Rhetoric and Writing Courses
RH 3111. The Study of Writing.
Cat. I
This course introduces students to issues in the study of writing such as the history and uses of literacy, the relationship of thought to language, the role of writing in producing knowledge, and research on composing. The focus of the course will be on professional and academic writing. The course will be organized around a series of interrelated research questions: How do writers in professional and academic settings know when they have something to write about? How do they define a problem to investigate? How do they define or construct an audience to address? How do they locate their work in relation to others' work? How do they know which forms of writing to use? Why do they write in the first place? What functions does writing perform?
RH 3112. Rhetorical Theory.
Cat. I
Rhetoric concerns both the art of mastering the available means of persuasion and the study of how oral, written, and visual communication projects the intentions of individuals and groups, makes meanings, and affects audiences. the purpose of this course therefore is two-fold. It is intended to help students become more effective communicators by learning about the rhetorical situation and various rhetorical techniques. And it is designed to help them understand how various forms of communication work by learning some of the strategies of rhetorical analysis.
RH 3211. Rhetoric of Visual Design.
Cat. I
This course explores how visual design is used for purposes of identification, information, and persuasion. It looks at many modes of visual communication, such as icons, logos, trademarks, signs, product packaging, infographics, posters, billboards, ads, exhibits, graffiti, page layout, films, television, videogames, and web sites. The course provides an overview of the history of graphic design movements, as well as analytical tools to understand how visual design encodes messages and the role visual communication plays in contemporary culture.
EN/WR 2210. Introduction to Professional Writing.
Cat. I
Studies show that engineers spend 80-90% of their professional time engaged in various kinds of communication. This course emphasizes the management contexts of writing in the professions. Focus is on making informed decisions about approaches, styles, problems, issues, sources, strategies, and humanrelations aspects of writing in business, industry, and other institutional settings. Special attention is given to business editing and proposal and grant writing.
Recommended background: EN 2211 or equivalent writing course.
WR/EN 2211. Elements of Writing.
Cat. I
This course is designed for students who wish to work intensively on their writing. The course will emphasize the processes of composing and revising, the rhetorical strategies of expository prose, and the interaction between writer and audience. In a workshop setting, students will write a sequence of short papers and complete one longer writing project, learn to read critically and respond helpfully to each other's writing, and make oral presentations from written texts.
EN/WR 2213. Introduction to Journalism.
Cat. I
The course is for students who may wish to make careers in journalism or communications and for those who wish to understand the history, function, production and contemporary challenges of print journalism. Students will analyze articles from newspapers, magazines and Web sites. They will learn and practice the skills of the journalist: finding the story, researching, interviewing, writing on deadline, copy-editing and proof-reading. Classes will also cover matters such as objectivity, fairness, ethics and libel, as well as wider issues of mass communication such as agenda setting, citizen journalism and the implications of converging media. To give students a more keen sense of audience, work will be read and discussed in class. Students will be urged to write for the college newspaper. Publication beyond the campus will be strongly encouraged.
WR/EN 3011. Peer Tutoring in Writing.
Cat. I
Peer Tutoring in Writing introduced students to the theory and practice of composition. In this course, students research, read, and write about their own and others' literacy practices. Through reading and writing assignments, peer reviews, interviews, presentations, and a tutoring internship in the CCAC, students hone their communication skills while increasing their ability to examine critically the role of communication in the production of knowledge.
EN/WR 3210. Technical Writing.
Cat. I
Technical writing combines technical knowledge with writing skills to communicate technology to the world. This course introduces the fundamental principles of technical communication, and the tools commonly used in the technical writing profession. Topics include user and task analysis, information design, instructional writing, and usability testing. Students learn to use the technical writing process to create user-centered documents that combine text, graphics, and visual formatting to meet specific information needs. Students create a portfolio of both hardcopy and online documentation, using professional tools such as FrameMaker, Acrobat, and RoboHelp. Recommended background: EN/WR 2210, or equivalent writing course.
WR/EN 3214. Writing about Disease and Public Health.
Cat. I
This writing workshop focuses on the purposed and genres of writing about disease and public health. We will consider how biomedical writers communicate technical information about disease and public health to general audiences; how writers capture the human experience of disease and health care; how writers treat the public policy implications of disease; and how writers design publicity to promote public health. We will examine such genres as the experimental article, news reports, medical advice, profiles, commentary, and public health messages.
Recommended background: EN 2211 or equivalent writing courses.
Students who have taken EN 3215 may not receive credit also for WR/EN 3214.
WR/EN 3217. Creative Writing.
Cat. I
The purpose of this course is to help students develop or improve the skills of written expression. Small groups are formed in which participants present and discuss their original work in either fiction or poetry.Spanish (SP)