Foundations in

Rhetoric and Writing

English 3850 l Fall 2015
Nathaniel A. Rivers l nrivers1@slu.edu
Course Site: slufoundrhet.tumblr.com
Office Hours: MW, 1:00-2:00
We can now view in better perspective the world of writing in
which we live, see better what this world really is, and what
functionally literate human beings really arethat is, beings whose
thought processes do not grow out of simply natural powers but out
of these powers as structured, directly or indirectly, by the technology
of writing. Without writing, the literate mind would not and
could not think as it does, not only when engaged in writing but
even when it is composing its thoughts in oral form.
-Walter Ong, S.J., Writing as a Technology That
Restructures Thought

Writing is part and parcel of nearly every human

endeavor, and many human endeavors owe their
existence and essence to writing. As Walter Ong, S.J.,
suggests, no matter the course of ones lifepersonally
and professionallywriting is one of the primary ways
we navigate that lifes contours and complexities. By
virtue of this virtue, English 300 traces the roll of
writing through a variety of societal endeavors. Likewise,
this course introduces students to the field of rhetoric
and writing through a sustained engagement with its
practices and
principles. Students
produce a variety of
documents (across a
variety of genres) in
terms of and in the
context of key
theoretical
understandings of that
work: rhetorical
theory, ethics,
information design,
and decision
architecture. As future
(professional)
communicators,
students will be
Mapping, a key metaphor for writing
continually required
in this course, is an active and
creative process, and not merely the
to analyze (that is,
passive conveyance of data.
theorize) audiences,
activities, organizations, and contexts. Successful writing
practice is always predicated on a prior theoretical
understanding or framework.

In addition to addressing the theory/practice key

binary, the course is organized around two key
metaphors: writing is mapping and writing is decision
architecture. Briefly defined, mapping is the purposeful
selection, arrangement, and presentation of information
in a usable, primarily visual format for a specific
audience. It is an active and creative process, and not
merely the passive conveyance of data. Decision
architecture is the rhetorical (understood both
symbolically and materially) structuring of environments
to promote or prescribe certain actions, decisions, or
behaviors. These guiding metaphors influence every
stage of the course, sometimes directly, sometimes
indirectly. In this course and in the writing track at large,
writing is not merely the transmission or translation of
data or information for an uninformed audience. Rather,
it is the generative act of creating, maintaining, and
reshaping professional and other social environments,
which in turn structure and guide the thinking and
behavior of others (actions with inherently ethical
implications).
With this in mind, the course asks the following
questions: what is writing?, what do writers do?, and what
does writing do? Throughout the semester, students
engage readings and one another, complete a variety of
in-class exercises, and produce a range of documents in
exploring (both theoretically and in practice) the work of
professional writing. All work in the course stresses the
importance of primary research, document design,
effective writing, and audience awareness
considerations that will shape the professional lives of
students.

Course Texts
Readings are either linked at sophistmonster.tumblr.com
or shared via GoogleDrive.

Course Projects
Re-Writing @SLU
To familiarize themselves with the scene of writing at
Saint Louis University, students are asked to research
and report on a crucial or visible piece of text at SLU.
This text can be written, spoken, photographed, or film.
Students will then re-write (re-vise or re-imagine) this
text in some way. In addition to the re-written text,
students compose two memos: one describing the
original text and one documenting the re-written,
focusing on the why and how of that process.

Mapping Project
Fully exploring the course themes of decision
architecture and mapping, this project asks students to
map a campus space or issue @SLU. Mapping here
English 3850 I Foundations in Rhetoric and Writing I Fall 2015 I 1

means the purposeful selection, arrangement, and

presentation of information in a usable format for a
specific audience. This project positions the creative and
constructive work of writing as important and necessary.
Mapping here is not to be understood as the passive
mirroring of reality, but the active creation of meaning
and knowledge. In concert with a primary theme of this
course, mapping of this sort productively combines
theory and practice in requiring students to frame and
define both their audience and their object in specific
ways (theorize) in planning and composing their map
(practice). Maps can be static (e.g., infographics) or
dynamic (e.g., audio tours). Additionally, this project
stresses document design and primary research in the
form of observations, interviews, and perhaps surveys, as
well as secondary research.

planning stages, students create the interview as an

architecture, a technology, for guiding and shaping the
responses of their subject. In the report document (and
in the subsequent presentation) students then map out
the findings of their interview, selecting, arranging, and
presenting the information for several different
audiences.

