

Students can elect to take the English Language Learners section of ENGL095M. This section approaches reading and writing from the perspective of students whose first language is not English.

College Composition I introduces students to the practice of academic writing and research. A review of critical reading and thinking skills is included as an essential foundation to academic understanding and inquiry. Students conduct intensive research on a contemporary problem, grounding themselves in its context, causes, and possible solutions to produce a documented Central Course Essay. Research methods covered include locating, integrating, and citing source materials as well as appropriate use of quotes, paraphrases, and summaries. Basic information literacy skills such as evaluating sources for credibility and identifying mis/dis/mal-information, particularly in online materials, are emphasized.  Writing is approached as an iterative process that engages various stages and employs a variety of rhetorical approaches to produce a polished final essay. Prerequisite: Placement into ENGL110M or completion of ENGL095M with a grade of C or better.

College Composition I introduces students to the practice of academic writing and research. A review of critical reading and thinking skills is included as an essential foundation to academic understanding and inquiry. Students conduct intensive research on a contemporary problem, grounding themselves in its context, causes, and possible solutions to produce a documented Central Course Essay. Research methods covered include locating, integrating, and citing source materials as well as appropriate use of quotes, paraphrases, and summaries. Basic information literacy skills such as evaluating sources for credibility and identifying mis/dis/mal-information, particularly in online materials, are emphasized.  Writing is approached as an iterative process that engages various stages and employs a variety of rhetorical approaches to produce a polished final essay. Prerequisite: Placement into ENGL 110XM or completion of ENGL 095M with a grade of C or better.

College Composition I – Corequisite provides additional support to students who need to build stronger foundational skills through mandatory additional class time. Corequisite support may be any combination of additional instruction; application of reading, writing, and research skills; and one-on-one support from the instructor.

This course prepares students to effectively communicate with audiences in academic, workplace and community settings by providing instruction and experience in formal speech preparation and delivery. Students will learn to analyze speaking situations and adapt messages for audience, purpose, and context. Topic selection, relevant sources of support, structure, organization, and delivery are emphasized. (Fulfills English or Humanities requirement.)

Students can elect to take the English Language Learners section of ENGL1113M. This section approaches public speaking from the perspective of students whose first language is not English.

Horror is one of America’s oldest and most popular genres in literature, cinema, visual arts, and even music (think of Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper, and many others). Part of the appeal is escapism: It’s safer to scare oneself over things that go bump in the night than to ponder often
terrifying real-life problems. Horror also provides a lens through which to view essential life themes, such as man’s role in the world, an individual’s struggle to assert themselves in a hostile society, and the inner conflicts of the mind and soul. In this course, the student will address such themes through short stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allan Poe, Flannery O’Connor, Shirley Jackson, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and yes, Stephen King. Rather than horror for the sake of horror, the themes presented in the readings will provide the basis for class discussions and short, critical essays.  Please note that students can take ENGL200M only ONE time for credit but may take multiple sections that have different 2-digit course numbers. (Fulfills English or Humanities requirement)

Covers selected literary themes, such as gothic, science fiction, or women’s literature. Students apply critical contexts and practice various theoretical approaches to the readings. Prerequisites: ENGL110XM or ENGL110M. Please note that students can take ENGL200M only ONE time for credit but may take multiple sections that have different 2-digit course numbers. (Fulfills English or Humanities requirement)

Along with studying the formal elements of poetry (rhythm, rhyme, figurative language), students learn to identify genre, incorporate critical contexts and practice various theoretical approaches to the readings. Prerequisites: ENGL110XM or ENGL110M. (Fulfills English or Humanities requirement)

Introduces the basic principles of journalism including researching, writing, editing and reporting news for publication in print and electronic media. Students gain practice in producing assignments under deadline that meet the “ABC” standard (accuracy, brevity, clarity) and conform to general guidelines of the Associated Press. Prerequisite: ENGL110XM or ENGL110M. (Fulfills English elective requirement)

In this course, students will read, discuss, and evaluate an array of classic and contemporary children’s literature. In addition to identifying works by genre, students will consider these works as literature and focus on their role in both shaping and reflecting changing concepts of children and childhood. Prerequisite: ENGL110XM or ENGL110M. (Fulfills English or Humanities requirement)

In this course, students study the novel, a genre as vast as it is prolific. The course is not, however, a survey attempting to exhaust the topic. Rather, students read, interpret, and analyze a variety of novels (selected by the instructor and approved by the department), applying critical contexts and practicing various theoretical approaches to the readings. Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in ENGL110M or equivalent, or permission of the instructor. (Fulfills English or Humanities requirement.)

