Composition & Rhetoric Program

Program Overview

In November of 2011, Appalachian's writing programs were awarded The Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) Writing Program Certificate of Excellence due to the structure of our program, the accomplishments of our faculty, and our dedication to extensive professional development.  For more information about the award, please visit the following: CCCC Writing Program Certificate of Excellence.

The Composition Program offers the first two courses of ASU's Vertical Writing Model (PDF): a first-year writing course (English 1000: Expository Writing) and a second-year writing course (English 2001: Introduction to Writing Across the Curriculum). After these two courses, students move on to a junior year writing-intensive course offered within their major, as well as a writing course their senior year with a significant capstone project.

We also offer Basic Writing (English 0900) to help students familiarize themselves with the expectations of college-level writing; Writing Center Practice and Pedagogy (ENG 3450) to prepare undergraduate students for work in the University Writing Center; and graduate courses related to our Rhetoric & Composition Graduate Certificate. Please see the course description pages for all of our courses listings and futher information.

The Composition Program seeks to aid its students in becoming confident and authoritative writers, helping them to understand that writing is a combination of inventing and exploring new ideas, awareness of rhetorical situations, and effective communication. We emphasize process by teaching writing as a series of steps--invention, drafting, multiple revisions, and editing--that recur throughout the writing experience. We emphasize product by helping students consider the writing situation and audience concerns, creating quality drafts, and having them reflect on their writing experiences in the completion of a final portfolio at the end of the semester. We also seek to ensure the best possible education of our students by maintaining a strong focus on faculty development.

Both the administration and faculty of the Composition Program are proud of our collaborative role in the University and apply that value in every aspect of our instruction and assessment. In close collaboration with the University Writing Center, the Writing Across the Curriculum Program, and the University's General Education Program, we strive to help our students see that writing is accessible to everyone and that the abilities and experiences they gain in our classrooms can transfer into the writing situations they will find in the wider unversity and professional worlds.

Please contact us if you have questions about any of the information on this site.