Beyond Violence: Civic Writing towards Advocacy and Social Justice

Such civility, in service to preserving an unjust social order, is also what more
than two centuries of collectivist, populist, and emancipatory movements
have contested, resulting in measurable expansions of who is included in the
political sphere and what democratic rights and social-justice oversight can be
exercised in the economic (Welch 37).
CATALOG DESCRIPTION:
Practical skills necessary for effective civic or advocacy writing. Examines the nature of public(s)
and applies theoretical understandings to practical communication scenarios.
INSTRUCTOR DESCRIPTION:
According to a recent poll by Harvards Institute of Politics, millennials dont feel politically
engaged, dont vote and are distrustful of Washington. But we also see another side to the
generationthey care about issues like criminal justice, the economy and same-sex marriage
(Kelly). The report indicates that half of the polled 18-29 year-olds dont have much confidence
on the U.S. judicial systems ability to fairly judge people without bias for race and ethnicity,
which is reflected on their support of protests about the killing of black (wo)men across the
country, as well as state violence in general. Millennials seem to understand how acts of protest
do not stem from a place of pointless rebellion, or unjustified anger; instead, the aims of
protest reflect efforts towards social justice. This course focuses on the study and practice of
civic writing and advocacy following these aims.
Consonant with the description of the course, WRT 301 should provide students with
theoretical understandings of public(s) that can be applied to practical communication
scenarios, covering practical skills necessary for effective civic writing or advocacy writing
with an emphasis on form (genre) and content (knowledge). The assigned readings will focus
on theoretical conversations on public(s) within rhetorical studies, but they also provide a
glimpse at debates on composition studies and myriad strategies for enacting political work.

Outside speakers from local organizations should provide further examples of practical
communication scenarios wherein civic writing is necessary and their approaches to civic
writing using a variety of genres.
Course assignments should be a space for reflection, exploration, and demonstration of the
knowledge on the concepts discussed in assigned readings, speaker presentations, and outside
research on a self-selected civic issue, following the established course goals.
WRT 301 COURSE GOALS FROM THE WRITING PROGRAM:
The overall goal of civic writing courses is to teach student writers how to communicate-actively, competently, with critical awareness--in public life (e.g., in community issues,
public affairs, government).
Students will develop the topic expertise, situational knowledge, and rhetorical abilities
needed to play civic and public roles (e.g., concerned citizen, elected or appointed official,
taskforce member, government professional, or community activist).
Students will critically consider democratic public life, broadly defined (e.g., citizenship,
political representation, community activism)

Students will selectively read and discuss concepts important

to civic life (e.g., democracy, public, community, civil society,
advocacy, public interest, or public service).

Students will hear from and interact with practitioners and

commentators who are engaged in civic and professional roles
through interviews, class presentations, etc.
Students will produce real-world genres for real-world audiences.

Students will practice writing and speaking in the genres of

civic communication appropriate to their project (e.g., letters
to the editor, op-ed pieces, fact sheets, media kits, protest
posters, white papers, legislative proposals).

Students will practice writing for varied audiences, editing for

different styles and contexts and presenting in diverse
publication formats.

Students will engage in sustained projects and produce a number of products carefully
calculated for rhetorical effectiveness as civic writing within particular contexts.

Students will learn research strategies for developing

knowledge of topics, issues, and contexts (e.g., observing
public hearings, interviewing key players or elected officials,
accessing and assessing digital information sources, or
researching government records).

Students will analyze target audiences.

Students will study and produce many, typically concise

products, which are appropriate for particular audiences in
specific public contexts, settings, and situations (i.e., students
will not usually write long, formal academic papers), based on
(typically) self-selected topics.

COURSE ASSIGNMENTS:
Ultimately, you should be able to fulfill the course goals by applying theoretical conceptions of
public(s), as well the rhetorical and composition strategies engaged in multiple conceptions of
democratic participation, advocacy, and social justice, while researching and enacting practices
of civic writing to a civic issue of your choice.
Glossary of Civic Terms (15%) Choose an issue (or cause) you are interested in to apply the
concepts discussed in class (publics, rhetorical strategies, composition practices) as part of a
reading response portfolio. The terms could also come from other texts you encounter/produce
outside of the course design, in your consumption/productions of, and interactions with
popular/marginalized cultures.
Reflexivity Journal Entries (5%) Short posts based on prompts provided throughout the
semester. These should be at least 500 words long but they can be as long as necessary for the
writing exercise to feel productive to you, as many of these will help you draft other
assignments.
Definition of Civic Writing (20%) Choosing an issue of interest will be facilitated by writing an
early exploratory definition of civic writing applied to civic interests. Revisiting this definition at
the end of the semester as a final paper should allow you to apply the readings and concepts
around civic writing discussed in class throughout the semester.
Civic Writing in Action (25%) As a midterm, you will write a research paper on the ways in
which organizations, groups, and/or individuals already engage civic writing about a topic (issue
or cause) of your choice. The paper should apply the concepts discussed in class.
Real-world Genres for Real-world Audiences Multimodal Production & Rhetorical Reflection
(25%) The multimodal products should reflect a consideration of the target publics being
addressed, accompanied by a rhetorical reflection in which you demonstrate attention to form
and content, referring to the specific composition strategies and intended effects in specific
rhetorical situations.
Attendance and Participation (10%) Writing studios are courses in language learning, and
language is learned in communities; therefore, it is essential that you attend class and
participate. Absences and lack of preparation for class will affect your classmates work as well

