Composition 1 is a first-year required course. This course introduces students to the writing process and to the conventions of written English, teaches students to write grammatically accurate sentences, well-formed paragraphs with clear topic sentences and supporting details, and coherent short essays. Written assignments include journals, paragraphs, and short essays in one or more drafts. This course is taught in tandem with Oral Training 1.

Upon completion of this course in Fall Semester 2009-2010, students should be able to 1) write polished, organized paragraphs and essays on familiar topics in an academic way; 2) recognize and produce writing that includes a controlling idea, organizing patterns, and detailed evidence; 3) use transitions and structures to make their writing coherent and unified; and 4) understand that writing is a process.

Smalley, R. L., Ruetten, M. K. & Kozyrev, J. R. (2011). Refining Composition Skills: Rhetoric and Grammar (6th edition). Heinle and Heinle Publishers.