Writing (WRIT)
Focuses on some of the major areas of scholarship related to the practice of writing: literacy practices; historical accounts of writing instruction; the relationship of classical rhetoric to contemporary writing; writing across the curriculum; studies of professional and workplace writing; computers and writing; social, political and economic dimensions of writing; and others. Prereq: ENGL 110.
Explores games, board games, videogames and world building to broaden students’ understanding of writing, writing practices, and rhetoric. This course explores how the games we play help define our cultural identity and the way we approach lived experiences. This course will include writing practice, analytic practice, and production of games. Prereq: ENGL 110
Explores writing as a varied set of deliberate, artful choices in regard to designing and stylizing diverse persuasive texts, all crafted for specific audiences-emphasizing a mindful focus upon language for students at all levels of preparation. The course invites students to experience, in texts of all kinds, the interplay of argumentative structure and style that impacts readers: both rhetorical awareness and stylistic agility. As a topics course, ENGL 274 will permit instructors to select various genres of writing and styles to challenge students' practice. Prereq ENGL 110, repeatable up to 6 credits.
Introduces students to rhetorical theory and concepts useful to their lives as writers broadly defined. We will explore how people argue, persuade and identify with one another by analyzing texts across genres and historical periods. Prereq: ENGL 110, 30 credit hours
Exploration, evaluation and writing across diverse and dynamic writing contexts to create rhetorically sophisticated texts, such as memoirs, socially expressive essays or other varieties of creative nonfiction; Classical and/or Rogerian arguments; ethnographic studies; varieties of public discourses; innovative, multigenre researched writing; summaries, abstracts and literature reviews; and texts designed for websites, wikis and blogs. Prereq: ENGL 110 or equivalent, 60 s.h.
Writing of scientific and technical reports, manuals, technical articles and correspondence. Emphasis on data collection and analysis. Prereq: ENGL 110 or equivalent, 60 s.h.
Informative and persuasive writing in business and industry. Extensive practice in writing letters, memorandums, proposals and reports. Emphasis on business writing strategies and processes. Prereq: ENGL 110 or equivalent, 60 s.h.
Focuses on the role of the editor in publishing. Developing skills to improve copy for publication, designing content for websites and blogs as well as creating photographic, audio and video material for use on the web. Prereq: ENGL 110 or equivalent
Explores concepts, techniques and strategies for authoring, managing and publishing reusable web content. Covers content strategy frameworks and writing techniques used in interactive experience projects. Prerequisite: ENGL 110, 60 credit hours.
This course will teach aspiring science writers and/ or scientists to effectively write about research for audiences both inside and outside of the sciences. The course will establish the premise that science is a social enterprise that, in addition to research acumen, requires rhetorical skill. Focusing on rhetorical skill, this class will analyze the communication strategies scientists and science writers use to argue for research findings, advocate public policy positions, and communicate risk. Students will consider how scientific texts address audiences, use key terms, and argue for their validity with quantitative and visual evidence. Students will also investigate how such specialized knowledge can be effectively and ethically accommodated for non-specialist audiences. Students will be encouraged to bring their own research interests into class projects to draw from and develop their voice as an expert. Students will engage these topical interests in assigrunents in which they write for disciplinary and interdisciplinary audiences as well as for non-academic audiences. Each context will require careful analysis and sh·ategy to effectively meet audience expectations, which this course will cultivate through readings, sample analyses, and Writing exercises. In this class, students will develop a rhetorical approach to planning and producing scientific writing. This means that students will learn to analyze an audience, the purpose of the document, and the context of the document. Students will use those insights to plan, create, and revise documents that effectively communicate their message. This course will emphasize precision of language necessmy to effectively communicate science from the sentence-level up to the whole document. Students will develop skills in inventing ideas, drafting, revising and in peer review. Peer review will be an especially important skill in this class as it models the professional behavior of scientists. Prereq: ENGL 110 and 60 credit hours (Jr Status)
Analyze the rhetorical strategies of public writing, argument, and textual production. Students will apply theories of rhetoric and use rhetorical analysis to investigate genres of writing.
An introduction to the theory and practice of public discourse, with emphasis on civic discourse. Focuses on exploring the nature and function of being a citizen within a community and developing discourse skills to effect change in communities. Prereq: ENGL 311 or 312 or 313 or 316 or 318 or 319.
Explores the rhetorical practices of marginalized communities – may focus on women, African American speakers, LGBTQ+ groups, non-western rhetorics, counter-cultural groups, or other communities. The course focuses on how communities use rhetorical practices to effect social change in written, oral, and digital media, and connects earlier rhetorical traditions to contemporary examples. This course includes discussion, collaboration, essay writing, and the development of a final project. Prereq: ENGL 110
Extensive practice in writing fiction and poetry. Inquiry into the social functions and purposes of fictional and poetic writing. Prereq: ENGL 110.
Honors Creative Writing
Extensive written work focused on the creation of a professional, digital portfolio to showcase interests, experience and accomplishments to be used for application to graduate school or future employment. Critiques and considerable discussion of other student papers. Prereq: ENGL 311 or permission of instructor.
Explores the context and effect of persuasive strategies as seen through the lens of a particular topic or period of history. Provides advanced examination of rhetorical principles relevant to the topic.
Classical and modern theories of rhetoric and their application to the teaching of writing. Effective instructional methods and materials will be examined. Offered periodically.
Focus upon the rhetoric(s) of professional communication within the contexts of students' own on-the-job writing: how to thoughtfully select language, visual and audial texts, and deliberately designed formats to accommodate writers' intentions as creative problem-solvers and to meet the needs of diverse audiences. This course is designed for both practicing professionals and working people aspiring to new professional positions. In a workshop format and, at times, working in teams, students will compose modes of discourse typical of professional writing, including but not limited to electronic and/or print ad copy, web content, brochures, non-profit pamphlets, letters, informal reports, formal reports, promotional campaigns, and/or recommendations; social media writing for websites, wikis and blogs; students' own websites, wikis, and blogs.
Gain a rhetorical and theoretical understanding of how texts operate in our increasingly sophisticated online media culture. Examine these new media texts as they appear on the Internet with a particular emphasis on social media as well as old media that is being transformed by/in/to the digital. Learn to follow these processes of text (re)mediation as they take place through perceptual and temporal processes, movement, and memory.
Focuses on the theory and practice of community literacy and citizen engagement in the community. Emphasizes research on community literacy and action-oriented projects meeting community literacy needs.
Exploration of theories and practices of creative non-fiction, including but not limited to memoirs, profiles, histories, biographies, travel literature, blogging, and nature writing in diverse modes (print, digital,& visual) for diverse audiences and purposes.