Course Welcome
College Composition I
Hello and welcome to CM 107: College Composition I! My name is William Johnson…you can call me William or Professor Johnson, whichever you prefer. I am looking forward to meeting all of you this week. Upon entering our class, be sure to carefully read through all of our class announcements.
If you are nervous about taking this course, don’t be! I am here to help you improve your writing skills, and with practice, anyone can become a better writer. Never hesitate to ask questions and seek help—I want everyone to succeed in this class!
If you are nervous about taking this course, don’t be! I am here to help you improve your writing skills, and with practice, anyone can become a better writer. Never hesitate to ask questions and seek help—I want everyone to succeed in this class!
It's great to meet you!
I'm so excited to get started in our course! Before you get going, here are some important things to keep in mind this week:
- The first thing you need to know is that you CAN do this course. If you’re worrying about not being a good writer, don’t. Writing is a skill, just like playing the piano. If you wanted to learn how to play the piano, you’d take lessons and practice. You wouldn’t expect to be an instant expert. This class will provide you with writing lessons. It’s up to you to practice. If you practice, you will become a competent writer. Although I enjoy writing, grammar, and punctuation, I realize that not everyone shares my interests. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of you don’t like writing and are dreading taking this course. If that is the case, let me put your mind at rest. This course won’t be nearly as bad as you’ve been imagining. If you work with me, you might even find it to be fun!
- Second, if you’re new to this computer “stuff,” relax. It’s not as hard as it looks. Just make sure to save copies of everything you send me. Things get lost in CyberSpace and if you don’t keep copies, you’ll wish you had. If you have copies, you can send assignments again.
- Third, if you’re like most of the rest of my students, you’re working, going to school, caring for family, etc., etc., etc. I’ve done that, too, and I know how difficult it can be. If you have a problem or fall behind, let me know so we can work out something. Completing this course so you can complete your degree is too important to let obstacles stand in your way.
- Next, I want warn you about my blue “ink pen." My job as your instructor is to help you to write better. To do this, I am likely to mark up your compositions with colors, particularly blue. Do not take my markings personally. It’s only colored “ink” and if you read what I’ve written, hopefully, you’ll find what I’ve written helpful.
- Finally, there are no dumb questions. No one is born knowing how to write. If you have questions or need help, I am only an e-mail away. I will be online every day, Monday through Friday. If you haven’t heard from me by the next day, e-mail me again. Sometimes messages get lost in Cyber Space. I will be online Saturday or Sunday, but usually not both days.
Again, make sure to save copies of everything you send me. I look forward to working with each of you. Please remember that I am here to ensure your success in our class so be sure to contact me the moment you have any questions or need any assistance.
Here's to a great semester!!
William Johnson
Purdue University Global
School of General Education
Wjohnson3@purdueglobal.eduResources & Additional Info
Office Hours
My office hours are by appointment. We are now conducting office hours through Google Chat or Hangout. Feel free to review information about this system here: Click Here.
Adobe Reader
You will need Adobe Reader to access some of the course materials. You can download this program for free at: Click Here.
PowerPoint
I will also post PowerPoint presentations (particularly those that I use in the seminars) to view, so you should download a PowerPoint viewer as well if you don’t have it already: Click Here.