The English Program
Lower Division Core Course Offerings

UNM-Taos English Faculty Bios
The English Program at UNM-Taos is divided into five curricula, described below:  (1) The Preparatory Writing Curriculum, (2) The Freshman Writing Curriculum, (3) The Advanced Writing Curriculum, (4) The Literature Curriculum, and (5) The Creative Writing Curriculum.

The Preparatory Writing Curriculum
Students who require intensive practice in writing-based skills and techniques may be placed in either English Fundamentals (ENG010) or Essay Writing (ENG100), the successful completion of which allows for entry to Expository Writing. Students interested in developing skills necessary for writing for institutional purposes (business, government, advanced education), may enroll in Technical and Professional Writing (ENG219) once they have completed English 102 or its equivalent.

English Fundamentals (010) and Essay Writing (100)
These courses offer students skills- and techniques-based practice in basic writing.  While English Fundamentals focuses primarily on sentences structure and linkage, Essay Writing concentrates on paragraph development and short essays.  In both courses, students are encouraged to identify their strengths in writing by drafting and revising their work from feedback by both peers and the instructor.  Both courses are supplemented by a one-credit workshop in reading (Reading I and Reading II) designed to introduce students to the important role reading plays in the writing process.

The Freshman Writing Curriculum
Each semester the English department offers two courses in composition that are transferable to all accredited colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.  These courses, Expository Writing (ENG101) and Argument and Analysis (ENG102), are required for most degree and certificate programs.  Although their primary objective is to introduce students to the conventions of academic writing, they also seek to meet the various needs of many in the Taos community who would like to sharpen their skills in writing, reading, and critical thinking.

Composition 1: Exposition (101)
This course encourages students to think, read, and compose as writers think, read, and compose.  Cultivating one’s written “voice,” first in personal essays then in more formal academic ones, is a primary objective.  Nonliterary prose texts may be read and responded to critically, in both writing and classroom discussion, with particular attention given to the stylistic features of published writing. In addition, students learn to read their own writing critically and, from feedback provided by both instructors and peers, revise their drafts into clear, readable, thoughtful essays. In the second half of the semester, students are introduced to the conventions of academic discourse.  They conduct research and compose an expository essay that distinguishes them as experts on their topics. In addition to satisfying the first-stage freshman writing requirement of most colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada, Expository Writing is an excellent “refresher” course for those interested in brushing up their skills or writing for practical purposes.

Composition 2: Argument and Analysis in Writing (102)
Students who successfully pass (with a C or higher) Expository Writing may then enter this course, which encourages students to explore, in both writing and discussion, a wide variety of issues garnered from both literary and nonliterary texts by published writers.  Students are encouraged to engage, analyze, and synthesize complex ideas in essays that are persuasive in style and voice.  As in Expository Writing, writing in this class is conceived as part of a larger process that includes reading and critical thinking; however, these components of the process receive greater emphasis than in the previous course.

COMPASS Entrance Examination
Most students are required to take the COMPASS placement exam when they enroll in one of the above courses.  This examination is administered by CASA (the Center for Academic Success and Achievement).  Please consult an academic advisor to see if you need to take this examination or not.

Transferability of Credits
In order for the above courses to transfer to other colleges and universities, students must receive a grade of C or higher.  Students who receive a C- in either of the above courses must reenroll.  Students transferring to UNM-Taos from other institutions must provide an academic transcript and syllabi showing comparability between writing courses taken elsewhere with the courses detailed above.  Courses in which the student received a C- or lower will not satisfy the writing requirements of this writing program.

Final Essay Assessment
Students in the above two courses must submit a example of their written work at each semester’s end for review by all freshman writing instructors in the English Program. 

The Advanced Writing Curriculum
Our advanced writing curriculum offers students the opportunity to fine-tune their writing skills and practice writing in a variety of styles and discourses.  Students who have successfully completed English 101 and English 102 may enroll in our advanced writing courses for credit.  Students who have not taken English 101/102 may audit these courses.

