Spring 2022

Writing the College Experience

Listed in: , as EDST-121  |  English, as ENGL-121

Faculty

Kristina H. Reardon (Section 01)

Description

(Offered as ENGL 121 and EDST 121) What does equity and access look like in college? What should it look like? In this course, students will learn to critique power structures that have created boundaries around higher education, and they will build their critical reading and writing skills through short, low-stakes weekly writing and three major papers that will be revised many times. We will consider how students’ intersectional identities (i.e.: how class, race, gender, and disability, among others) help them navigate college or create barriers to equity and access. We’ll learn how learning is shaped by cultural and rhetorical contexts. As we read, we will pay close attention to the way that writers build arguments to levy their own critiques with evidence, as well as how they organize texts and edit their own work, with an eye on developing our own strategies for using these skills in this course and others. We will work together to develop a community of writers who can mutually support each other through their own multifaceted college experiences.

Preference given to first-year Amherst College students. Admission with consent of the instructor. Limited to 15 students. Spring semester. Lecturer Reardon.

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: emphasis on written work, readings, and revision Students with documented disabilities who will require accommodations in this course should be in consultation with Accessibility Services and reach out to the faculty member as soon as possible to ensure that accommodations can be made in a timely manner.

Offerings

2023-24: Not offered
Other years: Offered in Spring 2022