University Writing

Honors University Writing (Honrs 150)

Coordinator: Susan Jorgensen
Contact information: office 185 HGB,
Phone: 422-6848, Email: susan_jorgensen@byu.edu

Course Description:

Honors 150 is a General Education writing course designed for new or returning students (who frequently have had AP English experience in high school) who may elect to graduate with University Honors. Enrolled students have the benefit of associating with like-minded peers and high-caliber, seasoned faculty with varied writing backgrounds and life experiences who, in a faith-promoting environment, demand academic rigor. The course facilitates orientation into the Honors Program by not only acquainting students with overall program requirements but also incorporating some of them into the syllabus, thus actively moving students toward graduation goals. Honors 150 includes solid writing components in research, argumentation, analysis, and personal essay/narrative, encompassing under way a thorough orientation to the university library. In class, students experience a multi-disciplinary focus, grapple with challenging texts, write and polish a substantial body of work (minimum of 25 pages), and acquire or hone skills in

• thinking, through critical reading and writing, analysis, logic, and argumentation
• generating, drafting, re-seeing, re-thinking, re-vising, and editing their writing
• developing natural voice, style, and levels of expression in an expanded range of genres
• properly using library search tools in order to access applicable sources

Beyond the classroom, a variety of relevant learning opportunities is available through cultural events, enrichment activities, and an annual writing contest open only to Honors 150 students.

Prerequisites:

Though Honors 150 has no formal prerequisites it is designed for students interested in pursuing the Honors experience and who view their writing skills as advanced beyond first-year writing.

Assignments

• Formal research process. Working with library personnel, H150 instructors train students how to locate, read, and evaluate source material, as well as how to successfully incorporate borrowed data to support their writing. These skills may then be used in a traditional research paper, a multi-genre research project, or in other major papers throughout the semester.
• Argumentative or persuasive paper, following instruction in critical reading and reasoning. Honors 150 students learn to reason logically, identify premises and unstated assumptions, draw sound inferences from evidence, avoid fallacies, project a credible ethos, use emotional appeals justifiably, etc.
• Great Works responses, at least two. These responses incorporate research, analysis, and personal responses-grappling with the great works "text" in a way that encourages critical thinking and concise writing.
• Personal narrative/essay focusing on developing voice, style, audience awareness, and the use of concrete detail.
• Other informal papers such as blackboard or email postings, journal entries, letters, reflection essays, evaluations, proposals, abstracts, etc.
• Many sections include collaborative learning opportunities and/or a service learning project.

The focus of all Honors 150 sections is on writing, not on literature, though readings are used to support the teaching of writing.

Current Texts:

Jorgensen, Readings for Intensive Writers, 5th Edition. A collection of fiction and non-fiction texts which illustrates good writing from writers, in and out of the LDS community.

Honors 300 students, Why Write: A Guide to BYU Honors University Writing, 2006. Written and published by former Honors 150 students for the benefit of incoming Honors 150 students. This text introduces the writing process and the genres taught in Honors 150. In addition it teaches students how to get around, and along, at BYU.

Honors 150 Enhancement Activities:

For students, one of the attractions of taking Honors classes is the opportunity, through extracurricular activities, to get to know faculty and peers on an informal basis. Such enhancement activities held outside of class on campus or in faculty homes, are an important part of our course. To facilitate these activities, the Honors Program works with faculty to help fund them. Honors 150 teachers are interested in the future of their students in the Honors program and actively promote the idea of graduating with honors through the assignments we require, the activities we support, and the books we read which often fit in with various requirements for graduation with Honors.