Building on skills developed in College Composition I with Corequisite or College Composition I, this course introduces students to the basic principles of professional written and oral communication. Using an audience-centered approach, students practice presenting information such as instructions, proposals, reports, electronic communication and product/service information in clear, concise and understandable terms. Document design and formatting are also covered. Frequent oral presentations are required. Prerequisite: ENGL110XM or ENGL110M. (Fulfills English elective requirement)

In this course students read, analyze, interpret and respond critically to notable works of fiction, poetry and drama. Emphasis is placed on learning critical reading strategies. The formal elements of literature and the major principles of literary criticism are introduced. Writing intensive. Prerequisite: ENGL110XM or ENGL110M. (Fulfills English or Humanities requirement)

This course encourages students to explore poetic voice and vision and to “break bread” with the world, to paraphrase W.H. Auden, by reading and discussing poems of various cultures and languages (translated into English). Students will read, analyze, and form perspectives on a selection of poems from Latin America, Asia, Africa, Central and Eastern Europe, and other regions. The final project in the course focuses on research, analysis, and presentation of poets from a culture of the student’s choice. Prerequisite: ENGL110XM or ENGL110M. (Fulfills English or Humanities requirement)

This course designed to explore the ideas of heroes and villains by reading a variety of literary and historical texts. What makes for a hero in the Middle Ages? A villain? How are they presented, celebrated, and punished in medieval texts? What themes and characteristics are still present in today’s society (e.g., ideas of chivalry and religious faith) and which ones are peculiar to the Middle Ages? Through a discussion of medieval texts, we get to explore our shared values and identify significant differences, and this course will offer some historical background for later developments in literary tastes and trends. Prerequisite: Grade of “C” or better in ENGL110XM or ENGL110M or permission from the English Department Chair. (Fulfills English or Humanities requirement and a pre-1800 literature course for English majors)

For centuries Science Fiction has addressed the big questions of human existence: Who are we? What does it mean to be human? What is the definition of life? Where do we as a species go from here? At its best Science Fiction is the “literature of ideas” and explores the changes that face us, the consequences of these changes, and possible solutions. In this course students will examine literature that contends with the definition of humanness, contemporary ethical issues, and the relationship between technology and humanity. Course readings will help students explore key questions about the human condition that become increasingly relevant as science and technology evolve in our fast-changing world. Prerequisite: ENGL110XM or ENGL110M. (Fulfills English or Humanities requirement)

This course introduces students to the basic principles and procedures of technical writing in what is popularly known as the “information” or “communications age.” It teaches students to focus on the audience’s need for useful information and not the writer’s own need for creative self-expression. Students will learn to create useful workplace communications (including instructions, proposals, reports, online documents, microblog posts, wikis, and product/service information) for both print and web-based mediums. While the focus is on writing, the development of critical thinking skills is heavily emphasized and forms an important component of the course. Using an audience-centered approach, students will learn the difference between readers and users, and how that affects the technical writer’s approach to researching and presenting information. Prerequisite: ENGL110XM or ENGL110M. (Fulfills English or Humanities requirement.)

Students learn and practice the techniques of creative writing using a combination of lecture, writing exercises and workshops. Using the writing process, students produce finished works of fiction and poetry, exploring and incorporating elements such as point of view, dialog, characterization, setting, imagery and poetic form and structure. Course readings are used for discussion, inspiration and idea development. Peer review and instructor feedback constitute a significant component of the course. Prerequisite: ENGL110XM or ENGL110M. (Fulfills English or Humanities requirement)

In this course students are introduced to the fourth genre of writing, creative nonfiction. Students learn to incorporate the techniques of fiction such as scenes, dialog, descriptions and conflict/resolution into original pieces of nonfiction. Drawing on course readings for essay models and idea development, students produce creative nonfiction works such as the personal essay, the memoir, nature and science writing and literary journalism. Peer review and instructor feedback constitute a significant component of the course. Prerequisite: ENGL110XM or ENGL110M. (Fulfills English or Humanities requirement)

