ENGL 1541 - Introduction to College Writing
Fall 2026 Syllabus, Section 02, CRN 41592,
Credit hours: 3
Course Meeting Times
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Instructor
Amelia Sanker
Email: adsanker@ysu.edu
Course Description
This course acclimates students to academic writing expectations and college-level reading practices. Students engage in reflective and expository writing and incorporate peer and instructor feedback throughout the writing process. Students in this developmental course must complete it prior to enrolling in the first of two required composition courses in the general education core. This course does not count toward the graduation requirement in composition and does not count toward a degree. Grading for English 1541 is ABC/NC. Next course in sequence must be ENGL 1549 Writing 1 with Support (4 semester hours). Prereq.: Placement by ACT/SAT test results or by CPT results. 3 s.h.
Course Readings
| Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required | The Norton Field Guide to Writing with Readings and Handbook (Seventh Edition) | W.W. Norton | ISBN 978-1-324-08766-3 (ebook) |
The course readings are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, research developments, current events, and/or to ensure better learning.
- The Norton Field Guide to Writing with readings + handbook, 7E
Bullock, R., Bertsch, D., Goggin, M. D. (2025). The Norton Field Guide to Writing with Readings and Handbook (Seventh Edition). W. W. Norton.
- Chapters as assigned in Blackboard and listed in the attached Schedule
- Note: Your Ebook access is included and is already paid for in your course fees. You need to opt out of the ebook by the date shown in Blackboard in order to avoid the fee.
The course readings are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, research developments, current events, and/or to ensure better learning.
Assignments/Assessments
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Schedule of Topics and Assignments
| Day | Date | Reading(s) | Proposed Topic | Due/To Prepare for Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 8/24 | Introductions | ||
| Wed | 8/26 | Freewriting | Due 8/27 at 11:59pm: Week 1 Freewrite Due 8/30 at 11:59pm: Complete: Ask an Anonymous Question About the Syllabus Complete: Create A Writing Center Account (extra credit) |
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| Mon | 8/31 | Norton Text Chapter 2 | Pre-Reading Strategies | |
| Wed | 9/2 | Freewriting, Annotations | Due 9/3 at 11:59pm: Week 2 Freewrite Due 9/6 at 11:59pm: Complete: Annotation and screenshots assignment Due 9/6 before 11:59:04pm: Discuss: Annotation Strategies - Reply |
|
| Mon | 9/7 | Norton Chapter 2 | Scan, Annotate, Question, Read | |
| Wed | 9/9 | Scan, Annotate, Question, Read | Due 9/13 at 11:59pm: Complete: AI Conversation with Professor Penguin - Thinking About Freewriting Due 9/10 at 11:59pm: Week 3 Freewrite Due 9/13 at 11:59pm: Complete: Scan, Annotate, Question, Read Assignment |
|
| Mon | 9/14 | Pre-reading and Active Reading Strategies, Library Instruction | Due 9/15 at 11:59pm: Extra Credit: Library Instruction Etiquette |
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| Wed | 9/16 | Pre-reading and Active Reading Strategies, Library Instruction | Due 9/17 at 11:59pm: Week 4 Freewrite Due 9/20 at 11:59pm: Complete: Scan, Annotate, Question, Read - Viewpoints Article |
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| Mon | 9/21 | Norton Text Chapter 6 | Writing and Communicating Ethically | |
| Wed | 9/23 | Writing and Communicating Ethically, AI Literacy | Due 9/24 at 11:59pm: Week 5 Freewrite Due 9/27 at 11:59pm: Complete: AI Literacy - Crafting Professional Emails |
|
| Mon | 9/28 | Norton Text Chapter 28 | Your Individual Writing Process | Loop Writing |
| Wed | 9/30 | Your Individual Writing Process | Due 10/1 at 11:59pm: Week 6 Freewrite Due 10/4 before 11:59:51pm: Discuss: "Perfect" AI vs. The Messy Human - Reply |
|
| Mon | 10/5 | Norton Text Chapter 1 | Connecting Reading to Writing | |
| Wed | 10/7 | Norton Text Chapter 1 | Connecting Reading to Writing | Due 10/8 at 11:59pm: Week 7 Freewrite Due 10/11 before 11:59:54pm: Complete: Annotation & Response Journal |
| Mon | 10/12 | Norton Handbook pages 4-10 Norton Text Chapter 30, pages 773-777 |
Writing Complete Sentences and Paragraphs | |
| Wed | 10/14 | Writing Complete Sentences and Paragraphs | Due 10/15 at 11:59pm: Week 8 Freewrite Due 10/18 at 11:59pm: Complete: Analyzing Introductions, Body Paragraphs, and Conclusions based on "Black Mamas' Lives Matter" (Norton Field Guide pp. 773-777) |
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| Mon | 10/19 | Norton Text Chapter 3 | Summarizing and Responding | |
| Wed | 10/21 | Summarizing and Responding | Due 10/22 at 11:59pm: Week 9 Freewrite Due 10/25 at 11:59pm: Complete: Reading Response |
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| Mon | 10/26 | Norton Text Chapter 7 & 8 | Rhetorical Situation: Audience and Purpose | |
| Wed | 10/28 | Rhetorical Situation: Audience and Purpose | ||
| Mon | 11/2 | Norton Text Chapter 9 | Rhetorical Situation: Genre | Due 11/1 at 11:59pm: Week 10 Freewrite Complete: Analyzing Audience and Purpose |
| Wed | 11/4 | Rhetorical Situation: Genre | ||
| Mon | 11/9 | Norton Text Chapter 31 | Brainstorming/Prewriting | Due 11/8 at 11:59pm: "Writing In The Wild" Genre Scavenger Hunt Week 11 Freewrite |
| Wed | 11/11 | Brainstorming/Prewriting | Due 11/12 at 11:59pm: Week 12 Freewrite |
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| Mon | 11/16 | Norton Text: Chapter 33 | Drafting and Peer Review | |
| Wed | 11/18 | Drafting and Peer Review | Due 11/19 at 11:59pm: Week 13 Freewrite |
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| Mon | 11/23 | Conferences | ||
| Wed | 11/25 | Conferences | ||
| Mon | 11/30 | Presentations and Essay Submission | Due 11/29 at 11:59pm: Complete: Final Reflection Slideshow |
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| Wed | 12/2 | Presentations and Essay Submission | ||
| Mon | 12/7 | Final Reflective Essay | Due 12/6 at 11:59pm: Complete: Final Reflective Essay |
The course schedule, policies, procedures, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, by mutual agreement, and/or to ensure better learning.