First-Year Writing Program

Welcome to the First-Year Writing Program at John Carroll University. Our program is committed to University-wide writing excellence, a commitment that is reflected in the makeup of the English department, in its programs, and in the implementation of writing-intensive courses in John Carroll’s Integrative Core Curriculum.

First-Year Writing at John Carroll is part of the written expression requirement in the Integrative Core curriculum.

In the foundational writing courses, students gain knowledge of the expectations of academic writing, including the discovery and revision components of the writing process, and other principles of coherent and persuasive writing. These courses focus on the development of fundamental academic writing skills not tied to any particular discipline.

Our program is informed by process-based pedagogies, by social constructionist principles, and by cross-curricular writing instruction. The program draws on the ideas that best serve students’ learning and development as thinkers, readers, and writers. “Speaking, listening, reading, and writing,” says educator Ann Berthoff, “are acts of mind by which we make meaning.”

This site has information on our staff and our program philosophy. In addition, composition instructors will find helpful resources, such as sample syllabi and other materials. Faculty across the University will also find resources to help them integrate writing more successfully in their courses. We’ve also linked related sites, such as the JCU Writing Center and various on-line resources for writers and writing teachers