Course Grades
Arts & Sciences Grading Scale
A
AB+

4.0
3.7
3.3

B
BC+

3.0
2.7
2.3

C
CD

2.0
1.7
1

100% Class Participation1

You are authors in this class. That means you are
expected to learn about and follow the social and cultural
conventions of professional academic behavior, which I
will help you learn during the semester. Because this
class focuses a great deal on professional development
and writing/authoring, my grading schema reflects that
professionalism. Assigning letter or number grades
does not improve your learning, just as telling an author
that the journal rejects his/her work for publication
without any explanation as to whydoesnt make
him/her a better writer in the profession. I have designed
and mapped this class so you can achieve the learning
outcomes and excellence by providing structuring
assignments that enhance your critical and creative
thinking, and by offering a lot of informal and formal
feedback on your in-progress work.

Feedback

Interview Report
In order to explore the work of writers and to learn of
career opportunities in the field, this project asks
students to first locate a professional writer, secure an
interview, prepare a set of interview questions, and
develop an interviewing strategy. Students then conduct
the interview and write-up a formal document reporting
their findings. Students engage readings on the practice
of interviewing, learning the principles of successful and
ethical primary research. While in several ways this
assignment stands apart from the others, the same
underlying theoretical framework is at work. In the

Feedback often comes in the form of informal in-class

discussions about your assignments and individual or
group conferences. For instance, when I and your peers
offer critiques of your draft projects, we assume that you
will implement those revision suggestions into your
drafts. When you dont, you should have a very good
reason in relation to the purpose of the text for not doing
so. Otherwise, when I am reviewing your projects, I
should be able to see your progress on the text from the
time it was workshopped as well as from informal, inclass feedback or conferences with me. I hope that this
grading system will allow you the freedom and flexibility
to take risks in your assignments while also providing
time for you to re-envision and revise those drafts into
more usable, sophisticated, and polished texts by the end
of the term.

Grading scheme borrowed from Cheryl Ball at Illinois State University.

English 3850 I Foundations in Rhetoric and Writing I Fall 2015 I 2

Participation?

Attendance: You are required to attend every class

session unless the schedule specifically indicates
that class is canceled that day. There are no such
things as excused vs. unexcused absencesif
youre not here, I dont much care why. If your
absence is caused by a funeral or similar
extenuating circumstances, I will take that into
consideration when I consider your grade. If you
miss more than one class, consider your grade in
jeopardy. If you miss a workshop, youll be doubly
in jeopardy. Also, attendance at out-of-class
conferences with me is considered the same as
class time. If you miss a conference, you will be
counted absent.
Timeliness: If you show up late or leave early or
disappear (or fall asleep) for 15 minutes in the
middle of class, it will affect your participation.
Timeliness also refers to the time-sensitive nature
of completing assignments and turning in
equipment on time. Late work is completely
unacceptable, and I will not give you feedback on
it. If you do not have a major assignment ready in
time for our workshop days, it is your responsibility
to get feedback from your classmates outside of
class upon (or before) your return. If you return
borrowed equipment late, consider your
participation grade in jeopardy. If you fail to
return borrowed equipment at all (like, you lose it
or break it beyond repair), you are responsible for
replacing the equipment with the same kind, and I
will hold your final grade submission until it has
been replaced.
Readiness: Readiness is different from timeliness
in that it relates specifically to being prepared by
the start-time of the class period (and any outsideof-class work that we negotiate to do). All
homework must be completed before class starts.
For instance, printing of assignments or uploading
of files after the class period has begun will result
in a delay of class, which will negatively impact
your grade. This bullet also refers to workshop
participation and group work participation in that
if you do not have a draft ready on workshop day,
you are unprepared to provide feedback to your
workshop peers, or you are unwilling/unable to
perform the responsibilities of your group work,
your grade will suffer.
Thoughtfulness: Thoughtfulness translates to
critical awareness and participation in all manners
of class activities. This may include activities such
as having useful, productive questions or
discussion items based on homework (readings,

assignments, or peer-review work), collegial work

completed with your group mates, or thoughtful
work demonstrated in the major assignments
themselves. In addition (a note for those of you
who like to talk a lot), thoughtfulness means that
if you constantly need to share in class, but your
sharing is largely off-topic, disruptive, or
unhelpful, your participation may be more
distracting than useful. I will probably talk to you
about this before your grade suffers.
If you have questions at any time about your grade
potential, please make an appointment with me. If I
believe that you are on a trajectory toward a C, D, or F, I
will let you know by mid-term. If youre participating in
the basics of the class, then youre probably passing and
should only be concerned with your individual goals for
earning a B or A, described in more detail below.
Everyone in this class starts with a B/C. How you
participate changes that grade higher or lower. Students
earn As (see below), Bs (for mediocre participation in
class, usually related to group work), a few Cs (usually
related to multiple absences), and Fs (for failure to turn
in a large number of assignments or skipping out
altogether).

