Faculty Syllabus
ENGL-1302 English Composition II
Courtney Welu
Credit Spring 2026
Section(s)
ENGL-1302-299 (16642)
LEC MW 11:15am - 12:45pm CHS CHS1 207
Course Requirements
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Welcome to English 1302: Composition II! In this course, we will explore the importance of critical thinking, reading, and writing with an emphasis on writing and learning as an iterative and collaborative process. One of our main goals will be to grow as clearer and more confident communicators. In addition, we will also implement the research skills that will allow you to engage in discourse with outside sources in your writing. Together, we will work through a variety of texts, and you will have the opportunity to write critically and creatively about topics that matter to you.
PREREQUISITES
Enrollment in ENGL 1302 requires credit for ENGL 1301, or its equivalent, with at least a grade of C.
Readings
This course does not have any required textbooks. Readings will be provided via BlackBoard.
Students are expected to have a copy of the day’s required reading on the day the reading is to be discussed. Depending on the lesson, you may also need to bring a copy of your own writing. For workshop/peer review, your essays must be printed in advance.
Course Subjects
COURSE OVERVIEW
The primary goals of this course are simple: I want you to be able to read a text, form an opinion on it, and communicate that opinion effectively in writing. Everything we do in this class will be in service of these goals.
For most class weeks, we will have one fiction reading and one nonfiction reading, along with occasional secondary readings. These readings will be available on BlackBoard. Our discussion of these readings is central to this course; nearly every day, we will have in-class writing assignments or group work as well as full class discussions that will build a foundation of knowledge for reading and writing.
Most weeks, you will also be required to make two discussion posts; one of your own, and one replying to one of your peers. You can choose either Monday or Wednesday’s reading; you do not have to make posts for both. These discussion posts should highlight a literary method that the author uses and what its effect is. These posts should be 100-300 words. Your replies to classmates should substantively add to their commentary rather than just agreeing or disagreeing with them.
These weekly discussion posts will be due on Tuesday nights at 11:59pm. Ideally, if you are writing about our Monday reading, then you will make your discussion post prior to that class, but you have a built-in extension for busy weeks. There will occasionally be other out-of-class assignments that we will discuss in advance.
If it seems like the class is not finishing the readings prior to our class discussions, I will institute reading quizzes.
There will be three major essays: a narrative essay, an argument analysis essay, and a literary analysis essay. Both the argument analysis and literary analysis essays will require you to use outside sources. The literary analysis essay will require an annotated bibliography submission prior to the full essay. All three essays will be accompanied by a workshop/peer review where you can collaborate with your classmates and offer one another feedback.
The narrative essay will ask you to write about your personal relationship with a piece of art/media. This could be a book, movie, TV show, video game, graphic novel, or other storytelling medium. The argument analysis essay will ask you to find two opinion pieces about the same subject and analyze the effectiveness of their arguments. The literary analysis essay will ask you to choose one of our class readings and develop a thesis-oriented paper about its broader meaning, using at least three secondary literary analysis sources.
Throughout the class, lessons will include lectures, discussions, group/solo activities, and in-class writing assignments. It is in your best interest to not read ahead beyond each given week, as the discussions we have accompanying each reading will inform our subsequent work.
Office Hours
M W 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Virtual
NOTEPublished: 01/23/2026 11:58:17