Fall 2026

Introduction to College Composition

Introduction to College Composition focuses on rhetorical reading, writing, and information literacy.

offering recorded3 credits
Recorded instructors · Fall 2026 Kate Merz4.3/5Josh Kalscheur4.1/5Sara Kelm3.8/5 +38 more

Summary

1 / 6

The course involves frequent writing assignments and peer reviews. Weekly tasks build upon each other, requiring students to complete pre-class readings and engage in mandatory participation.

Grade history

↗
average GPA
letter grades
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All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors

Prerequisites

Course map

Students required to take the MSN ESLAT cannot enroll until theESL 118requirement is satisfied

    • ESL 118
    • Students required to take the MSN ESLAT
    take all
ENGL 100

This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.

Prerequisite text tree
  • All of
    • ESL 118
    • Students required to take the MSN ESLAT

Professors

Fall 2026

Kate Merz

/5Adjusted rating
/5RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 4.74/5 from 31 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.

For this course: 4.7/5 raw quality · 2.0/5 difficulty · 3 reviews

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

Kate Merz is described as friendly, helpful, and flexible, particularly in online settings. Reviewers note she is an easy grader who provides broad paper topics and detailed feedback, though grading turnaround can be slow. She is recommended for students seeking a chill and understanding instructor.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=18 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.88 GPA, 96.3% A/AB (n=54 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.96 GPA, 97.2% A/AB (n=36 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.

Josh Kalscheur

/5Adjusted rating
/5RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 5.00/5 from 10 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.

For this course: 5.0/5 raw quality · 1.7/5 difficulty · 7 reviews

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

Josh Kalscheur is described as caring, supportive, and passionate about the subject. Reviewers highlight his accommodating nature, clear expectations, and provision of thoughtful feedback. He is recommended for his kindness and dedication to student learning.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 3.93 GPA, 97.4% A/AB (n=38 letter grades); Fall 2025: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=19 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.84 GPA, 94.7% A/AB (n=19 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.

/5Adjusted rating
/5RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 5.00/5 from 2 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2024: 3.83 GPA, 93.0% A/AB (n=1085 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.90 GPA, 96.4% A/AB (n=1195 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.90 GPA, 96.1% A/AB (n=968 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.

/5Adjusted rating
/5RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 5.00/5 from 1 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

Nabiha Mansoor is described as understanding, accessible, and great, with a teaching style that breaks writing assignments into manageable parts and drafts. She provides ample time for writing and allows in-class work, though attendance is mandatory.

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2021: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=15 letter grades); Spring 2022: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=18 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2025: 3.84 GPA, 94.7% A/AB (n=19 letter grades); Spring 2026: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=18 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2025: 3.79 GPA, 91.7% A/AB (n=36 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.67 GPA, 88.9% A/AB (n=18 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2025: 3.84 GPA, 94.7% A/AB (n=19 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.92 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=18 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 3.67 GPA, 76.8% A/AB (n=56 letter grades); Fall 2025: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=37 letter grades); Spring 2026: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=19 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2025: 3.97 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=18 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.79 GPA, 94.7% A/AB (n=19 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2024: 3.96 GPA, 97.3% A/AB (n=37 letter grades); Spring 2025: 3.79 GPA, 94.7% A/AB (n=19 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.89 GPA, 94.4% A/AB (n=18 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2025: 3.95 GPA, 94.7% A/AB (n=19 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.89 GPA, 94.7% A/AB (n=19 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2025: 3.95 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=19 letter grades); Spring 2026: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=18 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2024: 3.87 GPA, 94.7% A/AB (n=19 letter grades); Spring 2025: 3.94 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=17 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 3.97 GPA, 98.3% A/AB (n=58 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.95 GPA, 98.2% A/AB (n=56 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.93 GPA, 94.7% A/AB (n=38 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2025: 3.91 GPA, 93.8% A/AB (n=16 letter grades); Spring 2026: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=19 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 3.96 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=57 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.97 GPA, 98.2% A/AB (n=57 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.89 GPA, 97.4% A/AB (n=38 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.

