The Composition Program, housed in the Department of English, prepares UCI students for the communication challenges of the 21st century. To that end, we offer two required first-year writing courses: in WR 50 (formerly WR 39B), students focus on critical reading and rhetorical analysis of texts across a variety of genres and media. In WR 60 (formerly WR 39C), students research current cultural, scientific, and social issues with an eye toward writing in the disciplines.  Both courses consider writing in a larger communication context that includes digital literacy and speech. We also offer an array of foundational courses: WR 40 (formerly WR 39A) and WR 45 (formerly WR 37) help undergraduates develop literacy in traditional academic genres.