CMM 280 (Special Topic):  Rhetoric and Civic Life

 (Writing Intensive Designation)

Spring 2007

Instructor                                                                                Office Hours

Susan Gilpin, Ph. D.                                                                  Monday  1:00 – 4:00

Smith Hall 251 (located in Smith Hall 257 suite)                        Tuesday  10:00 – 11:00

696-2476                                                                                 Wednesday  1:00 – 4:00

gilpin2@marshall.edu                                                                Thursday  2:00 – 3:00

                                                                                                Other hours by appointment

Required Texts

• Berndt, Michael and Amy Muse.  2006.  Composing a Civic Life:  A Rhetoric and Readings for Inquiry and Action, 2e.  New York:  Pearson.
• Democracy’s Challenge:  Reclaiming the Public’s Role.  2006.  Dayton, OH:  National Issues Forums Institute.
• A writing handbook and style guide of your choosing

Course Description, Credits, and Prerequisites

            An exploration of contemporary theories and applications of rhetoric as they pertain to social constructs of citizenship and enactments of civic life.  3 credit hours.  PR:  None.  This course fulfills the Writing Intensive requirement of the Marshall Plan.

Course Philosophy and Themes

            Following in the tradition of classical rhetorical theory, this course assumes critical thinking, writing, and speaking as essential civic skills and assists students in developing those skills.  Further, answering current calls for increased civic engagement, this course asks students to discover ways in which they can employ their rhetorical expertise to address social and political concerns.  Students will design, complete, and reflect on projects that explore intersections of rhetorical practice and civic life.

Desired Learner Outcomes/Objectives

            At the end of the semester, you should be able to

• Define and elaborate the concepts of rhetoric, citizenship, and civic life from your own perspective as well as others’
• Understand how rhetorical skills can help guide inquiry and action in civic contexts
• Identify connections between scholarship and citizenship and the opportunities they present
• Demonstrate your sensitivity to and refined understanding of a social issue of your choosing
• Participate more confidently and effectively in civic contexts

Writing Intensive Goals

• Enhance writing skills and strategies
• Enhance critical thinking skills through various forms of writing, both informal and formal
• Engage actively with course subject matter through various forms of writing, both informal and formal

Evaluation of Learner Outcomes  

            You will demonstrate your achievement of course objectives via a reflective citizenship narrative, reading quizzes, a Community Connection presentation with a classmate, a civic rhetoric term project, and a final reflective essay.  These requirements will carry the following weight in determining your final grade:

                        Reflective Citizenship Narrative             10%

                        Reading Quizzes (top 3 of 4 scores)                  30%                

                        Community Connection Presentation                 15%

                        Term Project                                                   30%

                        Reflection Paper (Final Exam)               15%

You will receive additional details about each assignment, including guidelines for preparing the assignment and an explanation of how it will be evaluated, well in advance of its due date. Your preparation and participation in class activities and discussions may raise or lower your final grade.

Policy Statements

            1.  Attendance.  Students who miss more than four classes for other than documented university-sponsored/excused reasons or religious holidays can earn no higher than a C in the course.  You must be present when I circulate the attendance sheet and stay for the entire class period in order to be counted present for that class meeting.

2.  Preparation, participation, punctuality.  This is not a lecture course.  In order to meet the objectives of the course, you will need to attend each class having completed the assigned reading and being prepared to participate intelligently in the discussion. 

3.  Academic integrity.  We will follow the policies fully described in the current edition of the Marshall University Undergraduate Catalog and online at <http://www.marshall.edu/cola/Students/acadispol.html >.   During the semester we will talk more specifically about the implications of this policy for particular assignments.

4.  Make-up quizzes.  Make-up quizzes will be available only for university-excused absences.  Because I will drop your lowest quiz grade, I will ask you to count a non-excused missed quiz as your dropped grade.  Please schedule optional activities around quiz dates.  Make-up quizzes will differ from those given in class.

5.  Due dates.  The components of the out-of-class written assignments are due on or before their assigned dates.  Please submit all papers in hard copy and attached as a Word document to an e-mail message to <gilpin2@marshall.edu>.

6.  Missed classes.  When you are absent, it is your responsibility to find out from a classmate what notes, handouts, assignments, or other course material you missed and to make arrangements with me to receive handouts.  Most materials will be posted to our course Vista web page.

7.  Office hours.  I will keep the office hours posted at the beginning of this syllabus, and I welcome your visits during those times.  I am available to meet with you at other times by appointment only.

8.  Class communication.  I will send course updates, additional readings, and other information via the class e-mail list provided by the University.  Please check your Marshall e-mail account frequently or arrange to have your MU e-mail forwarded to the account you do read regularly.

Notes

Course Outline

(subject to change as the semester progresses)