Earning an A
The grade of A is reserved for excellent work. Excellent
work does not equate with showing up every day,
participating once in a while, and turning in completed
drafts on time. Those are the average requirements of
any class setting, and average equates to a C in this
academic setting. Here are some ways to earn an A:
Produce excellent assignments. What constitutes
excellence? Doing more than simply completing
the terms of the assignment. An excellent
assignment may meet any number of qualities,
depending on its purpose and genre. Well spend
much time analyzing possible qualities for your
work, which means youll be creating evaluation
criteria for your own work. If your texts live up to
your own criteria, its likely your work will be
excellent.
Participate excellently in class. Excellence in class
participation means not simply speaking
frequently, but all of the ways I mention in the
class participation section above. As some
examples, you should contribute in an active and
generous way to the work of the class as a whole
by asking questions, offering interpretations,
politely challenging your classmates, graciously
accepting challenges in return, and being a
productive group member.
English 3850 I Foundations in Rhetoric and Writing I Fall 2015 I 3

Be an excellent citizen-scholar. Specifically, be

able to demonstrate to me (through discussions,
group work, assignment drafts) that you (a)
understand and can reflect on the content of this
class and show progress toward that knowledge in
your final portfolio; (b) reason logically, critically,
creatively, independently and consensually, and are
able to address issues in a broad and constantly
shifting context; (c) recognize different ways of
thinking, creating, expressing, and communicating
through a variety of media; (d) understand
diversity in value systems and cultures in an
interdependent world; and (e) develop a capacity
for self-assessment and transferable learning.

Productive Participation

have a collegial attitude

bring your materials to class every day
ask for help well in advance of a deadline
accept responsibility for late or incomplete
assignments
ask your classmates for missed content if you are
absent
be attentive in class so that I avoid needless
repetition
provide me assignments on time and in the
assigned medium
ask your classmates (or Google) for help during
open-lab sessions, then
if stumped, raising your hand, calling me, and
waiting patiently for help
use email, appointments, or some other agreedupon conferencing medium for private or
involved questions
understand that strategic (and sometimes
maximum) effort results in excellent work

Course Goals

Writing in Context
Analyze cultures, social contexts, and audiences to
determine how they shape the various purposes and
forms of writing, such as persuasion, organizational
communication, and public discourse, with an emphasis
on:

writing for a range of defined audiences and

stakeholders
negotiating the ethical dimensions of rhetorical
action

Project Management

understanding, developing, and deploying

various strategies for planning, researching,

drafting, revising, and editing documents both

individually and collaboratively
selecting and using appropriate styles and
technologies that effectively and ethically
address contexts and audiences
building ethos through voice, evidence,
documentation and accountability

Document Design
Make rhetorical design decisions about documents (and
other compositions), including:

understanding and adapting to genre

conventions and audience expectations
understanding and implementing design
principles of format and layout
interpreting and arguing with design
drafting, researching, testing, and revising visual
designs and information architecture

Teamwork
Learn and apply strategies for successful teamwork and
collaboration, such as:

working online with colleagues

determining roles and responsibilities
managing team conflicts constructively
responding constructively to peers' work
soliciting and using peer feedback effectively
achieving team goals

Research
Understand and use various research methods and
sources to produce quality documents, including:

analyzing historical and contemporary contexts

locating, evaluating, and using print and online
information selectively for particular audiences
and purposes
triangulating sources of evidence

Technology
Use and evaluate rhetorical technologies such as
emailing, instant messaging, image editing, audio
editing, video editing, presentation design and delivery,
HTML editing, Web browsing, content management,
and desktop publishing technologies.

Core Course Policies

Technology Expectations

ability to interact with the course website and

other websites
access to word processing, visual design,
podcasting, and web design software

English 3850 I Foundations in Rhetoric and Writing I Fall 2015 I 4

a suitable email account checked regularly for

course-related business
a Flash drive or other means to backup
coursework

Routine work with technology is a component of this

course. Students need not be technological experts to
succeed in this course, but digital technology interaction
is integral and computer problems are not valid excuses for
incomplete work. Practice the core principle of digital data
work: redundant backup. Digital technology will fail; be
prepared for that eventuality.

Personal Technology Devices

Students may use laptops, cell phones, and other digital
devices during class, provided that they do not disrupt
other students learning. This is not a trick. This course is
situated in an increasingly connected multimedia
environment. Each student is responsible for his or her
own engagement with class meetings, and thus his or her
resultant success or failure.

Availability of Online Material

Because of the nature of the course, some material
posted to the course website may be publicly accessible
through the Web. (A students grades and personal
information will not be shared publicly.) Additionally,
any material posted to the course website may be used
anonymously for teaching or published research
purposes. For these reasons, students are encouraged to
select usernames that are different from their real names.

