Undergraduate students enrolled at the University of Rochester who are not in EAPP (English for Academic Purposes Program) but wish to take EAPP classes should contact the EAPP director, Paige Sloan (gsloan@ur.rochester.edu ).

This course is designed to help undergraduate non-native speakers of English improve their English oral communication and listening skills in preparation for social interactions at the university. Students will practice speaking at greater length and faster speed by developing fluency, grammatical accuracy, complexity of sentence structures, and vocabulary. In addition, students will practice listening actively to peers, summarizing, paraphrasing, and repeating key information from native speakers of English. The course will also cover such techniques as asking follow-up questions, using socialization strategies, adapting to cultural differences, practicing small talk, and making formal and informal introductions. Class work will take place in and out of the classroom with the collaboration of native and non-native speakers of English in formal and informal settings. Significant class time will be devoted to English pronunciation.

Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in WRTG 101: EAPP Communication across Contexts I is required to proceed to WRTG 102: EAPP Communication across Contexts II. EAPP Program permission required for non-EAPP Program students.

Location

Rush Rhees Library Room 304E (F 9:00AM - 10:15AM)

Undergraduate students enrolled at the University of Rochester who are not in EAPP (English for Academic Purposes Program) but wish to take EAPP classes should contact the EAPP director, Paige Sloan (gsloan@ur.rochester.edu ).

This course is designed to help undergraduate non-native speakers of English improve their English oral communication and listening skills in preparation for social interactions at the university. Students will practice speaking at greater length and faster speed by developing fluency, grammatical accuracy, complexity of sentence structures, and vocabulary. In addition, students will practice listening actively to peers, summarizing, paraphrasing, and repeating key information from native speakers of English. The course will also cover such techniques as asking follow-up questions, using socialization strategies, adapting to cultural differences, practicing small talk, and making formal and informal introductions. Class work will take place in and out of the classroom with the collaboration of native and non-native speakers of English in formal and informal settings. Significant class time will be devoted to English pronunciation.

Prerequisite: A grade of C or better is required in WRTG 101: EAPP Communication across Contexts I to proceed to WRTG 102: EAPP Communication across Contexts II. EAPP Program permission required for non-EAPP Program students.

Location

Lechase Room 184 (F 9:00AM - 10:15AM)

Undergraduate students enrolled at the University of Rochester who are not in EAPP (English for Academic Purposes Program) but wish to take EAPP classes should contact the EAPP director, Paige Sloan (gsloan@ur.rochester.edu ).

This course is designed to help undergraduate non-native speakers of English improve their English oral communication and listening skills in preparation for social interactions at the university. Students will practice speaking at greater length and faster speed by developing fluency, grammatical accuracy, complexity of sentence structures, and vocabulary. In addition, students will practice listening actively to peers, summarizing, paraphrasing, and repeating key information from native speakers of English. The course will also cover such techniques as asking follow-up questions, using socialization strategies, adapting to cultural differences, practicing small talk, and making formal and informal introductions. Class work will take place in and out of the classroom with the collaboration of native and non-native speakers of English in formal and informal settings. Significant class time will be devoted to English pronunciation.

Prerequisite: A grade of C or better is required in WRTG 101: EAPP Communication across Contexts I to proceed to WRTG 102: EAPP Communication across Contexts II. EAPP Program permission required for non-EAPP Program students.

Location

Frederick Douglass Room 420 (F 9:00AM - 10:15AM)

Undergraduate students enrolled at the University of Rochester who are not in EAPP (English for Academic Purposes Program) but wish to take EAPP classes should contact the EAPP director, Paige Sloan (gsloan@ur.rochester.edu ).

WRT 103 is an introduction to critical reading and writing skills. Lessons will center on the analysis of varied readings and on using writing as a tool for critical thinking and reflection. Students will be introduced to concepts of rhetorical analysis and the use of logic, as well as the roles of audience and purpose in shaping the organization, style and argumentative strategies of their own papers. In addition, students will build writing fluency and self-expression through freewriting and in-class writing. Collaboration is an important part of learning; therefore, students will work together as they learn to critique their own work and the work of their peers. Attention will be given to writing beyond the classroom, such as communicating with faculty and others campus programs and departments.

