ENGL 1541 - Introduction to College Writing
Fall 2026 Syllabus, Section 05, CRN 41595,
Credit hours: 3
Course Meeting Times
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Instructor
Janet Yantes
Email: jlyantes@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 + Handbook 7E | Bullock, R., Bertsch, D., Goggin, M. D. (2025) | 978-1-324-08763-2 |
The course readings are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, research developments, current events, and/or to ensure better learning.
- 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
| Week of | Proposed Topic | Due/To Prepare for Class |
|---|---|---|
| 8/24 | Introductions | 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) |
| 8/31 | Pre-reading Strategies | 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 |
| 9/7 | Applying Pre-reading Strategies | Due 9/10 at 11:59pm: Week 3 Freewrite Due 9/13 at 11:59pm: Complete: AI Conversation with Professor Penguin - Thinking About Freewriting Complete: Scan, Annotate, Question, Read Assignment |
| 9/14 | Library Instruction Applying Pre-reading & Active Reading Strategies |
Due 9/15 at 11:59pm: Extra Credit: Library Instruction Etiquette Due 9/17 at 11:59pm: Week 4 Freewrite Due 9/20 at 11:59pm: Complete: Scan, Annotate, Question, Read - Viewpoints Article |
| 9/21 | Writing and Communicating Ethically | Due 9/24 at 11:59pm: Week 5 Freewrite Due 9/27 at 11:59pm: Complete: AI Literacy - Crafting Professional Emails |
| 9/28 | Preparing to Explore 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 |
| 10/5 | Connecting Reading to Writing | Due 10/8 at 11:59pm: Week 7 Freewrite Due 10/11 before 11:59:54pm: Complete: Annotation & Response Journal |
| 10/12 | 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) |
| 10/19 | Responding to Writing | Due 10/22 at 11:59pm: Week 9 Freewrite Due 10/25 at 11:59pm: Complete: Reading Response |
| 10/26 | Rhetorical Situation: Audience and Purpose | Week 10 Freewrite |
| 11/2 | Rhetorical Situation: Genre | Due 11/1 at 11:59pm: Week 10 Freewrite Complete: Analyzing Audience and Purpose |
| 11/9 | Brainstorming/Pre-writing | Due 11/8 at 11:59pm: "Writing In The Wild" Genre Scavenger Hunt Week 11 Freewrite Due 11/12 at 11:59pm: Week 12 Freewrite |
| 11/16 | Drafting & Peer Review | Due 11/19 at 11:59pm: Week 13 Freewrite |
| 11/23 | Conferences & Oresebtatuib Submission | Conferences |
| 11/30 | Presentations & Essay Submission | Due 11/29 at 11:59pm: Complete: Final Reflection Slideshow |
| 12/7 | 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.