In this course, students study the short story as a major literary genre, reading, interpreting and analyzing a representative selection of texts. Students apply critical contexts and practice various theoretical approaches to the readings. Prerequisite: ENGL110XM or ENGL110M. (Fulfills English or Humanities requirement)

From ads to memes to media, persuasion is everywhere, and learning to recognize and evaluate it is an essential skill for the 21^st century. College Composition II builds on the foundation of research, writing, and rhetoric established in College Composition I, but goes deeper into the study of rhetoric – the use of speech, writing, and visual images to persuade, motivate, and inform a target audience. Topics of study include the rhetorical situation, classical and modern persuasive appeals, and the ethics of argumentation. We’ll look at how rhetoric shapes our daily lives, and how we can use it to navigate power and produce social change. We’ll consider the impact of medium on messaging, and how to select and organize information effectively for various modes of expression. In addition to skill-building assignments, students will create three substantial persuasive projects using written, spoken, and visual rhetoric. Prerequisites: ENGL110M/110XM with a grade of C or better. (Fulfills English requirement)

A survey of the major works of British literature from 1800 to the present in their cultural, social, historical, political and literary contexts. Formal literary criticism is included as well as analysis of structure. Writing intensive. Prerequisite: ENGL110XM or ENGL110M. (Fulfills English or Humanities requirement)

This course will examine the written and oral works produced by African-Americans over their 400-year history and place these works in historical context. Students will read a wide selection of non-fiction and fiction including, but not limited to, slave narratives, poetry, plays, short stories, novel excerpts, and speeches. Students will apply critical thinking skills to the readings supported, when possible, by audio and video presentations. This course contains a strong historical perspective and students will be encouraged to discuss how this literature reflects on the past while relating to current racial issues. Course themes will include identity, authenticity, double-consciousness, passing, and protest. Prerequisites: ENGL110XM or ENGL110M. (Fulfills English or Humanities requirement)

For millennia satire has used wit and humor for the purpose of social criticism. From Horace and Juvenal to South Park and Saturday Night Live, satire often reveals the vices, follies, and abuses of society toward necessary improvement. Satire confronts public discourse and asks citizens to question the often-unchallenged institutions of government, education, and religion. This course traces the role of satire in literature from the first through the 21st century, connecting the past with the immediate present, and demonstrating the role satire has played and continues to play in exposing individuals to the fallacies of their respective generations. Prerequisite: ENGL110XM or ENGL110M. (Fulfills English or Humanities requirement and pre-1800 requirement for English majors).

In this course students will examine how mythology influences a wide range of contemporary literature and art such as the modern novel, film, poetry, and song. Students will read, analyze, and research classical myths, poetry that reflects these classical myths, and modern novels that use mythology to examine everyday humanity. The course will also explore the creation of modern mythology in its most recent incarnation through the comic book hero. Prerequisite: ENGL110XM or ENGL110M. (Fulfills English or Humanities requirement)

This course samples American literature from the Civil War to the present day, emphasizing themes that have left their mark on American consciousness. Formal literary criticism is included as well as analysis of structure. Writing intensive. Prerequisite: ENGL110XM or ENGL110M. (Fulfills English or Humanities requirement)

British Literature, Middle Ages to 1800 surveys the major works of British literature from its Anglo-Saxon origins to 1800, including poetry, fiction, essays, and drama. By reading closely and analyzing critically, students explore these texts in relation to their cultural, social, historical, political, and literary contexts.   

Prerequisites: Successful completion of ENGL110M or permission of the instructor. (Fulfills English or Humanities requirement).

American Literature, Origins to Civil War surveys the works of American literature from its Pre-Colonial influences through the Civil War, emphasizing themes that have contributed to the development of an American consciousness. By reading closely and analyzing critically, students explore these works from various literary periods and movements in relation to their cultural, social, historical, political, and aesthetic contexts.   

Prerequisites: Successful completion of ENGL110M or ENGL110XM or permission of the instructor. (Fulfills English or Humanities requirement).

Shakespeare exposes students to the works of the playwright, with emphasis on his plays. Students study the major genres (tragedy, comedy, history, and romance), which give them ways to analyze and interpret drama and its elements. The course introduces students to the social and cultural characteristics of the Early Modern Period and to the biography of the author. No previous knowledge of Shakespeare is assumed.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of ENGL110M or permission of the instructor. (Fulfills English or Humanities requirement).