Student Conduct
This courses code of student conduct is informed by
Saint Louis Universitys own code of student conduct,
best encapsulated by the following statement:
All members of the University community are
expected to contribute to the development and
sustainability of community through word and
action. Our community is characterized by respect
for the dignity of others, honesty, and the pursuit of
truth.
Insults, slurs, or attacks of any kind are not allowed in
this class (this includes f2f meetings and on the course
site). Any student who engages in this type of behavior
in the classroom will be permanently removed from the
class. This code of conduct is equally important to
maintain during group meetings outside of class. In
order to have an effective teaching and learning
environment we must practice both respect and
tolerance, without question. The remainder of the
universitys code of student conduct can be found at
http://www.slu.edu/x24293.xml.

English as a Second Language

Help is available at the ESL Resource Center, where
tutors are specialized to work with second-language
concerns. They work with any international student,
undergraduate or graduate, who wishes to seek
assistance. In one-on-one consultations and workshops,
our ESL writing coaches provide feedback and offer
strategies to improve your writing at every stage, from
brainstorming for ideas to polishing final drafts. We also
offer workshops and individual assistance in other
language-related areas, including TOEFL test-taking
strategies, multi-media projects, grammar, research, and
conversation skills. For more information, to make or
cancel an appointment contact Christian Rayner at 314977-3052 or visit http://www.slu.edu/x49411.xml.

Academic Integrity Statement

Academic integrity is honest, truthful and responsible
conduct in all academic endeavors. The mission of Saint
Louis University is "the pursuit of truth for the greater
glory of God and for the service of humanity."
Accordingly, all acts of falsehood demean and
compromise the corporate endeavors of teaching,
research, health care, and community service via which
SLU embodies its mission. The University strives to
prepare students for lives of personal and professional
integrity, and therefore regards all breaches of academic
integrity as matters of serious concern. The governing
University-level Academic Integrity Policy was adopted
in Spring 2015, and can be accessed on the Provost's
Office website at: http://www.slu.edu/ Documents/
provost/academic_affairs.
Additionally, each SLU College, School, and Center
has adopted its own academic integrity policies, available
on their respective websites. All SLU students are
expected to know and abide by these policies, which
detail definitions of violations, processes for reporting
violations, sanctions, and appeals. Please direct
questions about any facet of academic integrity to your
faculty, the chair of the department of your academic
program, or the Dean/Director of the College, School or
Center in which your program is housed. Specific
College of Arts and Sciences Academic Honesty Policies
and Procedures may be found at: http://www.slu.edu/
x12657.xml.

Title IX Statement
Saint Louis University and its faculty are committed to
supporting our students and seeking an environment
that is free of bias, discrimination, and harassment. If
you have encountered any form of sexual misconduct
(e.g. sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, domestic
or dating violence), we encourage you to report this to
English 3850 I Foundations in Rhetoric and Writing I Fall 2015 I 5

the University. If you speak with a faculty member about

an incident of misconduct, that faculty member must
notify SLU's Title IX coordinator, Anna R. Kratky
(DuBourg Hall, Room 36; akratky@slu.edu; 314-9773886) and share the basic fact of your experience with
her. The Title IX coordinator will then be available to
assist you in understanding all of your options and in
connecting you with all possible resources on and off
campus.
If you wish to speak with a confidential source, you
may contact the counselors at the University Counseling
Center at 314-977-TALK. To view SLU's sexual
misconduct policy and for resources, please visit the
following web address: http://www.slu.edu/generalcounsel-home/office-of-institutional-equity-anddiversity/sexual-misconduct-policy and
www.slu.edu/here4you.

Student Success Center Statement

In recognition that people learn in a variety of ways and
that learning is influenced by multiple factors (e.g., prior
experience, study skills, learning disability), resources to
support student success are available on campus. The
Student Success Center, a one-stop shop, which assists
students with academic and career related services, is
located in the Busch Student Center (Suite, 331) and the
School of Nursing (Suite, 114). Students who think they
might benefit from these resources can find out more
about:

Course-level support (e.g., faculty member,

departmental resources, etc.) by asking your
course instructor.
University-level support (e.g., tutoring services,
university writing services, disability services,
academic coaching, career services, and/or facets
of curriculum planning) by visiting the Student
Success Center or by going to
www.slu.edu/success.

Disability Services Statement

Students with a documented disability who wish to
request academic accommodations are encouraged to
contact Disability Services to discuss accommodation
requests and eligibility requirements. Please contact
Disability Services, located within the Student Success
Center, at Disability_services@slu.edu or 314-977-3484
to schedule an appointment. Confidentiality will be
observed in all inquiries. Once approved, information
about academic accommodations will be shared with
course instructors via email from Disability Services and
viewed within Banner via the instructor's course roster.

English 3850 I Foundations in Rhetoric and Writing I Fall 2015 I 6