CMM 404/504:  Rhetorical Communication Criticism

Fall 2009

Wednesday 4:00 – 6:20                              261 Smith Hall

Required Texts

Foss, Sonja K.  2009.  Rhetorical criticism, 4^th ed.  Long Grove, IL:  Waveland.

Williams, Joseph. 2008.  Style: the basics of clarity and grace, 3^rd ed.  New York:  Pearson.

Additional Required Text for Graduate Students

Nothstine, William L., Carole Blair, Gary A. Copeland, eds.  2003.  Critical questions: 

invention, creativity, and the criticism of discourse and media.  Boston:  McGraw-Hill.

Additional Recommended Text for Graduate Students

Burgchardt, Carl R., ed. 2005.  Readings in rhetorical criticism, 3^rd ed.  State College, PA: 

Strata.

Additional required and recommended readings will be available on our course Blackboard page.  You will be responsible for printing out these supplemental readings as assigned.

Course Description, Credits, and Prerequisites

An examination of the construction of situated rhetorical texts and the effects they produce.  3 hrs. 

Course Philosophy and Themes

The strategic use of spoken and written symbols is arguably the most powerful cultural force.  For over 2,500 years, women and men have speculated about the relationships among speakers or writers, their messages, and their audiences, and they have attempted to understand how symbols persuade.   This tradition of inquiry is the foundation of the discipline known as rhetoric, and scholarship that seeks to explain the potential meanings and persuasive effects of situated rhetorical texts is called rhetorical criticism.  Rhetoric is the oldest discipline in the field of human communication.

In this course, we will survey various contemporary approaches to rhetorical criticism.  We will consider rhetorical criticism both as formal scholarly activity and as informal everyday practice.  We will analyze samples of rhetorical criticism and practice producing our own.

Desired Learner Outcomes/Objectives

At the end of the semester, you should be able to do the following:

·        Define rhetoric

·        Describe the primary dimensions of rhetorical criticism as a research method

·        Use an appropriate scholarly vocabulary to critically discuss rhetorical artifacts

·        Describe and apply a range of approaches to rhetorical criticism

·        Demonstrate familiarity with current trends and practices in rhetorical criticism

·        Identify recurring themes in rhetorical criticism

·        Articulate the significance of rhetorical criticism for liberal arts students and citizens in democratic societies

Evaluation of Learner Outcomes

You will demonstrate your achievement of course objectives via methods quizzes, original critical essays, and a reflective essay and group presentation (undergraduates) or reviews of scholarly criticism (graduates).  These will carry the following weight in determining your final grade:

Undergraduate Students                                             Graduate Students

            Methods quizzes (3 of 4)          30%                             Methods quizzes (3 of 4)          30%

            Critical essays (2) 15/25           40%                             Critical essays   (2) 15/25          40%

            Group Presentation                   15%                             Review essays (2)                     30%

            Final Reflection Paper               15%                                        

Well in advance of the due dates, you will receive additional details about these assignments, including guidelines for preparing them and explanations of how they will be evaluated.

Policy Statements

1.       Attendance.  Students who miss more than two classes for other than university-sponsored reasons or documented religious holidays can earn no higher than a C in the course.  You must be present when I circulate the attendance sheet and stay until the end of the 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(s) and being prepared to participate intelligently in class discussions and activities. 

3.      Academic integrity.  We will follow the policies fully described on pages 103-106 in the Marshall University Undergraduate Catalog 2009 – 2010 (available online at < http://www.marshall.edu/catalog/undergraduate/ug_09-10.pdf>).  During the semester we will talk more specifically about the implications of this policy for particular assignments.

4.      Make-up quizzes and oral reports.  Make-up opportunities will be available only for medical emergencies and excused University absences.  Please note the flexibility built into the course design and schedule optional activities around the announced dates for quizzes and your oral presentation.  Make-up opportunities may differ from the original quiz or presentation assignment.

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 retain an electronic copy until I have returned your hard copy to you.

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 print the handout from our course Blackboard page.  You also may stop by my office during office hours to pick up a hard copy. 

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 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 Marshall e-mail forwarded to the account you do read regularly. I ordinarily respond to student e-mail within 48 hours between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Course Outline

(subject to change as the semester progresses)

Additional readings and assignments for graduate students appear in bold.  As necessary, from week to week I will provide further details about additional readings and the assignments.