Technical and Professional Writing (219)
This course is designed to immerse students in institutional discourse as employed by businesses, corporations, government agencies, and higher education.  Students will chose a topic relevant to their interests or careers and develop it substantially throughout the semester.  This process will involve writing professional correspondence, proposals, critiques and summaries of researched sources, and a final full-length report (or study) that clearly establishes their authority over the subject matter.  In the workshop-based classroom, students will consult frequently with the instructor and collaborate with peer-colleagues throughout the semester.  This course is offered each fall semester.

Expository Writing (220)
Operating within a theme chosen by the instructor (for instance, "The Natural World," "Chicana Writing," "Justice and Injustice"), students will read and write in a variety of styles--academic, journalistic, narrative, etc.--and become acquainted with the exciting possibilities opened up by the world of nonfiction prose.  Expository Writing is offered each spring semester.

The Literature Curriculum
The English Department offers a number of electives in literature, two of which are described below.  Occasionally , courses such as "Topics in Literature,"  "Greek Mythology,"  "Introduction to Chicano/a Literature," and other courses found in the UNM Catalog (under "English" in the "Arts and Sciences" section) are offered.  Most of these courses require a prerequisite of English 101 (sometimes English 102) or the permission of the instructor. Students who have not taken the prerequisite courses, however, may audit our literature offerings.

Early American Literature (296)
This survey in Early American Literature begins with the traditional songs and oral narratives of some Native American cultures and ends with mid-19^th century American prose and poetry.  In between, students will study the nautical logs of the European explorers, the records and literature of the thirteen colonies, slave songs and narratives, the religious tracts of the Great Awakening, and texts reflective of broad cultural movements like the Enlightenment and Romanticism.  This class is offered every fall semester.

Later American Literature (297)
This course (ENG297) surveys the literature of the United States since the mid-19^th century through the contemporary period.  While the major cultural movements of this time period—realism, modernism, postmodernism—serve as the general context for the course contents, the survey also looks at slave narratives, the regional and “local color” writing of women, the Harlem Renaissance, and the literature of the southwest.  This class is offered every spring semester.

The Creative Writing Curriculum

Students eager to engage in writing poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction will find more than enough opportunity in the courses offered below.  Although each course has an "emphasis" in one of the three genres, students will be encouraged to read and write in other genres as well.  These courses are taught by professional writers who have published and continue to publish in reputable literary journals and magazines.  Some of our creative writing instructors have published books as well.

Introduction to Creative Writing--Fiction (221)
In this course, students will read and write in both poetry and fiction, but with a greater emphasis on fiction.  The process of composing will be explored at length.  Issues of craft will be studied and practiced in a workshop-based environment.  Becoming acquainted with the conventions of the primary genre (in this case, fiction), developing a vocabulary for critiquing, and adopting strategies for revision and "reading as a writer" are essential objectives of this course.  This course is offered each fall semester.

Introduction to Creative Writing--Poetry (222)
In this course, students will read and write in both fiction and poetry, but with a greater emphasis on poetry.  The process of composing will be explored at length.  Issues of craft will be studied and practiced in a workshop-based environment.  Becoming acquainted with the conventions of the primary genre (in this case, poetry), developing a vocabulary for critiquing, and adopting strategies for revision and "reading as a writer" are essential objectives of this course.  This course is offered each spring semester.

Introduction for Creative Writing--Creative Nonfiction (223)
In this course, students will read and write in both fiction and nonfiction, but with a greater emphasis on nonfiction.  The process of composing will be explored at length.  Issues of craft will be studied and practiced in a workshop-based environment.  Becoming acquainted with the conventions of the primary genre (in this case, creative nonfiction), developing a vocabulary for critiquing, and adopting strategies for revision and "reading as a writer" are essential objectives of this course.  This course is offered each summer term.