An introduction to academic writing in college. Emphasis is placed on the composition process: a well-put thesis, clarity and orderliness, sound development, the ability to relate careful analytical reading to effective writing, and elimination of major grammatical errors. By the end of the course students should be able to express their ideas persuasively, clearly, and correctly.
This composition and conversation course is designed specifically to help students learning English as a foreign language succeed in rigorous academic coursework at Augustana University. We will use the topic of modern American culture—specifically customs, traditions, art, and literature—to the end of writing polished academic papers on topics that fall under this umbrella. We will emphasize the writing process throughout the course, and we will engage in both formal and informal speaking activities to complement the work of written communication. We will also study and practice writing in different academic areas, including literature, history, social sciences, and the natural sciences.
none
This course will examine crime-based television series and films, as well as crime fiction from the 19th century to the present. Works will be analyzed from historical, literary, and social perspectives. Study of the evolution of real-life crimes, the mindset of criminals, and the investigative techniques used in crime solving will provide students the opportunity to analyze the nature of crime as represented in the various media. The course will identify criminal behavior, the forces that perpetuate such behavior, and the effects of crime on criminals, victims, and society.
In this course, students will learn the fundamental principles that underpin the creation of literary art. What does it mean to think like a writer? How do you create stories and poems that reach out and grab a reader? Through the study of four different genres—poetry, fiction, drama, and nonfiction—students will write their own work while also exploring issues of craft that include, character development, dialogue, plot, point of view, stanza formation, line breaks, scene setting, and narrative voice. Through lectures, class workshops, and reading assignments, students will learn the basics of creative writing.
Engl 200 or Civt 200
This course will consider public affairs through coverage of events such as school board and city council meetings. Additional emphasis will be placed on beat reporting, including but not limited to in-depth coverage of issues emerging from areas such as government, science, and health, the economy, religion, and the legal system. Emphasis will be given to creating and using multi-media components to deliver information. Students will advance their philosophy of freedom of the press through the study of various philosophical orientations.
An overview of the literatures written in the region we now know as the United States from the time of European colonization until the present. Course readings will represent literary periods and movements from the Colonial and Revolutionary periods, to contemporary Postmodernism. Lectures and discussion will consider both the development of American literary traditions and the connections between literature and social phenomena such as first contacts between Native Americans and Europeans, slavery, industrialization, social reform, and the women's movement.
In this course students will study the principles of a theory of empathy and will cultivate and practice an ethic of empathy. In order to live fully and deeply human beings must bring all of their human capacities to bear in their daily lives, professional and personal. As students gain a deeper understanding of empathy as an innate human ability, they will find ways to understand better both themselves and others. Students will read and discuss works of nonfiction and will practice empathy through the act of interviewing individuals whose lives or ways of being they believe significantly different from their own.
Conducted primarily as a writers' workshop, this course explores strategies for developing narrative voice as well as creating plot, setting, character, and dialogue. We explore different sub-genres, from the "short-short" story to the novel, and read both contemporary and classic writers to determine what constitutes excellence in fiction.
This seminar will consider literature from outside the mainstream of American, English, and Western European literary traditions. Each course will be organized by a theme, central critical questions, by a genre, literary movement, period, or major figure.
This is the first semester of a year-long commitment to an academic or creative project designed by a student. Under the guidance of a professor in the English and Journalism department, students will spend one semester researching a topic of their choice and then, in a following semester, they will construct a formal paper (ENGL 391). Projects may be academic or creative in nature. Students will present their Senior Honors Thesis before a board of professors in an oral defense known as Viva Voce. Successful completion of a Senior Honors Thesis will allow the student to graduate with "Departmental Distinction in English". This component of the Senior Honors Thesis is begun in fall semester. ENGL 390 and ENGL 391 cannot be taken concurrently.
Permission of Department Chair
This is the second semester of a year-long commitment to an academic or creative project designed by a student. Under the guidance of a professor in the English and Journalism department, students will spend one semester writing about a topic of their choice. Projects may be academic or creative in nature. Students will present their Senior Honors Thesis before a board of professors in an oral defense known as Viva Voce. Successful completion of a Senior Honors Thesis will allow the student to graduate with "Departmental Distinction in English." This component of the Senior Honors Thesis is begun in spring semester. ENGL 390 and ENGL 391 cannot be taken concurrently.
Permission of Department Chair