Rhetoric & Composition II

COMP 2 is a sixteen-week research-based First-Year Composition (FYC) course focused on evaluating sources and making persuasive, research-based arguments, with all assignments aligned with the department’s Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs). Through four scaffolded projects and a digital ePortfolio, students conduct individual and collaborative research and reflect on their growth as writers.

COMP 2 includes four writing projects:

• Comparative Source Analysis: A five-week writing project that asks students to collaboratively design a source-credibility rubric and then apply it individually in a comparative analysis to examine how credibility shifts across academic, popular, and digital contexts. Students justify their evaluation criteria, analyze how sources establish trustworthiness, and conclude with a substantial reflection (50% of the grade) on collaboration, rubric design, source selection, and audience awareness.

• Make A Change: A six-week multi-phase group writing project that asks students to select a local community issue, conduct both primary research (e.g., surveys, interviews, observations) and secondary research, and present evidence-based recommendations in a public multimodal showcase. The project emphasizes responsible research practices, source evaluation, teamwork, and clear communication of findings to a real audience. It concludes a substantial reflection (50% of the grade) on collaboration, rubric design, source selection, and audience awareness.

• Research Paper: A three-week individual project that asks students to build on their Make A Change group research to write an APA-style research paper that provides background, reports primary research methods and findings (including limitations), and offers evidence-based recommendations or a call to action. The paper emphasizes accurate source synthesis, clear argumentation for stakeholders, and critical reflection on writing and revision.

• Reflection Overview: A two-week capstone writing project that asks students to synthesize excerpts from earlier reflections with new analysis to evaluate their development as writers. Using evidence from course projects and other writing contexts, they identify strengths, areas for improvement, and how they will transfer their learning to future academic, professional, or personal situations.