WRITING COURSES

As part of Villa Maria College's core curriculum, student receive instruction in in written and oral communication and literacy.  A specific writing "sequence" is a requirement for all students and includes English 101, 102 and, for some students, 106.  All students who complete the prescribed sequence of courses will be able to:

• Use the writing process to generate, explore, and refine ideas

• Communicate ideas clearly, in both written and verbal forms

• Effectively use all elements of the writing process--prewriting, drafting, feedback, revision, editing, and proofreading—to develop and improve compositions

• Write in various rhetorical modes and for various purposes and audiences—to inform, to entertain, to persuade, etc.

• Use strategies and techniques appropriate for different rhetorical modes and purposes and audiences

• Identify and correct common stylistic and grammatical errors so that their writing reflects their command of language, syntax, and grammar conventions and standards

• Read texts actively and critically, understanding how they are constructed

• Interpret and analyze literary texts

• Analyze the effectiveness of argumentative texts and know how to challenge them

• Use basic library and internet resources to find information

• Determine whether information is reliable and appropriate for their purposes and audience

• Integrate information effectively into their own original writing

• Avoid plagiarism and use MLA guidelines for citations and research