Course Spotlight – WRD 550: The Community-Engaged Writing Classroom

In the upcoming Spring Quarter, Dr. Monica Reyes will be teaching another iteration of WRD 550: The Community-Engaged Writing Classroom.  This course offers theoretical and practical instruction about how to connect writing students with communities for advocacy and learning. Students will learn from WRD faculty who have taught community-engaged courses and develop ideas for community-centered student projects suitable for writing classrooms. Below, Dr. Reyes shares her thoughts on the upcoming course, encouraging students from a variety of interests in teaching to enroll.  What kinds of students do you think would benefit from this course? This course would be fitting for

Continue reading

Course Spotlight — WRD 288: Rhetoric and Popular Culture

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 Professor Justin Staley, this course is your ticket to entertainment and enlightenment in one. Read on to hear from Professor Staley and learn more about what the course entails. Are there any artifacts or events in pop culture the class will be taking a look at?  What’s fun about this class is the wide range of artifacts and events we examine, or that students can examine

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 from the rhetorical perspective that the environment and nature are not just something “out there” or external to humans. The class tries to impart the perspective that we are not separate from our environment. Rather, we are nature

Continue reading

Course Spotlight — WRD 523: Editing

As course registration is soon to open for Spring Quarter 2024, learn more about WRD 523 Editing taught by Dr. Tim Elliott. Here, Dr. Elliott reflects on WRD 523 and what it offers to students who enroll.  Course Goals and Learning Outcomes WRD 523 is a class that opens doors. Students will learn how to edit all different kinds of writing, from resumes and cover letters to documentation from a local partner organization. In class we’ll learn an array of concepts and strategies, like rhetorical grammar, technical writing principles, style guides, and more. But the lessons students will learn in

Continue reading

Student Spotlight: Christian Woodley

For students and faculty at all levels, conferences offer the opportunity to present scholarship, learn about others’ work, and connect with fellow scholars. Recently, MAWRD student Christian Woodley presented original work at the National Communication Association Annual Convention held in Washington, D.C. His research, which he presented as part of a panel on business communication, focused on the various ways online meetings impact interpersonal dynamics. Beyond his presentation, Christian connected with scholars, explored the city, and gained perspective on academic conferences more broadly.  Read on to hear more about Christian’s experience and his advice to students considering similar opportunities!  Grace

Continue reading

Event Recap: National Day on Writing 2023

Each year, October 20 marks National Day on Writing. This year, WRD teamed up with the Writing Center to celebrate, while starting conversations on campus about the writing we each do in our everyday lives. This celebration was established by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) “to draw attention to the remarkable variety of writing Americans engage in and to help make writers from all walks of life aware of their craft.” On October 19, WRD students and faculty as well as Writing Center staff hosted a three-hour tabling event in Arts and Letters Hall on DePaul’s Lincoln Park

Continue reading

Student Spotlight: Nan Denette

This October, MAWRD student Nan Denette presented at a conference at the University of Memphis, discussing her findings on how we can use existential rhetoric to more effectively combat climate change. Learn more about her fascinating work through this exclusive interview, where she discusses not just her research but her experience presenting. What topic did you present on and what inspired you to present on it? My presentation was titled “Anthropos & Anthropocene: Existential Rhetorics in the Age of Ecological Disaster.” I focused on two fictional texts—Paradise Lost by John Milton and White Noise by Don DeLillo. Paradise Lost narrates

Continue reading

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

Since the rise of the arcade in the 1980s, the persuasive potential of video games has evolved with the creation of new games and transformation of the medium. With their diverse range of messages and target audiences, video games are fascinating artifacts for rhetorical study. That’s why, this upcoming Winter Quarter, Professor Alan Ackmann will be teaching his third iteration of WRD 266: Leveling Up: The Social Rhetoric of Video Games. Read on for an interview with Professor Ackmann that outlines the class and its relevance to any students interested in media’s persuasive power. What is the main focus of

Continue reading

A Closer Look: Updates from the WRD Equity Committee

In the aftermath of the 2020 killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Tony McDade at the hands of the police, a collective cry for action resonated within the Writing, Rhetoric, & Discourse Department. Motivated by a poignant letter written by concerned students and alumni, the WRD department was called upon to actively champion diversity, equity, and inclusion. This compelling call to action culminated in the establishment of the WRD Equity Committee. The Committee’s Goals: Since its inception, the Equity Committee has emerged with a series of goals aimed at transforming the WRD department’s approach to antiracism and inclusivity. Some of

Continue reading