Oscar Useche is described as funny, enthusiastic, and caring, with students noting his interactive teaching style and generous grading. Reviewers highlight his clear communication and thorough feedback on writing assignments, though some mention his accent or word arrangement can occasionally be unusual.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 3.89 GPA, 97.3% A/AB (n=37 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.78 GPA, 94.7% A/AB (n=38 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.84 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=19 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2025: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=19 letter grades); Spring 2026: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=16 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2025: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=19 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.72 GPA, 88.9% A/AB (n=18 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.

No course-specific feedback yet.

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2025: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=19 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.92 GPA, 94.7% A/AB (n=19 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.

Historical instructors & teaching patterns

No current instructor reviews exist. Historical reviews highlight varied experiences, with some instructors praised for helpful feedback and engaging lectures, while others faced criticism for being boring or tough graders. Students generally valued clear standards and supportive environments across different teaching styles.

AARON VIETH is recorded teaching in Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2020. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

ADDISON MCDANIEL is recorded teaching in Fall 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

AUDREY GRADZEWICZ is recorded teaching in Fall 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

CAROLINE MCCRAW is recorded teaching in Fall 2021, Spring 2022. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

DERICK MATTERN is recorded teaching in Fall 2014, Spring 2015. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

DYLAN WEIR is recorded teaching in Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

EVANGELINE WILDER is recorded teaching in Fall 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

GABRIELLA BALZA is recorded teaching in Fall 2020, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Fall 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

GENGQI XIAO is recorded teaching in Fall 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

HEATHER SWAN is recorded teaching in Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

IMAN SHEYDAEI BAGHDADEH is recorded teaching in Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Fall 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

JASON ROCHA is recorded teaching in Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2017, Fall 2018. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

JORDAN COSTANZA is recorded teaching in Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Fall 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

JOSEPH TURNER is recorded teaching in Fall 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

JOSH KALSCHEUR is recorded teaching in Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Fall 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

KATE MERZ is recorded teaching in Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Fall 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

LUCAS ANNEAR is recorded teaching in Fall 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

MACY FLOYD is recorded teaching in Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

MAREK MAKOWSKI is recorded teaching in Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

MARI LEWIS is recorded teaching in Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2020, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2025, Fall 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

MARIAM BALOGUN is recorded teaching in Fall 2024, Spring 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

MARJORIE RHINE is recorded teaching in Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Fall 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

NABIHA MANSOOR is recorded teaching in Fall 2021, Spring 2022. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

NAFISA OMAR is recorded teaching in Fall 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

NICHOLAS STORY is recorded teaching in Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Fall 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

OSCAR USECHE is recorded teaching in Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Fall 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

ROGELIO RAMIRES is recorded teaching in Fall 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

SARA KELM is recorded teaching in Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

WILLIAM ZENG is recorded teaching in Fall 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

ZIMO KONG is recorded teaching in Fall 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Calendar & sections

Fall 2026

Schedule loads here as you scroll.

SectionModeEnrolled / capacityWaitlist
LEC 001Classroom Instruction0 / 00
LEC 003Classroom Instruction0 / 00
LEC 010Classroom Instruction18 / 190
LEC 011Classroom Instruction16 / 190
LEC 012Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 016Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 019Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 021Classroom Instruction18 / 190
LEC 023Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 024Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 028Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 030Classroom Instruction18 / 190
LEC 034Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 035Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 039Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 041Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 046Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 048Classroom Instruction0 / 00
LEC 050Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 020Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 015Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 052Classroom Instruction18 / 190
LEC 007Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 053Classroom Instruction0 / 00
LEC 054Classroom Instruction0 / 00
LEC 058Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 061Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 078Classroom Instruction0 / 00
LEC 082Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 017Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 018Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 026Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 027Classroom Instruction0 / 00
LEC 029Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 032Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 037Classroom Instruction0 / 00
LEC 044Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 055Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 060Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 066Classroom Instruction0 / 00
LEC 077Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 079Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 080Classroom Instruction0 / 00
LEC 086Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 088Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 013Classroom Instruction18 / 190
LEC 006Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 031Classroom Instruction0 / 00
LEC 033Classroom Instruction0 / 00
LEC 042Classroom Instruction0 / 00
LEC 047Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 051Classroom Instruction18 / 190
LEC 064Classroom Instruction0 / 00
LEC 068Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 073Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 075Classroom Instruction0 / 00
LEC 076Classroom Instruction15 / 190
LEC 087Classroom Instruction0 / 00
LEC 089Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 090Classroom Instruction0 / 00
LEC 056Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 049Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 038Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 002Classroom Instruction19 / 190
LEC 004Classroom Instruction19 / 190

Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections. Enrollment reflects scan time.

