First-Year Writing Program

As one of the earliest courses of study for most Huskies, First-Year Writing bridges students' reading, writing, and research skills developed prior to entering the university with those necessary for long-term success both in academia and beyond. This course provides students with skills and knowledge that will help prepare them to develop academic literacy skills and aims to provide students with a rigorous introduction to the kinds of tasks they will do as a college student, to familiarize them with campus resources related to research and writing, and to help them develop portable critical reading, research, and writing processes that they will continue to develop in subsequent courses.

First-Year Writing Courses

UN 1014 - College Writing and Reading

This course focuses on rhetorical awareness, genre analysis, and writing for diverse audiences, purposes, and contexts. Students develop foundational skills and strategies in critical writing and reading for college with a focus on developing flexible writing processes.

Credits: 3.0
Lec-Rec-Lab: (3-0-0)
Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Class(es): Freshman

UN 1015 - College Writing, Reading, and Research

This course develops students' critical reading, writing, and research skills with a focus on strategies for information literacy, genre analysis, and source-based writing. Class projects ask students to write in multiple genres with attention to audience, purpose, and context.

Credits: 3.0
Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Class(es): Freshman, Sophomore

Contact

Holly Hassel

Professor of Writing Studies
Director, First-Year Writing Program

hjhassel@mtu.edu
Walker 310

Jack Van Treese

Visiting Assistant Teaching Professor
Associate Director, First-Year Writing Program

jmvantre@mtu.edu
Walker 339

Jordan Dagenais

PhD Student
Graduate Teaching Instructor
Assistant Director of Composition

jpdagena@mtu.edu
Walker 314

Paw Prints: The Michigan Tech Journal of First-Year Writing

Students in UN 1015: Composition have the opportunity to submit their major core assignment—the research journal article—for publication in our online and print academic journal, Paw Prints. Initially launched in Spring 2025 by students in HU 3606: Editing, the journal serves as an opportunity to highlight excellence in researched academic writing. The journal publishes two issues per year and is available online.