Freshman Composition

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EH 101:  Objectives and Requirements

The primary goal of EH 101 is to prepare you to write in other courses at USA. Therefore, EH 101 seeks

• to help you with specific academic genres assigned at USA and most colleges;
• to help you develop your writing process and adapt it to particular writing situations;
• to familiarize you with the rhetorical situation and its importance to writing;
• to help you develop your identity as a writer.

To achieve these goals, EH 101 has the following minimum requirements:

• rhetorical analysis;
• writing as a process (planning, drafting, and revising your ideas and writing);
• lectures, readings, and assignments that give you an understanding of the Composition Program’s Shared Criteria for Evaluating Writing;
• realistic purposes for writing actually used across campus (summarizing, analyzing, evaluating, informing, persuading);
• a minimum of 5,000 words of formal, revised prose; 
• each formal paper will require students to practice one or more of the following academic genres: summary, exposition, analysis, critique, evaluation, argument;  
• at least one paper that incorporates outside research;
• at least one paper with a primary aim of presenting an effective argument; 
• at least one assignment that requires students to reflect on their development as writers;
• opportunities for student/teacher conferences;
• collaborative learning throughout the writing process; and 
• sample readings that support and reflect the requirements above.

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EH 102 & EH 105:  Objectives and Requirements

The ultimate goal of EH 102 and EH 105 (Honors Composition) is to prepare you to write across the curriculum. Consequently, it will further your understanding of some elements of writing covered in EH 101, such as helping you

• plan, draft, and revise writing based on your analysis of the rhetorical situation, your knowledge of the subject matter, and feedback from your peers and your instructor;
• understand a variety academic genres by examining the basic characteristics that define each type;
• evaluate your writing and others’ by drawing on criteria that apply to most writing;
• conduct credible academic research and use it support carefully planned, developed, and organized arguments; 
• reflect on and evaluate your development as a writer; 
• explore a range of ideas through writing, reading, and discussion in order for you to grow intellectually.

To achieve the aforementioned goals, EH 102 and EH 105 courses focus on the following center around the following skills, tasks, and requirements:

• rhetorical analysis, emphasizing several elements of the rhetorical situation;
• writing as a process of planning, drafting, and revising your ideas and writing;
• lectures, readings, and assignments that provide an understanding of the Composition Program’s Shared Criteria for Evaluating Writing;
• student/teacher conferences;
• collaborative learning throughout the writing process;
• readings that reflect and encourage the above skills and tasks and that encourage and model academic inquiry;
• a minimum of 6,500 words of formal, revised prose – at least two papers with a primary aim of argumentation;
• an emphasis on genres related to and supportive of argumentation; 
• substantial practice in academic research in support of arguments and other academic genres.

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Information for Students

CompPAL classes are designated EH 101 sections that serve students who have slightly lower ACT English scores and who in the past would have been required to remediate through a writing and/or reading course. Instead, students receive the additional instruction and support they need while getting the opportunity to complete EH 101 on schedule.  

CompPALs (Composition Peer Academic Leaders) generally attend the class and meet with students outside the class meeting time, in small groups and individually. Small groups workshop material from class; individual meetings include consultation and coaching targeting individual student needs.  CompPAL students are required to attend the weekly group meetings and at least four one-to-one sessions with their CompPAL. Success rates for students in these courses are similar to those for students in EH 101 non-CompPAL sections.

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Information for Prospective CompPALs

CompPALs (Composition Peer Academic Leaders) are advanced undergraduates (usually juniors and seniors) who assist composition instructors in class and tutor composition students outside of class on a weekly schedule.  

As a CompPAL, you’ll conduct weekly small group sessions and individual tutorials with students from specialized Composition I sections. Some students in these classes may have confidence issues with their writing, and most students may have scored below a 19 on the English section of the ACT test. Some of these students may struggle with “how to college” issues like understanding time management or showing up to class or at workshops.

A CompPAL's role is to act as a facilitator, mentor, and peer leader to help students improve their writing and learn appropriate academic behavior. As a CompPAL, you’ll also attend class, participate, assist the instructor with in-class activities, and stay in touch with your instructor, letting them know about workshops, students, and attendance. 

Being a CompPAL is an excellent experience for those interested in teaching or attending graduate school. Pervious CompPALs have gone on to pursue teaching at the secondary level, and some have gone on to graduate programs in English literature, rhetoric and composition, linguistics, and library sciences.

To apply for a CompPAL position, send an email to Dr. Patrick Shaw. Attach the following to it:

• A resume, with three references listed, at least two of whom should be faculty.
• A completed application form.  

Also, contact your references and ask them to send a brief letter of recommendation to Dr. Patrick Shaw.

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2023-2024 Contest Winners

• EH 101 winner: Vik Arbaczauskas
  "Comfort in the Uncomfortable"
• EH 102 winner: Taylor Land
  "Risks of CRISPR Technology"
• EH 102 runner-up (TIE): Haylee Monte
  "Social Media’s Effect on Children"
• EH 102 runner-up (TIE): DrewAnn Buettner
  "The Substance Abuse Crisis and Its Effects on the Foster Care System"
• EH 102 runner-up (TIE): Samantha Cochran
  "'I Have a Dream' Analysis"

2022-2023 Contest Winners

• EH 101 winner: Dafne Vivallos
  "Animal Testing"
• EH 102 winner: Madyson Napier
  "Geoffrey R. Stone's Argument in 'Free Speech on Campus'"
• EH 102 runner-up (TIE): Magdalyn Hjelden
  "Does College Have a Purpose?"
• EH 102 runner-up (TIE): Morgan Wofford
  "Speech Now or Forever Hold, Your Peace"

2021-2022 Contest Winners

• EH 101 winner: Kya Richardson
  "Lonesome Romance"
• EH 101 runner-up: Sydney Clark
  "What a Difference a Day Makes"
• EH 102 winner: Caroline Fetzer
  "The Mass Migration out of the Education Field"
• EH 102 runner-up: Haley Broadus
  "Unions: The Key to Protecting the Working Class"

2020-2021 Contest Winners

• EH 101 winner: Alexis D. Cruz
  "Venture Forth to New Beginnings"
• EH 101 runner-up: Richard Tran
  "The Darkest Hour"
• EH 102 winner: Danyelle Sturdivant
  "Power and Authority in a Strip Club"
• EH 102 runner-up: Mary Ashleigh Ivey
  "After School Matters"

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Credit Transfers

In most cases, if you have taken a first-year writing course equivalent to either EH 101 or EH 102, you will be awarded credit automatically when you enroll at the university.  In some cases, however, students may have taken a first-year writing course at another institution and do not automatically receive credit for EH 101 or EH 102.  In such cases, students can request to have the course or courses they completed elsewhere evaluated by the Composition Program.  

To have a course or courses evaluated, please email Dr. Patrick Shaw, Associate Professor of English and Director of First-Year Writing. Include in your email

• Your Jag Number
• The institution’s name
• The title, number, and course description of each course you want to have considered for transfer credit
• A copy of the syllabus, with the course outcomes/objectives and general requirements included in it
• Copies of assignment sheets
• Copies of essays written for the course
• An unofficial copy of your transcript, showing that you completed the course(s)

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Course Exemptions

You can receive an exemption from the EH 101 requirement by meeting one of the scores below:

• 4 or higher on the AP Language and Literature Exam
• 4 or higher on the AP Language and Composition Exam
• 27 or higher on the ACT English Exam
• 610 or higher on the SAT Verbal Exam
• 50 or higher on the CLEP College Composition Exam

You can receive an exemption from the EH 102 requirement by of the score below:

• 50 or higher on the CLEP College Composition Exam

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