Composition Courses
Undergraduate students at Ohio University are currently required to take one quarter of composition at the freshman level, and one quarter at the junior level.
Any of the three freshman courses offered will fulfill the First-Year Composition requirement; each of the three courses fulfills the same purpose with a slightly different topic. Very much like First-Year Commposition, any one of the following courses will fulfill the Junior-level requirement for students: 306J, 308J, 309J, and 384J. English majors who entered the University during or after Calendar Year 2005 must not take 307J. This class is gradually being eliminated from the curriculum.
Some of the writing courses at Ohio University are regularly scheduled in Computer Classrooms. Those courses are listed in TRIPS as being taught in Ellis Hall rooms 19 and 20, and are flagged as requiring the use of a computer.
Attendance Policy
The 150-level and 300-level composition courses have an attendance policy that allows for four hours of missed class time or absence. Each additional hour of absence will result in the loss of one-third of a letter grade.
Courses Meeting the First-Year Composition Requirement:
English 151: Writing and Rhetoric
Most of the First-Year Composition courses at Ohio University are sections of English 151: Writing and Rhetoric. Students taking this course write and revise four essays, covering a variety of topics throughout the quarter. Most sections of this course currently use Sherrie Gradin and Duncan Carter's Writing as a Reflective Action as a rhetorical reader and a source for material to fuel classroom discussions, and most also use a grammar handbook as supplemental material. A few sections of English 151 regularly meet in the Computer Classrooms.
English 152: Writing about Literature
Students taking English 152: Writing About Literature spend a quarter writing about literary topics. Instructors teaching this course in the past have chosen to have their students read and write about banned books, Dostoevsky, the Vietnam era, ethnic and regional literatures, fairy tales, and genres of popular fiction. There is no standard text for English 152, but most instructors have their students purchase a coursepack and/or several novels or supplementary texts. Like English 151, sections of 152 require that students compose four major projects.
English 153: Topics
Sections of English 153 are topically focused writing courses. English 153 does not have a standard textbook or syllabus. Instructors choose texts and assignments that fit their chosen topics. Past instructors have had students write about comic books, Mysteries, Poetry, Shakespeare, Intercultural writing, young adult literature, Literature and Philosophy, American popular culture, et cetera.
Courses meeting the Junior Composition (also known as J-Comp) requirement:
English 305J: Technical Writing
This course gives students experience with workplace writing: research, resumes, proposals, and other appropriate genres. It is rumored across campus that all students must take 305J, but this is not true. Some sections of this course, but not all, meet regularly in the Computer Classrooms. This course is recommended for students majoring in technical professions.
English 306J: Women and Writing
English 306J is a writing course that deals with works about, written, or read by women. Various methods are used to teach this course; past instructors have had their students write memoirs, read and explicate literary texts, critique the portrayal of gender stereotypes in film and popular culture, interrogate sexuality, and discuss feminist theory.
English 307J: Writing and Research in English Studies
This course is only for students majoring in English. It is intended to help students shape their academic writing and research abilities. Typical assignments include annotated bibliographies, short papers applying critical perspectives to literature, and a researched argument paper. The course typically focuses on researching one author or one work in some depth.
English 308J: Writing and Rhetoric II
English 308J is the Junior-level cognate of English 151. As in First-Year Composition, students work on honing their interpretive and writing skills through in-class discussion, peer critique, revision, and extensive writing. Topics and required texts for this course vary widely, depending on the instructor and their preferences. This course is recommended for students who are not majoring in technical professions.