I. General Information

1. Course Title:
Honors Composition I

2. Course Prefix & Number:
ENGL 1420

3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:

Credits: 4

Lecture Hours: 4

Lab Hours: 0

4. Course Description:

Honors Composition I is an enriched writing-intensive seminar course that prepares students for writing effectively in a variety of academic and professional situations. In addition to engaging in higher-level reading, students will learn to employ a variety of rhetorical strategies, including (but not limited to) description, narration, exposition, exemplification, classification, process analysis, comparison/contrast, and definition through formal papers written in edited Standard English, which will result in a total of at least 5,000 words. Students may also be asked to keep a journal, write a resume and letter of application, review grammar, and submit an end-of-term portfolio of polished work. Students will regularly engage in all stages of the writing process; learn how to successfully participate in an online, academic environment; and hone their ability to identify thesis, audience, tone, unity, coherence, and emphasis in their reading and writing. The course will also include a literature component to present basic terminology and foster critical thinking skills. Courses in the Honors Program emphasize independent inquiry, informed discourse, and direct application within small, transformative, and seminar-style classes that embrace detailed examinations of the material and feature close working relationships with instructors. In addition, students learn to leverage course materials so that they can affect the world around them in positive ways.

5. Placement Tests Required:

Accuplacer (specify test):	Next Gen Reading	Score:	265
Other (specify test):	ACT English	Score:	24

6. Prerequisite Courses:

There are no prerequisites for this course.

7. Other Prerequisites

OR permission from the instructor or Honors Coordinator, or high school GPA of 3.5 or greater

9. Co-requisite Courses:

There are no corequisites for this course.

II. Transfer and Articulation

1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:

Century College, ENGL 2018 Introduction to Folklore, 3 credits
Normandale Community College, ENGC 1101 Honors Composition, 4 credits
UMD, Honors Advanced Writing, 3 credits
University of MN-Crookston, Honors Composition I and II, 3 credits
SCSU, Honors Composition, 3 credits

III. Course Purpose

1. Program-Applicable Courses – This course is required for the following program(s):

AA Honors Program

2. MN Transfer Curriculum (General Education) Courses - This course fulfills the following goal area(s) of the MN Transfer Curriculum:
Goal 1 – Written and Oral Communication

IV. Learning Outcomes

1. College-Wide Outcomes

College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies	Students will be able to:
Demonstrate oral communication skills	Construct coherent, unified essays using Standard Edited English, compose insightful journals, and recall and synthesize enough information to pass quizzes and tests. (See course description for specifics.)
Demonstrate interpersonal communication skills	Exercise appropriate classroom protocol based upon respect for one's peers while articulating well informed opinions and ideas within small groups or broader classroom discussions (in-class and/or D2L discussion board).
Apply abstract ideas to concrete situations	Identify and demonstrate comprehension of abstract concepts in written and oral formats, including essays, exams, and discussions, etc.

2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of the course:

• Demonstrate and understand the writing and speaking processes through invention and drafting (MnTC Goal 1);
• Organize ideas logically and appropriately to support a thesis statement (MnTC Goal 1);
• Demonstrate an understanding of the relationships among writer, audience, and purpose (MnTC Goal 1);
• Employ syntax and usage appropriate to academic disciplines and the professional world (MnTC Goal 1);
• Demonstrate and understand the writing and speaking processes through organization and revision (MnTC Goal 1);
• Demonstrate and understand the writing and speaking processes through editing and presentation (MnTC Goal 1);
• Formulate clear thesis statements (MnTC Goal 1);
• Express several points-of-view in both the written and spoken word (MnTC Goal 1);
• Employ individual voice and style in both the written and spoken word (MnTC Goal 1);
• Locate, evaluate, and synthesize in a responsible manner material from diverse sources (MnTC Goal 1);
• Make effective contributions to group activities (MnTC Goal 1); and
• Listen effectively, and respond critically, within the context of group activities (MnTC Goal 1).

V. Topical Outline

Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.

1. Lecture Sessions

The fundamental process of composing: thesis, brainstorming, outlining, drafting, revising (tone, audience, unity, coherence, emphasis, grammar review, avoiding errors)

1. Introduction to e-learning
   • Selecting the right opportunities for success online
   • Creating a plan for online success          
   • Technology tips for online students
   • Time management strategies
   • Developing positive online relationships
   • Maintaining motivation in an online course
   • Writing in a digital age
2. Description
   • Selecting detail and dominant impression
   • Denotation and connotation
   • Figures of speech 
3. Narration
   • Suspense and climax
   • Time: compression, expansion, and non-chronologic
   • Character and dialogue
   • Setting and detail
4. Exemplification
   • Anecdote
   • Description
5. Process analysis
   • How to do it or how it's done
   • Dividing process by steps
   • Giving reasons and defining terms
6. Comparison and contrast
   • Purpose: which is better or which is which
   • Don't compare apples to oranges
   • Opposing pattern or alternating pattern
7. Classification
   • Purpose: to make distinctions
   • The group into three or more subgroups
   • A single principle of classification
   • Avoiding overlap
8. Definition and/or letter of application and resume
   • For definition: term, class, characteristics
   • For letter of application: researching job expectations, tone, diction
9. Literature component – assigned readings with discussion, weekly/daily at professor’s discretion, over genre-specific concepts