A list of topics by session is available in the calendar listed below.

"Rhetoric is the antistrophos * to dialectic."
* counterpart, correlative, coordinate, or converse

Rhetoric is the ability to discover in each particular
case all the available means of persuasion.

Description

This course is an introduction to the history, theory, practice, and implications of rhetoric, the art and craft of persuasion.

Through class discussions, presentations, and written assignments, you will get to practice your own rhetorical prowess. Through the readings, you will also learn some ways to make yourself a more efficient reader, as you use your analytical skills on the texts themselves. This combination of reading, speaking, and writing will help you succeed in:

• Learning to read and think critically.
• Learning techniques of rhetorical analysis.
• Learning techniques of argument.
• Learning and practicing some basics about oral presentation.

This is a Communications Intensive and HASS-D Subject.

Requirements

The course work is primarily "front-loaded," and a series of Web short postings will help you accomplish the two major assignments in this course in a series of steps. Finally, you will notice that there are two conference times this semester with me as well as peer review and workshops. These are further meant to help you finish the course assignments. Most importantly, you should have fun in this course!

Texts

All readings are available in the readings section.

Plagiarism Policy

In all academic writing you must give citations each time you use someone else's ideas, someone else's words, someone else's phrasing, someone else's unusual information. Furthermore, you show appropriate respect for other writers and thinkers by giving them credit for their ideas, their structures, their phrasings, and their information. In Western culture, not giving credit is an insult as well as an act of dishonesty. In other words, never take credit for someone else's words, ideas, or style (this prohibition includes material found on the Web). Although the material on the Web is free, you did not create it; someone else thought it, researched it, wrote it-and that someone must be given credit.

There are several guidelines for using sources in your academic writing:

• Cite information that is not considered common knowledge, a direct quotation, or a summary of another's words/ideas.
• When you quote, quote exactly, use quotation marks, and cite the source.
• When you summarize, you keep the meaning of the source but put it in your own words and cite the original source.

In sum, your essays should always be your own work (although you are encouraged to seek writing advice from the Writing Center and from your workshop groups). Your essays should always be your new work created specifically for this course (do not hand in work written for other courses-neither from this semester nor from previous semesters, and this prohibition includes modifying or adapting your own work from other courses).

If I request, you must hand in hard copies of all the sources that you used for writing an essay, as well as your notes. If you cannot produce these materials when requested, your final course grade will be reduced by one letter grade for each instance that you cannot produce your data. Also, you are responsible for ensuring that others do not copy your work or submit it as their own.

Attendance

This course requires your attendance, participation, and on-time submission of assignments:

• There are 3 penalty-free absence; save these for illness, religious reasons, job interviews, etc. You may not make up any work missed for unexcused absences.
• The 4th absence lowers your final course grade by half a letter grade; the 5th absence lowers it by an entire letter grade.
• The 6th absence means automatic failure for the course; you should drop the course immediately to avoid its showing up on your transcript. This automatic failure occurs regardless of your average or the reason for the absences because you will not have fulfilled the course requirements - no exceptions.
• Please be on time for class. Class starts at 3:05 p.m. and ends at 4:25 p.m. If other classes or labs will necessitate your consistently arriving late or leaving early, do not take this class this semester. Chronic lateness or early departure will count as a cut.
• If you do not have the assignment for the day, you will be counted absent.

Grading Policy

This course is meant to be an intellectual exploration. Consequently only the two major projects and the portfolio will receive letter grades. The postings will receive only √+, √, or √- Your grade in this class will be based on the following:

Please see the assignments for descriptions of these activities.

Calendar