Overview of English Composition Sequence

Introduction to College Reading and Composition I (ICRC I)

  • 6 non-credits
  • 2 days/week in a regular class room and 2 days/week in a computer lab
  • Students place directly into this course by the placement test
  • An intensive developmental course designed to provide students with the foundations needed for academic reading and writing

Introduction to College Reading and Composition II (ICRC II)

  • 4 non-credits
  • 1 day/week in a regular classroom and 1 day/week in a computer lab
  • Students can place directly into this course by the placement test or by the Portfolio Session
  • An intensive developmental course designed to provide students with the foundations needed for academic reading and writing

Grades for ICRC I and ICRC II:

At the end of every semester, there is a Portfolio Session that reviews completed portfolios from students in both ICRC I and ICRC II and assigns a placement.

The placement determines the grade the student receives as follows:

  • English Composition I: A
  • English Composition I with Workshop: B
  • ICRC II: C
  • Repeat: X
  • Fail and repeat: F

English Composition I with Workshop

  • 3 non-credits (for Workshop) and 3 college credits (for English Composition I)
  • Students register for both English Composition I and the Workshop course linked to that section of English Composition I.
  • Students can place directly into this course by the placement test or by the Portfolio Session.
  • This course meets all of the requirements of English Composition I but with the extra 3 non-credits, it includes more support and activities to help students meet the expectations for English Composition I.
  • Students receive a letter grade for English Composition I and Pass/Fail for English Composition I Workshop. If a student receives a D or higher in English Composition I, they also receive a Pass in Workshop.

English Composition I

  • 3 college credits
  • A first-semester composition course designed to develop critical reading and thinking skills and to write thesis-driven, text-based essays
  • Students primarily read non-fiction essays.
  • Students receive a letter grade. A grade of D or higher is considered passing and allows the student to fulfill the RVCC graduation requirement and move ahead to English Composition II. However, a grade of D does not transfer.

English Composition II

  • 3 college credits
  • The second in a two-course composition sequence that continues to expand and refine analytical writing and critical reading skills
  • Students primarily read literature, but this course is not a literature course; it is a composition course.
  • Students receive a letter grade. A grade of D or higher is considered passing and allows the student to fulfill the RVCC graduation requirement. However, a grade of D does not transfer.