Rhetoric, Composition, and Language Courses Spring 2027
ENGL 359: English Grammar
Instructors: Wen Xin
62484 | TuTh 9:30-10:45 AM | Wescoe 4020
For many people, the word “grammar” can be intimidating because it conjures up painful memories of trying to master so many rules and unpleasant impressions of being considered wrong when any of the rules are broken. However, grammar can also be an effective way of understanding how language is used, a framework for describing the variation and creative potentials of the English language. In other words, grammar is a language we can use to talk about how language works. This course will not only introduce you to different grammatical elements at both word and clause levels, but it will also explore the variations of those elements across different contexts (spoken vs. written; news vs. academic writing vs. fiction). At the end of the course, I hope you will be able to use appropriate terms, concepts, and tools to analyze language in any context and to understand that language users, including yourself, use different “grammars” depending on the communicative contexts.
ENGL 362: Foundations of Technical Writing
Instructors: Cherin Russell
54494 | By appointment | Online (Jan 19-Mar 12)
54505 | By appointment | Online (Mar 22-May 14)
This course is designed to give you an introduction to the fundamentals of technical writing. Technical writing has many uses and is a common form of communication for many jobs across many fields. In this class you will learn about the rhetoric and ethics of technical communication, with particular attention paid to accessibility. We will discuss readings and real-world applications and scenarios together via Canvas, and will practice several common tech writing genres. Through reading and writing these genres, you will not only receive practice that will aid you in your future coursework and career, but you will be learning broader skills of rhetorical flexibility and audience awareness that can be applied to any writing situation.
ENGL 381: Topics in Rhetoric & Composition - Writing for Nonprofits
Instructor: Sean Kamperman
64665 | By appointment | Online
This course offers an introduction to the principles of professional communication in nonprofit organizations. Through analyzing the rhetoric of successful nonprofits and investigating case studies, students will learn how to create a range of documents central to the operation of a successful nonprofit—possibly including grant proposals, brochures, newsletters, and donor reports, among others. Readings and assignments will emphasize the ethical and rhetorical complexities of nonprofit work and prepare students to engage with a range of audiences, from donors to clients to staff. Students will hone their professional writing and strategic communication skills by undertaking service-learning projects on behalf of actual nonprofit organizations. This course is designed equally for students who are interested in nonprofit careers and those who simply want to learn more about how to be an effective communicator in an organizational setting.
ENGL 382: Composing Cultures
Instructor: Mary Jo Reiff
64667 | TuTh 12:30-1:45 PM | Wescoe 4075
In this course, you will explore how texts are culturally situated and will carry out your own investigations of a culture/subculture, community, group, or organization of your choosing. Through analysis of the rhetorical and social situations that motivate writing and investigation of a culture's discursive interactions, we will explore how a group's goals and actions are shaped by cultural contexts for writing/communicating. We will complete a range of related writing projects: an observation of a place/setting for a culture's interactions; an analysis of a culture's language or cultural artifacts; and interviews with participants in a culture or oral histories, culminating in a descriptive and analytical account of a culture or subculture.
ENGL 580: Rhetoric & Writing:
Instructor: Mary Jo Reiff
62490 | TuTh 9:30-10:45 AM | Wescoe 4019
Public deliberation is at the heart of the rhetorical tradition; however, the notion of informed citizen-rhetors rationally deliberating current issues has been challenged by the current climate of political polarization and increasingly toxic public debate; in addition, a media-saturated world and participatory media culture have also raised the stakes for informed, reasoned debate and civil discourse. In such a climate, are traditional models of rhetoric viable? Can citizen voices still be heard? This course will examine theories of rhetoric and persuasion as they apply to public discourse, drawing on insights from classical and contemporary rhetoric, public sphere theory, and media studies, with a focus on how digital technologies, media/social media, material/embodied, and affective/emotional factors shape public interactions and mediate social change. We will examine the role rhetoric plays in constructing a sense of what a “public” is; explore theories about how “public opinion” is formed; analyze how “publics” and “public rhetoric” represent dominant interests and how “counterpublics” are formed in response; and examine social action and online activism within digital public spheres.
