WHAT TO EXPECT FROM ENGLISH 100C -- COLLEGE WRITING

As a college student, you can count on having to write papers.  That's a fact of academic life, regardless of your major.  ENG 100C will introduce you to the practices and conventions of expository academic writing.  Through reading, discussion and writing, you will discover how to develop and articulate your ideas in response to the intellectual conversations generated in class.

A central strategy of ENG 100C is the repetition of the writer's process of drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading.  Both reading and writing assignments often build on your previous work.  You may use new reading to raise questions about essays read earlier, and re-visit ideas and language in writing that may initially have appeared to be finished.  Student writing will frequently be the focus of workshops that may be devoted to peer revision, to discussions of the writing process and of the rhetorical, grammatical and stylistic conventions of college writing.

Wile individual sections of ENG 100C will be shaped by the instructor's approach, each section should include the following writing exercises:

WRITING: You should expect to write 5-6 essays, 4 of which are a minimum of four pages in length, producing a minimum of 20-25 typed pages of final draft writing.  ENG 100 should teach writing practices such as paraphrase, citation and quotation, and may include a short research assignment.

TEXTS: You will use an anthology or packet of readings and a grammar handbook.  Some instructors may choose a rhetoric text to accompany the reader.  You will also be required to purchase a college dictionary if you do not already own one.

COMPUTERS: You are expected to use a word processor in writing essays in order to facilitate revision.  USM has two microcomputer labs (one in Bailey Hall, Gorham, and one in Luther Bonney Hall, Portland) available free to students.  Knowledgeable resource people can teach you the programs and assist with problems.

GRADING: Your instructor should provide you with an outline of evaluation standards and explain the criteria for grading.  At different times, instructors may emphasize certain criteria over others.

ATTENDANCE: ENG 100C is a workshop course.  Engaging in discussion and revision is central to your work in this course.  Missing more than 3 classes for any reason will affect your grade.  If you miss more than 5 classes you risk failing the course.

INSTRUCTOR'S INDIVIDUAL POLICIES: Each ENG 100C instructor will have varying policies on late work, make-up work, forms of written work, incompletes, etc.  During the first week of class, each instructor should distribute course syllabi explaining these policies.

PROFICIENCY AND FIRST WEEK ASSIGNMENTS: To enroll in ENG 100C, you must have met the proficiency requirements, either by passing the USM English proficiency test, by passing English 009 with a C or better, by receiving an appropriate score on your SATs, or by supplying official documentation of equivalent transfer credit.  If you have met none of these requirements, you must contact the Testing and Assessment Center at 780-4383 to arrange for testing.  During the first week of classes, you will be asked to write a short essay to make certain that you have been accurately placed in ENG 100C.  Upon review, your instructor may feel that you would benefit from enrolling in ENG 009, a non-credit course that will prepare you better for ENG 100C.  If your skills are far above average for students entering ENG 100C, you may be exempted from the course.