The Skidmore College
Expository Writing Network


HE 100. ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS - 3

Basic skills of the English language for special interest students requiring such a course. Non-liberal arts. The Department.

EN 103. WRITING SEMINAR I - 4

Introduction to expository writing with weekly writing assignments emphasizing skills in developing ideas, organizing material, and creating thesis statements. Assignments provide practice in description, definition, comparison and contrast, and argumentation. Additional focus on grammar, syntax, and usage. Students and instructor meet in seminar three hours a week; students are also required to meet regularly with a Writing Center tutor. This course does not fulfill the all-college Foundation requirement in expository writing. The Department.

EN 105. WRITING SEMINAR II - 4

This seminar immerses students in the process of producing finished analytical essays informed by critical reading and careful reasoning. Special attention is given to developing ideas, writing from sources, organizing materials, and revising drafts. Additional emphasis is on grammar, style, and formal conventions of writing. Students respond to one another's work in workshops or peer critique sessions. Weekly informal writing complements assignments of longer finished papers. Each section of EN 105 focuses on a topic that is listed in the master schedule and described in the English Department's prospectus and on its Web page. This course fulfills the all-College requirement in expository writing. The Department.

EN 105H. WRITING SEMINAR II - 4

The honors sections of EN 105 offer highly motivated students with strong verbal skills the opportunity to refine their ability to analyze sophisticated ideas, to hone their rhetorical strategies, and to develop cogent arguments. Toward these goals, students write and revise essays drawing upon a variety of challenging readings and critique each other's work with an eye to depth and complexity of thought, logic of supporting evidence, and subtleties of style. The English Department places some students in EN 105H and encourages other students to consult with their advisors, the director of the Honors Forum, or the director of the Expository Writing Program to determine if this level of Writing is appropriate. Each section of EN 105H focuses on a topic that is listed in the master schedule and described in the English Department's prospectus and on its Web page. This course fulfills the all-College requirement in expository writing. The Department.

EN 110. INTRODUCTION TO LITERARY STUDIES - 4

This course introduces students to the practice of literary studies, with a particular emphasis on the skills involved in
close reading. The course aims to foster a way of thinking critically and with sophistication about language, texts, and
literary production. We will ask such questions as how and why we read, what it means to read as students of
literature, what writing can teach us about reading, and what reading can teach us about writing. The goal overall is to
make the words on the page thrillingly rich and complicated, while also recognizing the ways in which those words
have been informed by their social, political, aesthetic, psychological, and religious contexts. This course is writing
intensive and will include some attention to critical perspective and appropriate research skills. (Fulfills all-College
requirement in expository writing
; prospective English majors are strongly encouraged to take EN 110 prior to
enrolling in 200-level courses.)

Advanced Expository Writing Courses

EN 205. NONFICTION WRITING - 4

Intensive practice in writing nonfiction prose, with emphasis on expanding the writer's options, finding a distinctive voice, and using strategies of inquiry, description, exposition, argumentation, and persuasion. (This course may be repeated for credit with a different topic.)

EN 205 A: Argumentation

Instruction in classical and contemporary argumentative writing. Practice in taking a stand and building a case. Analysis of arguments from the perspectives of logic, rhetorical appeals, and audience. Prerequisite: completion of the college Expository Writing requirement.

EN 205 B: Personal Experience and the Critical Voice

Intensive practice in the writing of polished essays that begin with the writer's experiences and move on to explore the relationship of the self to the larger world. Emphasis will be placed on finding a personal voice, exploring a variety of contemporary issues, developing one's ideas, and effectively revising one's work. Readings include personal essays by both classic and contemporary writers such as Montaigne, Lamb, Didion, and Gates. Prerequisite: completion of the college Expository Writing requirement.

EN 205 C: The Arts Review

Intensive practice in writing arts reviews on topics such as art exhibits, music performances, dance, films, public lectures, and current literature. Writing assignments focus on forms such as the short review, the essay review, and the profile. Reading of selected reviews by accomplished writers and critics, and analysis of writing from the popular press, scholarly journals, and arts magazines. Requirements for the course include attendance at arts events on the Skidmore campus and throughout the Capital District. Prerequisite: completion of the college Expository Writing Requirement.

EN 205 D: Special Topics in Nonfiction Writing

Intensive practice in a particular form of expository writing or intensive exploration of a subject with special attention to style and the development of a writer's voice. Topics studied may include, for example, biography, technical writing, or writing and the Internet. Prerequisite: completion of the college Expository Writing Requirement.


EN 303. PEER TUTORING PROJECT IN EXPOSITORY WRITING - 4

Examination of rhetoric, grammar, and composition theory essential to writing, collaborative learning, and peer tutoring. Students practice analytical writing and critique expository essays. Weekly writing assignments and a term project explore composition theory and tutoring practices and analyze EN 103 assignments. Participation in a weekly supervised peer tutoring practicum with EN 103 students. Prerequisite: EN 201 and 202 (in sequence); and EN 211, or 213, or 215; and upperclass standing; and permission of instructor. - P. Boshoff, C. Golden, M. Marx, L. Simon.

 




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