as your own. The work you do in class, the work you do to prepare for each class, is as
important as any polished assignment you turn in for a grade, especially considering that a
component of your essays will be a record of your work towards a final product. Participation
can be demonstrated in more ways than simply being active in class discussions (note-taking,
leading small group discussions, among others). Another way to participate is by listening and
paying attention to your peers, being respectful of others in discussions, peer editing sessions,
and in general.
GRADING:
Grading in this course is as follows:
A: excellent work that abundantly meets assignment expectations
B: good work that meets expectations
C: satisfactory work that generally satisfies the assignment but with common and significant
problems
D: unsatisfactory work that exhibits very significant problems
F: failing work that does not meet university-level requirements
Pluses (+) and minuses (-) allow for more grading precision and will be used in this course.
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY POLICIES:
Diversity and Disability Accommodations:
If you believe that you need accommodations for a disability, please contact the Office of
Disability Services (ODS), visit the ODS website (http://disabilityservices.syr.edu), located in
Room 309 of 804 University Avenue, or call (315) 443-4498 or TDD: (315) 443-1371 for an
appointment to discuss your needs and the process for requesting accommodations. ODS is
responsible for coordinating disability-related accommodations and will issue students with
documented Disabilities Accommodation Authorization Letters, as appropriate. Since
accommodations may require early planning and generally are not provided retroactively,
please contact ODS as soon as possible.
Syracuse University values diversity and inclusion; we are committed to a climate of mutual
respect and full participation. My goal is to create learning environments that are useable,
equitable, inclusive and welcoming. If there are aspects of the instruction or design of this
course that result in barriers to your inclusion or accurate assessment or achievement, I invite
any student to meet with me to discuss additional strategies beyond accommodations that may
be helpful to your success.
Academic Honesty:
Syracuse Universitys academic integrity policy reflects the high value that we, as a university
community, place on honesty in academic work. The policy defines our expectations for
academic honesty and holds students accountable for the integrity of all work they submit.

Students should understand that it is their responsibility to learn about course-specific

expectations, as well as about university-wide academic integrity expectations. The university
policy governs appropriate citation and use of sources, the integrity of work submitted in exams
and assignments, and the veracity of signatures on attendance sheets and other verification of
participation in class activities. The policy also prohibits students from submitting the same
written work in more than one class without receiving written authorization in advance from
both instructors. The presumptive penalty for a first instance of academic dishonesty by an
undergraduate student is course failure, accompanied by a transcript notation indicating that
the failure resulted from a violation of academic integrity policy. The presumptive penalty for a
first instance of academic dishonesty by a graduate student is suspension or expulsion. SU
students are required to read an online summary of the universitys academic integrity
expectations and provide an electronic signature agreeing to abide by them twice a year during
pre-term check-in on MySlice. For more information and the complete policy,
see http://academicintegrity.syr.edu.
Student Writing:
All texts written in this course are generally public. You may be asked to share them with a
peer, the class, or with me during classroom activities or for homework. You will also be asked
to sign a consent form requesting the use of your writing for professional development, teacher
training, and classroom instruction within the Syracuse University Writing Program.
The Writing Center:
Experienced writing consultants at the Writing Center (101 HB Crouse Hall, on the Quad) can
help you at any stage of the writing process. Face-to-face and online appointments are available
for 25- or 50-minute sessions throughout the semester and can be reserved up to seven days in
advance via their online scheduling program, WCOnline. In addition, drop-in appointments are
welcome Monday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and brief concerns or
questions can be emailed to consultants via the eWC. (http://wc.syr.edu)
Religious Observances:
SUs religious observances policy recognizes the diversity of faiths represented among the
campus community and protects the rights of students, faculty, and staff to observe religious
holy days according to their tradition. Under the policy, students are provided an opportunity
to make up any examination, study, or work requirements that may be missed due to a
religious observance provided they notify their instructors before the end of the second week
of classes. An online notification process is available through MySlice/Student
Services/Enrollment/My Religious Observances from the first day of class until the end of the
second week of class. (http://supolicies.syr.edu/emp_ben/religious_observance.html)