Course Description: This course builds on the basic writing skills acquired in COM 101 to improve the academic writing of students and prepare them for the various types of writing they are likely to find in advanced courses at this university. The course focuses on the development of critical thinking, active reading, and analytical writing skills across the curriculum. Students will learn and practice the writing structures and forms necessary to implement and express these skills.

Textbook: Spack, R. (1998). Guidelines: A cross-cultural reading/writing text. (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Course Objectives:

• To foster the development of a deeper understanding of the writing process and the skills needed to write academic essays at more advanced levels.
• To enable students to become more thoughtful readers and more critical thinkers.
• To develop the students' ability in reading and understanding essays and articles from various professional disciplines and points of view.
• To organize a relatively short argumentative essay supported by appropriately used sources.
• To enable students to proofread their essays to identify and correct structural and grammatical errors.
• To document sources using proper citation form.
• To introduce students to information literacy by developing basic library and Internet research skills.

Last Updated: February 21, 2002