Introduction, Mission, & CompetenciesPage address: http://english.mnsu.edu/composition/introduction.html
Composition plays an important role in the General Education program at Minnesota State Mankato. The purpose of the General Education program is to equip students with "those capabilities essential for all college-educated adults facing the twenty-first century," including "[s]kills needed for effective understanding and communication of ideas," achieved through "reading, listening, critical and integrative thinking, writing, speaking, and technological literacy" (2009-2010 Undergraduate Bulletin). The introductory writing courses offered through the Writing Program foster these skills.
The General Education program consists of thirteen goal areas. Composition falls under Goal Area 1: Communication. It is one of three constituents of this goal area:
Goal Area 1: Communication:
Part A) Composition
Part B) Speech and Oral Reasoning
Part C) Writing Intensive
To fulfill Part A of Goal Area 1, students must enroll in English 101, a one-semester, four-credit writing course, and pass it with a grade of "C" or higher. This course "offers students knowledge and skills that can be applied to a range of writing situations and provides them with multiple, varied opportunities to apply and reflect on what they are learning about writing."
Some students benefit from taking an additional writing course, prior to enrolling in English 101, to strengthen their preparation for college-level writing. The English Placement Test is used to determine when an additional writing course is appropriate for a student.