Updated Course Spotlight – WRD 264: Language, Self, & Society

As a social practice that we engage in each and every day, language holds a great deal of power in how we understand and move about our world. It constructs how we live, function, and relate to other people. In the upcoming Autumn Quarter, Dr. Jason Schnieder’s course, WRD 264: Language, Self, and Society, delves into this dynamic relationship. Read on to learn more and hear about WRD 264 from Dr. Schneider’s perspective.  The topics of your class–language, self, and society–can encompass many different relationships. Is there a primary one you are focusing on? Not a primary one, but the

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Updated Course Spotlight – WRD 551: Teaching Apprenticeship Practicum

Overview of WRD 551 & TAP WRD 551 functions as the companion course to WRD’s Teaching Apprentice Practicum (TAP), a program that gives MA in WRD and ENG students the unique opportunity to teach a section of WRD 103, one of the two courses in DePaul’s First-Year Writing Program. As they teach using a shared syllabus, TAP instructors meet weekly in WRD 551: Teaching Apprenticeship Practicum during Autumn Quarter to discuss composition pedagogy,  share classroom experiences, and prepare for upcoming WRD 103 class meetings. WRD’s Director of First-Year Writing, Prof. Erin Workman, teaches WRD 551 and summarizes the class as

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Course Spotlight – WRD 514: Sociolinguistics

Overview of WRD 514 In Autumn Quarter 2024, Dr. Jason Schneider will teach another section of WRD 514: Sociolinguistics. This introduction to the study of sociolinguistics explores language as a social phenomenon, with particular focus on the ways that language practices intersect with place, power, identity, gender, and race. Graduate students will have the opportunity to engage with theoretical readings and case studies that provide a range of perspectives in the field.  The course will be offered as five sessions in-person on campus (in odd-numbered weeks) and five sessions synchronous Zoom meetings (in even-numbered weeks). Students interested in teaching language

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Exit Requirement Q&A

The first presentations for the new exit requirement will be given in Spring Quarter 2024.  Learn more about why the decision to change the exit requirement was made and get some insider knowledge on what the Graduate Committee is hoping you will achieve with your presentation. I sat down for a question and answer session with MAWRD Director Jason Kalin, who helped illuminate some information that will be helpful going forward in your own presentations.  Decisions about the graduate program are made by the Graduate Committee, which is a subset of the tenure-line faculty. The Graduate Committee comes to a

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Alumni Spotlight: Kristin Fleming

MAWRD alumna Kristin Fleming (’22) spent her time in WRD strengthening specific writing skills while enjoying a range of courses in rhetoric as well. Today, Kristin works as a Senior Medical Writer, where she is able to combine her interests for technical writing and science. Read on to learn more about Kristin’s time at DePaul, and how MAWRD prepared her for her current and future career moves. Why did you decide to pursue a degree in WRD? I wanted to pursue a degree in writing that strengthened my technical skills while also indulging in my love of theory. I had

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Spring Break Reading Recommendations

With Spring Break on the horizon and Winter Quarter nearly behind us, it’s a better time than ever to look out for reading that invigorates the soul and keeps you excited for upcoming Spring Quarter classes.   We heard from 5 MAWRD students and got their reading recommendations for you to enjoy during your Spring Break!  The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature by J. Drew Lanham — Recommended by MAWRD GA Grace Von Lehman This is a powerful, reverent reflection on being intimately curious about nature and understanding human life as an element of nature

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Event Recap: WRD Internship Information Session, Winter 2024

On February 14, the WRD Department’s Student Community Committee hosted an internship information session to help students navigate finding, funding, and making the most of internship experiences.  Current undergraduate student Miranda Kincer, MAWRD alumna Natalie Toth, and Professor Lisa Dush shared about their own experiences being, hiring, and advising interns (respectively).  Each offered advice for current WRD students looking to incorporate internship experience in their academic journeys.  The Panelists Miranda Kincer, BA ‘24, is a Research Assistant Intern at the Chicago History Museum, where she is working with a curatorial team to write, format, and present a special exhibit on

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Student Spotlight — Miranda Kincer and Creating Knowledge

Throughout 2023, WRD student Miranda Kincer worked on and published scholarship in DePaul’s undergraduate journal, Creating Knowledge. Her piece, “Tony Stark as an Icon for Alcoholism and Recovery: How Details in Iron Man #182 Reveal the Detriment of Alcohol Addiction” won out in the competitive landscape of student works, where only one piece is published per university department. Representing WRD, Miranda reflects on her time before, during, and after publication. Read on to hear about Miranda’s experience of publication and gain insights into how and why you might publish work as well. What inspired you to write this piece and

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Spotlight on WRD’s Minor in Professional Writing

Students in any major at DePaul can enroll in the WRD department’s Minor in Professional Writing, which can be completed in fully online, in-person, and hybrid formats. This minor offers students opportunities to hone their workplace writing skills through real-world writing tasks that emphasize clear communication, strategic efficiency, and authentic collaboration. Read on to explore how a Minor in Professional Writing may be the perfect complement to your degree! Why minor in Professional Writing? With only two required courses and four electives, the Professional Writing Minor allows you the flexibility to cater the coursework to your interests. While it draws on

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