Abstract
In this article, I will trace the ideological history of FYC and the role of composition studies in higher education in order to frame academic literacies as action- and community-based value sets we share with students; then I will share pedagogical strategies I have used to re-imagine traditional, commonly assigned FYC curriculum to counter neoliberal ideology by fostering inclusive spaces for our diverse student populations. These strategies can better support faculty who are committed to approaching composition coursework in a way that cultivates student engagement and literacy in and out of academic contexts and better positions students to act meaningfully in the social environment humans collectively reproduce. Finally, I will ask readers to consider what values they reproduce in their classrooms and to consider strategies for continually improving the accessibility of and pleasure in higher education. Such work helps to cultivate a more compassionate, thoughtful culture, to “build a better, more ethical, more engaged nation” (CCCC Position Statement on Language, Power, and Action).