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English

First-Year Writing

The CAP program contains two writing courses, a first-year writing seminar and a second-year writing seminar. As a part of the First-Year Humanities component of CAP, students will enroll in ENG 100 in their first year (either in the fall or spring semester) and ENG 200 in their second year (either in the fall or spring semester). Students entering the University of Dayton in the Honors Program and students with higher incoming test scores will take ENG 200H in their first year (either in the fall or spring semester) in lieu of the ENG 100 and 200 sequence. Students also have the option to take both ASI 110 and ASI 120. ASI 110 and ASI 120 constitute a challenging, broad-ranging, year-long course on the origins and development of civilizations.

Students will be placed by the College of Arts and Sciences into the appropriate writing course in accordance with the guidelines below. If you have a question regarding a particular placement, contact the College of Arts and Sciences Office of the Dean.


This course focuses on personal and academic literacies, with an emphasis on expository writing and the development of college-level reading, writing, research, and critical thinking skills as well as a process approach to writing. With its focus on personal and academic literacies, ENG 100 addresses the question, “What does it mean to be human?” as it explores the relationship between literacy and being human. Upon completion of ENG 100, students should be able to:

  1. Write about primary and secondary texts on the topic of literacy from the perspective of English Studies and at least one additional discipline in the Humanities Commons in a manner that reflects their ability to read critically;
  2. Engage in a process approach to writing college-level prose;
  3. Produce rhetorically effective college-level expository prose;
  4. Demonstrate effective use of scholarly sources in their writing;
  5. Recount in college-level prose their personal literacy histories and current literacy practices;
  6. Examine in writing the discourse of a community different from themselves with respect to factors such as race, class, gender, sexuality, and so forth.
  7. Explore the relevance of Catholic intellectual tradition for the study of reading, writing, and/or rhetoric as human endeavors.

This course engages the question of what it means to be human in a manner fitting the context of a themed writing seminar. Students who complete ENG 200H will not take ENG 200 in their second year.

ENG 200H is a variable-themed writing course that focuses on academic discourse, research and argumentation. The purpose of this course is to enable students to develop rhetorical abilities that will make it possible for them to write effectively in a university context that consists of disciplines with varying expectations for writing. Course themes are chosen by the instructor and themes change each semester.

  1. Write about primary and secondary texts on the course theme in a manner that reflects the ability to read critically
  2. Engage in a process approach to writing college‐level prose
  3. Produce rhetorically effective college‐level expository prose
  4. Produce well researched academic arguments and appeals that are documented in accordance with the MLA style manual
  5. Examine one topic from at least three disciplinary perspectives (two of which are in the Humanities Commons)
  6. Examine one topic with attention to differences such as race, class, gender, and/or sexuality
  7. Explore the relevance of Catholic intellectual tradition for the study of reading, writing, and/or rhetoric as human endeavors.

ENG 200H is a theme-based writing course that employs a writing across the curriculum approach.  The purpose of these courses is to enable students to develop rhetorical abilities that will make it possible for them to write effectively in a university context that consists of disciplines with varying expectations for writing.


Together, ASI 110 and ASI 120 constitute a challenging, broad-ranging, year-long course on the origins and development of civilizations, with particular emphasis upon the cultural heritage of Western Civilization as it evolved in the larger context of other world civilizations. While the course follows the general narrative of the history of Western Civilization and tells that story in large part by looking at developments in philosophy, literature, religious studies, and rhetoric in their historical contexts, it also seeks to understand how other civilizations developed rich and enduring traditions that help us, by comparison, to understand the complex tapestry of human experience. In addition, the course integrates the development of university-level writing skills throughout the academic year. ASI 110 explores the period from the beginnings of civilization through the seventeenth century; ASI 120 completes the course by bringing it to the present.

For CORE students, ASI 110 and 120 fulfill the Common Academic Program requirements of the Humanities Commons – ENG 200H, HST 103, PHL 103, and REL 103 – plus credit for Advanced Historical Study (HST XXX). These courses are required of all University of Dayton students. Successful completion of ASI 110 and 120 earns the CORE student 15 credit hours. Upon completion of ASI 110 and 120, students should be able to:

  1. Write about primary and secondary texts on the course theme in a manner that reflects the ability to read critically
  2. Engage in a process approach to writing college‐level prose
  3. Produce rhetorically effective college‐level expository prose
  4. Produce well researched academic arguments and appeals that are documented in accordance with the MLA style manual
  5. Examine one topic from at least three disciplinary perspectives (two of which are in the Humanities Commons)
  6. Examine one topic with attention to differences such as race, class, gender, and/or sexuality
  7. Explore the relevance of Catholic intellectual tradition for the study of reading, writing, and/or rhetoric as human endeavors.

Second-Year Writing

The second-year writing course, ENG 200, is taken by students who completed ENG 100. ENG 200 is a variable theme-based writing course focused on academic discourse, research, and argumentation. By studying scholarship in different disciplines, students will develop rhetorical awareness about the arguments, approaches, and conventions of these disciplines.

Course themes are chosen by the instructor and change from semester to semester. Here are examples of themes covered in the past:

  • China's Middle Class
  • Sustainability
  • Obedience and Authority
  • Gender Roles
  • Poverty

Upon completion of ENG 200, students should be able to:

  1. Write about primary and secondary texts on the course theme in a manner that reflects the ability to read critically.
  2. Engage in a process approach to writing college‐level prose.
  3. Produce rhetorically effective college‐level expository prose.
  4. Produce well researched academic arguments and appeals that are documented in accordance with the MLA style manual.
  5. Examine one topic from at least three disciplinary perspectives, two of which are in the Humanities Commons.
  6. Examine one topic with attention to differences such as race, class, gender  and/or sexuality.

CONTACT

Department of English

Humanities
300 College Park
Dayton, Ohio 45469 - 1520
937-229-3434
Email