Utilizes a thematic approach in helping students to:

1. Read at a level of understanding that will enable them to pass an exit competency exam that focuses on identifying main ideas and supporting details;
2. Extend their vocabularies by developing word attack strategies based on contextual and structural analysis;
3. Adjust their reading rate according to purpose, difficulty level and prior knowledge of the material;
4. Read critically by determining the author's purpose, distinguishing between fact and opinion, making inferences and drawing conclusions;
5. Recognize authors' writing patterns;
6. Employ previewing and predicting strategies;
7. Effectively follow directions on college assignments and tests

To understand the components of the writing process, specifically prewriting, composing and revising.

1. To write clear and grammatically correct sentences.
2. To identify topic sentences and their place in paragraph development.
3. To write clear, logically ordered paragraphs.
4. To develop thesis statements as a basis for essay writing.
5. To employ effective writing techniques in developing short, informative essays.

1. To pursue a process approach to writing, employing various rhetorical modes, specifically description, narration, comparison/contrast and illustration.
2. To develop thesis sentences and subtopics or ideas which support the thesis.
3. To arrange details in logical order.
4. To develop techniques for effective communication through paragraphing, sentence structure, word choice and mechanics.
5. To develop analytical and critical thinking skills and incorporate them into analysis-reaction essays.

This course is designed to provide students with a transition from the more circumscribed personal experience essay of English 101 to the more publicly engaged discourse of the documented paper required in English 103. The objectives of the course are to:

1. improve students' abilities to write persuasive and analytical essays required at the college level;
2. improve students' abilities to read college-level expository and persuasive texts; and
3. teach students the fundamentals of research and how to integrate other writing into their own texts.

1. To familiarize students with the conventions of scholarly research and writing
2. To select and narrow a research topic
3. To develop a thesis or argumentative position, organizing a paper around a central idea or point of view.
4. To evaluate evidence and eliminate useless information
5. To develop the ability to write summaries devoid of the summarizer's subjectivity (personal opinions).
6. To develop the skills of paraphrasing, outlining, and creating a references list
7. To become familiar with the library and its resources
8. To develop critical and analytical skills as a researcher and writer
9. To develop a writing style grammatically correct and free of spelling and punctuation errors