How is this different from high school English?

We do things a little differently here at Channel Islands. We have never used a placement exam or other external measure to determine which composition course you take. Instead, we let you decide for yourself whether to take a full year of writing classes (English 102 in fall, English 105 in spring) or just one semester (English 105 in fall or spring). Regardless of which path you choose, you'll get 3 units of college credit and fulfill a G.E. requirement with each course.

We also don't leave all the grading up to the faculty member who teaches your writing class. Instead, the entire composition team comes together a few times during the semester to evaluate student writing in all the courses in our program. This frees your instructor from the conflict of wanting to help you yet having to judge your work. Because the rest of us in the composition program don’t know you personally, we will be as objective as is humanly possible.

Learning to write for this somewhat unknown audience of teachers is better practice than writing for your instructor. When in your chosen profession do you imagine you will be asked to write for a boss who will read and comment on your writing? Writing to a group of strangers will prepare you for your professional lives. At the same time, we want you to learn to write for an academic audience—the people you’ll be writing to for the next four years. None of that can happen if you continue to write for a teacher you know well.

Perhaps you’ve heard that we don’t mark up student papers. It’s not that we’re lazy; we just want you to learn to be better writers. Research for the past half-century has made it clear that marking student papers does not make people better writers. Be assured that you will get plenty of feedback on your drafts (as long you complete them on schedule) from your classmates, from trained Writing and Multiliteracy Center tutors, and from your instructor. Much of that feedback will be oral, rather than written. If you are not satisfied with the amount or quality of the feedback you’re getting, make an appointment to have a conference with your teacher. We love to talk about writing.

You will also learn, if you haven't already, that our program rewards commitment to the writing process and not just the final products you submit for grading. Your course grade will reflect your level of engagement in all aspects of your writing class. If you attend all class meetings, complete all assignments on time and to the best of your ability, participate in all class activities both in the classroom and online, and seek out help when you need it, it will be very difficult for you not to succeed in this class.

Growing as a writer includes being an active member of a community of fellow writers. This is true for our faculty (who do plenty of writing on their own and need lots of the same support that you do) and for our students. You will learn as much from your classmates as you do from your instructor. Embrace this approach and see how it helps you gain confidence as a writer and learner.