You already know how to write well; otherwise, you would not have been admitted to Brockport. You will take a college composition course here in order to develop the advanced skills needed to thrive in the academic community.

To become a successful scholar, you must learn to question your own reasoning strategies as well as those of others. This kind of critical thinking is enhanced by writing, which is a discipline that forces one to think with precision.

Effective writing is a sweaty, messy process, full of false starts, reversals, and thrilling surges forward. Good writers continually revise their work to clarify their meaning for themselves and their readers. This concern for audience suggests that writing is an inherently social endeavor, which is why you will engage in research.

A composition course is eminently useful. Its focus is not on the accrual of knowledge but on the crafting of skills. Think of your composition class as an academic “boot camp” where you start to develop muscles that you’ll use throughout your college career.

The composition program at Brockport consists of two classes:

  • ENG 102 provides foundational skills in expository writing and intensive work on the production of standard, written English.
  • ENG 112 focuses on the writing process, argumentative writing, and research. This course meets one of the general education requirements at the University.

Based on test scores and high school grades, students are placed into one of these classes. In rare cases, the composition requirement is waived.

University Attendance Policy

Your composition course will be conducted like a writing workshop. Because peer revision experiences and other group activities cannot be replicated outside the classroom, much of the work done in class cannot be “made up.”

The University’s Attendance Policy can be found on the University-wide policy page.

Departmental Policies

All departmental policies operate in accordance with their respective overarching University-wide policy. All University-wide policies can be found on the main University-wide policy wepbage.