WRD Blog

February 20, 2017 Admin

WRD 377: Writing & Social Engagement

This Winter Quarter, instructor Jen Finstrom is putting a twist on WRD 377: Writing and Social Engagement. WRD 377 courses always include an experiential learning component—typically, students will complete mandatory service-learning hours by going out of the classroom to serve and collaborate with communities and organizations in Chicago. What makes Finstrom’s course unique is that while it remains grounded in experiential learning and community service, students in this WRD 377 class are primarily collaborating and working with their Chicago community online rather than in person. How? Students in WRD 377 give written online feedback to sixth graders writing poetry at

February 17, 2017 Admin

New Graduate Course Preview | WRD 545: Teaching Writing Online

Why Learn to Teach Writing Online? In recent years, the convenience, accessibility, and pedagogical possibilities of online learning have drawn in students and teachers alike. As more students turn to online spaces for education, writing teachers must understand the pedagogical possibilities for these learning environments. To help students prepare to teach online, the MA in WRD will offer WRD 545: Teaching Writing Online in the upcoming Spring 2017 quarter. The course is an elective, of particular interest to students pursuing the concentration in teaching writing and language. On the course’s website, Prof. Michael Moore says that he aims to explore

January 27, 2017 Admin

Spring & Summer ’17 Courses Are Here!

The Course Cart for Spring and Summer 2017 classes opened this week, and registration begins February 5! If you’d like a comprehensive list of WRD’s course offerings, visit the Student Resources page at WRD’s website. There, you can plan your class schedule with detailed course descriptions at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Any questions about what classes to take? Email your program director or contact the department at wrd[at]depaul.edu.

January 19, 2017 Admin

2/10: Victoria J. Gallagher Visits WRD, Discusses vMLK Project

On Friday, February 10 from 1 to 2:30pm in McGowan South 105, Dr. Victoria J. Gallagher from North Carolina State University will be visiting DePaul and taking part in the Writing and Rhetoric Without Borders Speaker Series. Gallagher will be delivering a talk entitled, “The vMLK Project: Crafting a Necessary (Digital) Space to Explore Rhetoric and Civic Transformation.” Abstract: The Virtual Martin Luther King project is an immersive, ambient recreation, including sound and visual renderings, of a 1960 speech given by Martin Luther King, Jr. in Durham, NC of which no known recordings survive. This project challenges how we think

January 17, 2017 gradassistant

MA in WRD Job Listings: January 18, 2017

Looking for job opportunities in and around Chicago? Students in the MA in WRD and MA in NMS programs may be interested in the weekly listings below (click a link to jump to the category): Teaching Writing Jobs, Entry Level Professional & Digital Writing Jobs, Entry Level Professional & Digital Writing Jobs, Advanced Teaching Writing Jobs – Entry level ESL Instructor Howard Area Community Center “We are seeking one instructor for a morning multi-level ESL course (Beginning Literacy to High Beginning.) Instructors should have experience teaching in adult education and/or working a social service agency with diverse populations.” Citizenship Instructor Erie

January 15, 2017 Admin

Course Spotlight: Teaching ESL Writing Update

Overview of WRD 543 Students in Dr. Jason Schneider’s WRD 543: Teaching ESL Writing course learned to better understand the theoretical and practical issues connected to writing studies in an increasingly diverse world. WRD 543 is a graduate-level course, open to all MA in WRD students, and is offered every other year. It provides concentration credit for students in DePaul’s Teaching Writing and Language concentration of the MA in WRD and counts for Methods credit for those students pursuing the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) certificate. Structured around readings and weekly discussion posts, the course helps students

January 10, 2017 Delasha Long

WRD Faculty Research: Professor Jason Kalin Studies Urban Space and Rhetoric

Wearable technologies, like smartphones and smartwatches, allow us to use location-based services to “check in,” to establish routes and routines, and to discover nearby activities. But how do these new technologies affect the way we make sense of urban spaces? WRD Professor Jason Kalin and his colleague, Professor Jordan Frith of the University of North Texas, recently explored this question through a collaborative research project. Kalin’s areas of expertise are in rhetorical theory—visual, digital, and material rhetorics—and memory studies. Frith’s research focuses on issues of space, place, and mobility in media. In their article, “Wearing the City: Memory P(a)laces, Smartphones,

January 5, 2017 Admin

Tricia Hermes and Barbara Tilley Receive the Woman of Spirit and Action Award

Last quarter, WRD faculty members Barbara Tilley and Tricia Hermes were honored by receiving the Woman of Spirit and Action Award, granted by the DePaul University Women’s Network. In the spirit of St. Louise de Marillac who demonstrated a commitment to service, this award recognizes women who consistently contribute to the growth and development of others at DePaul. Barbara Tilley was nominated for the award by a student who writes the following about her former instructor: Professor Tilley gives a lot to her students and to this university in terms of her time, effort, and love for what she does.

November 22, 2016 depaulwrd

WRD Student Spotlight: Elise Jackson

This week, WRD was able to speak with current BA in WRD student Elise Jackson. She has plans to pursue a career in speech therapy after graduating from DePaul, and in this spotlight, Elise speaks about how the WRD program is helping her prepare for the future. Tell us about your career plans in speech therapy after graduating from DePaul. After graduating from DePaul, I plan to apply to a handful of graduate schools in the Chicago area that offer a Speech Language Pathology graduate program. Right now, I hope to attend either Northwestern, which is my first choice, or

November 5, 2016 Admin

Recap: Professor Krista Ratcliffe’s Talk on Rhetorical Listening

As students and scholars of rhetoric, we understand that others’ conceptions of what is good or true are influenced by their beliefs and values. But how can we apply this understanding? How can we use our rhetorical knowledge to more effectively traverse difficult conversations, like those happening on our campus and in our city during this contentious election season? In a talk sponsored by the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse, given on Friday, October 7, Professor Krista Ratcliffe of Purdue suggested rhetorical listening as a teachable tactic to help students—and everyone—learn how to listen to and participate in conversations

Event Recap – 2026 MAWRD Exit Presentations

Spring Speaker Series Recap: Dr. Ana Milena Ribero

Reflections on the MA in WRD from Dylan Cabrera, winner of the 2026 Outstanding Graduate Student Award

Course Spotlight – WRD 321: Writing in the Legal Profession

Course Spotlight – WRD 360/LSP 275 Rhetoric of the Red Summer: Chicago Race Riot of 1919

Course Spotlight – WRD 526/326: Grant & Proposal Writing

Study Abroad Spotlight – Identities@Guatemala: Human Rights & Activism in the Americas

Course Spotlight – WRD 266: Leveling Up: The Social Rhetoric of Video Games