Meeting source records
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Student experience

the class

Josh Kalscheur is described by reviewers as supportive and clear, using grading contracts that reward effort. These students found his class easy and appreciated his generous grading and care for students.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 3.85 GPA, 93.4% A/AB (n=1130 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.89 GPA, 95.7% A/AB (n=1239 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.90 GPA, 95.7% A/AB (n=1010 letter grades).

difficulty & workload

The course involves frequent writing assignments and peer reviews. Weekly tasks build upon each other, requiring students to complete pre-class readings and engage in mandatory participation.

Students appreciate flexible, accessible instructors like Kate Merz and Óscar Useche who provide helpful feedback. Some note that Useche’s accent can be occasionally difficult to understand despite clear teaching.

Topics

  • Rhetorical reading and writing
  • Communication skills
  • Information literacy

Skills

  • Rhetorical reading, listening, and writing abilities
  • Written and spoken communication
  • Information literacy

Grades

Historical instructor

Fall 2026 · Projected

Before grades are released

– average GPA

Approximate 80% prediction interval

About this estimate

The course’s semester-average GPA, not an individual student’s grade. The center uses 5 same-season terms, weighted toward recent results.

The range uses the finite-sample 80th-percentile rank of absolute errors from earlier same-season forecasts. Each forecast uses only records from earlier terms. At least four forecasts are required; bounds are rounded outward and limited to 0–4. This is an empirical estimate: changing instructors or grading policies can reduce its coverage.

8 earlier forecasts · 0.04 GPA average error.

Grades over time

Through Fall 2026

More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data

Where this course fits relative to

Latest available grades · Spring 2026 · all course levels

GPA

Higher than % of other courses in this group.

Course GPAs · red marks this course’s range

letter grades

More recorded grades than % of other courses in this group.

Typical course in this group: letter grades.

About this comparison

1283 courses over the same term, each with at least 30 recorded letter grades. Cross-listed courses count once. GPA is not a measure of difficulty or teaching quality. The typical course is the median by recorded grade count; tied values are not counted as lower. Grade counts describe course scale, not unique students or typical section size.

Descriptions compare GPA with this group’s average: at least 0.20 higher or lower; otherwise close to average. Section size uses median recorded enrollment: small up to 30, mid-sized 31–99, large 100+. Lectures and discussion/lab sections are described separately.

Sources & history

UW–Madison

Catalog & offerings

Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.

Catalog observation history

Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.

Download part 1
Selected offering source records
ENGL 100 · Fall 2026

Introduction to College Composition

Recorded 2026-09-07
Raw records
[
  {
    "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4",
    "semester": "1272",
    "observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00",
    "offering_id": "1272:352:006721",
    "course_id": "ENGL 100",
    "course_uid": "course_d80dccb1baca4b05890eda4d",
    "term_id": "1272",
    "source_course_id": "006721",
    "source_subject_id": "352",
    "title": "Introduction to College Composition",
    "credits_min": 3,
    "credits_max": 3,
    "typically_offered": "Fall, Spring, Summer"
  }
]
Rate My Professors

Student reviews

Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.

Read original reviews
Download part 1
Madgrades

Grade history

Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.

Explore recorded grades
Dataset & model

Recorded 2026-09-07

Download the original dataset
Model outputs & technical records
nvidia/Qwen3.6-35B-A3B-NVFP4
LLM outputs across runs
Download part 1Download part 2
Full model traces

Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.

Download part 1Download part 2Download part 3Download part 4Download part 5
Model & dataset provenance
{
  "model": "nvidia/Qwen3.6-35B-A3B-NVFP4",
  "model_revision": "1355db6a052410cfd62085d94b58866fd0f2c3c5",
  "task_version": "14",
  "output_id": "7e5da975d468c472ae3751501b29d296c4e824f7f42e22ad394486241a15b528",
  "requirements_status": "needs_review",
  "dataset_revision": "e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349",
  "observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00"
}