Courses

8 Guiding Frameworks for First-Year Writing

The eight shared practices outlined below provide a foundation for the how and the what of our teaching and are informed by disciplinary research. These are core practices and content areas that work to center our students’ learning processes and experiences across all sections of FYW. 

  1. Equity and Access-focused Learning
  2. Writing-Centered & Process-Focused
  3. Scaffolded Curriculum Design and Low-stakes Practice
  4. Metacognition & Reflective Practice
  5. Rhetorical Awareness
  6. Multimodality
  7. Information Literacy
  8. First-year focused
     

WRIT 1301: University Writing

All sections work toward common course learning outcomes with a shared focus on writing processes, strategies, discussion, research and active learning. However, readings and particular assignments can vary across sections.

General Sections  

WRIT 1301 introduces students to writing processes, skills and strategies that provide a strong foundation for future writing of all kinds – academic, professional, personal, civic. Core areas of focus include: rhetorical awareness; critical thinking; information literacy; multimodal composing; accessibility; and giving, getting and applying feedback. The course requires regular peer-to-peer and peer-to-instructor interactions and scaffolded activities and assignments as students develop several projects over the course of the semester. Regular participation is critical in both modalities of the course – in-person/blended and async/online. 

Multilingual Sections

These opt-in sections typically have 25% of seats reserved for multilingual and/or international students. The classroom community intentionally brings together a range of English speakers with an intercultural focus.These sections are taught by instructors who have interest and training in supporting interactive and inclusive classroom practices to support a culturally and linguistically diverse community of writers.

Writ 1301H - Honors Section

In WRIT 1301H, students meet the WRIT 1301 course outcomes with a deepened focus on and attention to writing processes and rhetorical strategies that are attuned to students’ academic, scholarly and professional goals.  As part of this honors experience, students will produce a research proposal relevant and responsive to their intended field of study. Writing and research processes are facilitated by frequent interactions with and feedback from peers and the instructor, and by regularly embedded metacognitive practice. The course emphasizes student-driven topic selection and inquiry development, peer-to-peer interactions, and metacognitive practice so as to support a deep experience with and development of capacity in collaboration and iterative writing and research processes. 

WRIT 1401: University Writing - Community Engaged Learning

WRIT 1401 introduces students to writing processes, skills and strategies that provide a strong foundation for future writing of all kinds – academic, professional, personal, civic. The work of writing in this class happens in partnership with a local social justice-focused organization. Student projects support the organization’s work and provide opportunity to experience writing as advocacy in a community context. Core areas of focus include: rhetorical awareness; critical thinking; information literacy; multimodal composing; accessibility; and giving, getting and applying feedback. The course requires regular peer-to-peer and peer-to-instructor interactions and scaffolded activities and assignments in support of projects. Regular participation is critical in both areas of the blended modality – in-person and online.

College Possible (Danielle Hinrichs, Section 4)

College Possible: Writing for Access and Equity in Education

Students in this section of WRIT 1401 partner with College Possible, an educational non-profit organization that uses near-peer mentoring to help students from underrepresented and economically disadvantaged communities apply to and complete college. This section offers students a community-engaged learning experience focused on access and equity in higher education. The writing projects that students work on may include: conducting interviews with College Possible alumni; gathering, synthesizing, and analyzing data about educational experiences; researching educational issues; and developing multimodal stakeholder communications. The coursework supports the learning goals of the first-year writing program as well as the work of College Possible to create more equitable pathways to higher education. College Possible web page.

Center for Climate Literacy (Steve Wandler, Section 3 & Jack Christian, Section 2 )

Stories Will Save Us: Writing for Climate Change Advocacy 

Students in sections of WRIT 1401 partner with the University of Minnesota’s Center for Climate Literacy, which works to develop materials and support educators in the promotion of universal climate literacy to "develop values, attitudes, and behavioral change to build sustainable futures.”” Students work closely with the Center’s team to deepen their understanding of the core principles of climate literacy and explore ways to apply those principles in communications to a variety of audiences. Throughout the course, students will focus on the role that storytelling plays in climate literacy, will develop strategies for researching and communicating climate-change science and values, and will create public-facing, multimodal projects such as website resources, educational materials, and other communication tools that advance the goals of climate literacy, education, and advocacy. Coursework supports the learning goals of the first-year writing course and the goals of the Center for Climate Literacy to “accelerate a transition to an ecological civilization by transforming education from within.” Center for Climate Literacy web page 

Summer Street Community Garden (Michelle Herrin, Section 1)

Seeds of Change: Writing in the Garden

Students in this section of WRIT1401 partner with the Summer Street Community Garden, part of the Saint Anthony East Neighborhood Association (SAENA), an organization that “empowers people to invest, engage, and connect in the St. Anthony East neighborhood of Northeast Minneapolis.” Summer Street Community Garden is an urban garden with 23 plots for community gardeners, a neighborhood kitchen garden, a rain garden and more. This section offers students a community-engaged learning experience focused on urban gardening, native/pollinator plants, and neighborhood organizing. Students will participate in a hands-on project at the garden (no experience necessary) and create both written and multimodal research-based texts that might include newsletter articles, community-member interviews, and stakeholder presentations. The coursework supports the learning goals of the first-year writing program, the vision of SAENA, and the mission of Summer Street Community Garden to grow good. Saint Anthony East Neighborhood Association web page. (This section meets on the St Paul campus.)