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First Year English Courses

Welcome to the First-Year English page. This page will provide information about ENGL 101, 102, and 104. If, after reading this page, you still have questions, please send a message to Dr. McCord, the Director of First-Year English at mikemcc@mccordmail.com or, call 218.477.5860.

This page will first supply general information about First-Year English. Next, this page will provide specific information about ENGL 101, ENGL 102, and ENGL 104.

Policy on Overrides

To help accommodate students' busy schedules, the English Department offers numerous sections of ENGL 101 and 102 each semester, including sections at various times during the day and evening. So that all students may experience excellent instruction in classes of moderate size, the English Department will not ordinarily offer overrides into full ENGL 101 or 102 sections if other sections remain open. Of course, you may have extenuating circumstances that make your situation truly unique (for example, you were on active military duty during the normal registration period); if that is the case, please talk to the Director of First-Year English (contact info above).

Outcomes Statement for First-Year English
Memorandum to Students

English 101

The First-Year Composition and Literature I course stresses expository writing (essays that explain, narrate experience, describe, compare, interpret, analyze, and persuade). In this course students will be asked to read and write with thoughtfulness, skill, and honesty, to think critically, and to develop and defend assertions. Students will also read numerous works of non-fiction and fiction and other genres. In addition, students will receive a general introduction to library resources.

English 101 Exemption Exam

The English Department offers an exemption exam for English 101. This examination requires you to read a literary work -- you can take it home with you and read it at your leisure -- and then to respond to your choice of several questions with a fully-developed and effective essay during a proctored examination. Please contact the Director of First-Year English to arrange a time to take the examination.

Members of the First-Year English Committee will read student exam essay responses and make decisions regarding exemption. Since there are five members of the committee, it can take some time to read student essays, so plan to take the exam well in advance of the time you would normally enroll in the course.

Do be aware that if you are successful in the exemption exam, you will not receive credit for ENGL 101. You won't have to take the course, but you will have to replace those four Liberal Studies "A" credits with four different Liberal Studies "A" credits. Also, if you later transfer to another institution that requires two composition courses, (and many do), you may very well have to take a course that is equivalent to ENGL 101 because your transcript will not show that you have completed the course at MSUM.

Finally, MSUM regulations do not permit students to take the ENGL 101 exemption exam if they have ever registered in ENGL 101. This means that if you registered for the course but never attended or withdrew, you may not take the exemption exam. Because this regulation is in place, you must bring a copy of your transcripts when you pick up the literary work upon which the examination is based.

English 102

The First-Year Composition and Literature II course stresses expository writing (essays that explain, describe, compare, interpret, analyze, and persuade). In this course students will be asked to read and write with thoughtfulness, skill, and honesty, to think critically, to develop and defend assertions, and to make use of library and other research sources that require crediting the writing of others in a responsible manner. Students will also read numerous works of poetry and drama and other genres.

English 102 Exemption Exam

The English Department does not offer an exemption examination for ENGL 102.

English 104

This arranged, variable credit course is designed for transfer students, or for returning MSUM students who, because of curricular conversion, do not have sufficient credits in Freshman English Composition. The course will be tailored to meet the genres or elements that are missing (poetry, drama, novel, research paper, etc.).

Permission to enroll in this class must be obtained from the Director of First-Year English. Students are strongly advised to contact the director prior to the end of the early registration period so they may arrange favorable class meeting times for the following semester.