Category: Course Spotlights

Course Spotlight – WRD 282: Ethics of Public and Professional Writing

Ever faced an ethical dilemma when writing? Dr. Jason Schneider’s WRD 282: Ethics of Public and Professional Writing seeks to unpack the power of ethics within workplace writing and beyond. In this brand-new course, students will get to explore ethical implications within public and professional writing that can be applied to all types of real-world experiences, whether in the workplace or elsewhere. Here, Dr. Schneider provides insight into what students might expect when taking this course during the upcoming Autumn Quarter 2025.   What are your goals for the course and what can students hope to learn?     I think we

Continue reading

Course Spotlight – WRD 377 Writing and Social Engagement: Women of Graceland

Graceland Cemetery is a Chicago landmark and arboretum that has acted as the final resting place for many prominent Chicagoans since 1860. Although it is a gateway into Chicago history, Graceland disproportionately highlights the men buried there through a variety of monuments. Dr. Julie Bokser is on a mission to address this disparity through WRD 377 Writing & Social Engagement: Women of Graceland. In Autumn Quarter 2025, students will have the opportunity to explore the beloved landmark through scholarship and research that uplifts and honors the women who have been laid to rest in Graceland. With insights provided by Dr.

Continue reading

Course Spotlight — WRD 264: Language, Self, and Society

How do our personal language experiences fit into larger social frameworks? This Autumn Quarter 2025, Professor Margaret Poncin Reeves seeks to answer just that in WRD 264: Language, Self, and Society. I sat down with Professor Poncin Reeves to discuss in detail what this course entails—read on to learn why you should enroll!  What are your goals for the course and what can students hope to learn?  In this course, students will think about how their personal language backgrounds connect to larger societal patterns. The course is primarily focused on the U.S., but investigates the diversity of language in the

Continue reading

Course Recap – WRD 532: Content Strategy

This past quarter, Dr. Lisa Dush taught WRD 532 Content Strategy, where students were able to practice applying content strategies in a professional setting. Students and Dr. Dush partnered with Just DePaul, a sustainability collective who is seeking to further the mission of social and environmental justice. Through assessing Just DePaul’s content and collaborating with each other, Students created a report of practical documentation and deliverables to be applied to current and future content on Just DePaul’s website and social media pages.  Leo Swearingen and Shane Zimmer, who both took the class and are now in their last quarter of

Continue reading

Course Spotlight – WRD 288: Rhetoric and Popular Culture

*Originally posted by Leo Swearingen in Winter Quarter, 2024, with edits made to apply to Dr. Elliott’s iteration in the upcoming Spring Quarter 2025. At the intersection of The Avengers and Aristotle, WRD 288 Rhetoric & Popular Culture emerges to explore how pop culture shapes and is shaped by the art of persuasion. Taught this Spring Quarter by Dr. Timothy Elliott, this course is your ticket to entertainment and enlightenment in one. Read on to hear from Dr. Elliott and learn more about what the course entails. Are there any specific artifacts or events in pop culture the class will be taking a look

Continue reading

Course Spotlight – WRD 377: Writing and Social Engagement: From Hip Hop To Hashtags

This upcoming spring quarter, Professor Ames Hoffner is teaching WRD 377 Writing and Social Engagement: From Hip Hop to Hashtags. This course is a part of the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, a program where students have the opportunity to engage in open collaboration and dialogue with incarcerated students at Cook County Jail. Over the quarter, DePaul students will consider incarcerated students their peers, while entering thoughtful discussions about social engagement as it pertains to ongoing, social issues.   Each week, “outside” DePaul students will learn alongside “inside” students. This course is largely discussion-based, so all students will be able to

Continue reading

Course Spotlight – WRD 511: Rhetorics of Displacement

In the upcoming Spring Quarter, Dr. Monica Reyes will be exploring counterstories and how, as rhetors, students can shift their perspective from harmful narratives. With a focus on the stories of immigrants and refugees, WRD 511: Rhetorics of Displacement focuses on pushing back against stereotypical, limiting language surrounding these communities. While learning how to move away from the ‘helpless’ immigrant and refugee narrative, students will discover how to critically and empathetically amplify the true experiences of these groups.  What is a Counterstory?   Influenced by cultural rhetorician Aja Martinez’s concept of the counterstory, Dr. Reyes explains that “Martinez’s description of counterstory

Continue reading

Course Spotlight — WRD 522: Writing in the Professions

Workplace writing is a critical skill that professionals use every day, but what exactly is it, and how can students learn it? In Spring Quarter 2025, Dr. Timothy Elliott seeks to answer these questions in WRD 522 Writing in the Professions. Read on to learn more about what to expect in this graduate level course and see why you should enroll.   Course Goals and Learning Outcomes  WRD 522 Writing in the Professions seeks to define workplace writing while also equipping students with the tools to do it effectively. Instead of just discussing theories, Dr. Elliott will bring in industry professionals

Continue reading

Course Spotlight — WRD 203 Style for Writers

This Spring Quarter 2025, Dr. Julie Bokser is teaching WRD 203 Style for Writers, a core major class that helps students develop their ability to think and write effectively in a variety of genres. Read on to learn more about what this class entails and see why you should be excited to enroll this Spring Quarter! Course Goals and Learning Outcomes Dr. Bokser’s main goal for the course is to get students to think more deeply about language. By looking at the details of language use, like how sentences are structured, students can expect to learn how to make their

Continue reading

Course Spotlight — WRD 283: Environmental Writing

Scheduled intentionally in Spring Quarter as changes in the environment become more easily perceptible, WRD 283 Environmental Writing, taught by Dr. Jason Kalin, offers more than just Social, Cultural, Behavioral Inquiry (SCBI) credit. It offers a chance to grow along with nature into new perspectives.  What is Environmental Writing?  In this course, environmental writing is writing about the environment and nature, but with the rhetorical understanding that the environment and nature are not just “out there” – external to or separate from humans. The class tries to teach that we are not separate from our environment. We are nature and

Continue reading