English 1101 and English 1102, collectively known as First-Year Composition (FYC) make up the A1 area of the core curriculum for associate and baccalaureate programs. The English department teaches these courses.
Since Harvard first required writing classes for incoming college students in the late 19th century, the majority of American colleges and universities ask their students to take required writing classes early in their academic career. Although research shows introductory college writing classes cannot provide everything a student will need to be a strong writer, these courses strive to teach students knowledge and practices of writing that will help them succeed in the writing they do in the future, not only in courses but also in other contexts.
FYC courses strive to teach the knowledge and practices from the Council of Writing Program Administrators' Outcomes Statement for First-Year Composition: