Faculty Senate will vote on a proposal to change the format and structure of English composition classes at its meeting on Monday.

Under the new proposal, College English I and II will be replaced by College Writing I and II.

The biggest change in the proposal will be in what year students take the courses.

Instead of taking both classes in the first year, students will take College Writing I in their freshman year and College Writing II in their sophomore year.

There will be also be a prepatory English course for “unprepared” students that will last through the fall and spring semesters. The first half of the course will be developmental, while the second half of the course will prepare students to take College Writing II, said Jerry Feezel, dean of arts and sciences. The new structure will work well for unprepared students because they will have the advantage of working with the same instructor, Feezel said.

If the proposal passes the Senate, it will go into effect in Fall 2006.

Students who have taken College English I, but not College English II will be placed in College Writing II, Feezel said.

There will be some flexibility in the new system for upper-division students who haven’t taken any composition courses, Feezel said.

“We’ll look at each individual in a case-by-case basis,” he said. “If taking one course per year would hold someone up, we would probably let them take the courses in one year.”

Under the new system, students will be better prepared to do research and write in-depth papers in their field of study, English Department Chair Ronald Corthell said.

There will be fewer classes with fewer students under the new proposal, Feezel said.

Because 20 percent to 30 percent of freshmen do not return for their sophomore year, the English department won’t have to schedule as many classes. The English department expects to schedule about 120 sections of College Writing II compared to 164 sections of College English II.

The new proposal will also reduce class size, Feezel said. Fewer students in College Writing II will allow students to have more opportunities to receive individual instruction from their professors. The department will also be able to provide more resources for students, such as computers for classes, Feezel said.

Contact academic affairs reporter Amanda Garrett at [email protected].