Prerequisites: A grade of C or better is required to proceed to WRTG 104, EAPP Research, Reading, and Writing. EAPP Program permission required for non-EAPP Program students.

Location

Rush Rhees Library Room 304E (TR 2:00PM - 4:40PM)

Undergraduate students enrolled at the University of Rochester who are not in EAPP (English for Academic Purposes Program) but wish to take EAPP classes should contact the EAPP director, Paige Sloan (gsloan@ur.rochester.edu ).

WRTG 103 is an introduction to critical reading and writing skills. Lessons will center on the analysis of varied readings and on using writing as a tool for critical thinking and reflection. Students will be introduced to concepts of rhetorical analysis and the use of logic, as well as the roles of audience and purpose in shaping the organization, style and argumentative strategies of their own papers. In addition, students will build writing fluency and self-expression through freewriting and in-class writing. Collaboration is an important part of learning; therefore, students will work together as they learn to critique their own work and the work of their peers. Attention will be given to writing beyond the classroom, such as communicating with faculty and others campus programs and departments.

Prerequisites: A grade of C or better is required to proceed to WRTG 104, EAPP Research, Reading, and Writing. EAPP Program permission required for non-EAPP Program students.

Location

Hylan Building Room 307 (TR 9:40AM - 12:20PM)

Undergraduate students enrolled at the University of Rochester who are not in EAPP (English for Academic Purposes Program) but wish to take EAPP classes should contact the EAPP director, Paige Sloan (gsloan@ur.rochester.edu ).

WRTG 103 is an introduction to critical reading and writing skills. Lessons will center on the analysis of varied readings and on using writing as a tool for critical thinking and reflection. Students will be introduced to concepts of rhetorical analysis and the use of logic, as well as the roles of audience and purpose in shaping the organization, style and argumentative strategies of their own papers. In addition, students will build writing fluency and self-expression through freewriting and in-class writing. Collaboration is an important part of learning; therefore, students will work together as they learn to critique their own work and the work of their peers. Attention will be given to writing beyond the classroom, such as communicating with faculty and others campus programs and departments.

Prerequisites: A grade of C or better is required to proceed to WRTG 104, EAPP Research, Reading, and Writing. EAPP Program permission required for non-EAPP Program students.

Location

Meliora Room 218 (MW 9:00AM - 11:40AM)

Friendship offers a window through which people come into their identities. We will look at both representations and scholarly discussions of friendship to think about how friendship functions in the world.  Through analyzing and writing about novels, films, and journalism, we will pursue questions such as: How does friendship shape who we are and how we participate in society? How can friendships both enrich and complicate our lives? And what does friendship offer as opposed to familial, professional, or romantic relationships? We will read classic literary texts like Zora Neal Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God and odes to friendship by Shakespeare and Lord Alfred Tennyson. We will also consider how experiences of marginalization shape relations of friendship and kinship. Audre Lorde and bell hooks, for example, theorize the role of friendship in movements for self-determination, meanwhile LGBTQ people describe finding affirmative “chosen family” among friends. Exploring these phenomena will broaden how we understand friendship to shape identity and belonging, and therefore how friendship functions in society. In formal and informal writing assignments students will analyze course texts, receive peer feedback on their writing, and produce written reflections. Students will also complete an 8-10-page argumentative research paper.

Location

Hylan Building Room 206 (MW 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

Why do we see racial, sexual and other forms of inequality when most people denounce racism and sexism? What responsibilities do present generations have for the injustices of past generations? How does one live ethically in an unjust world? To answer these questions, recent conversations about racism and sexism have become increasingly focused on subtle manifestations of power, including implicit bias, various forms of privilege, and microaggressions. Through formal and informal writing, you will enter the debates about these issues, exploring both the promise of these ways of understanding oppression, and also the ways in which some perspectives might overreach.  Course materials will include texts by Robin DiAngelo, Robert Boyers, John McWhorter, and others. In two shorter papers and an 8-10 page argumentative research paper, you will develop and refine responses to course materials through a writing process that will involve drafting, revision, peer response, and self-reflection.

Location

Lechase Room 122 (TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM)

Several times a day we choose to discard objects in trash bins, in garbage disposals, out the window. These objects, for different reasons, no longer belong in our daily lives—but why? How do we define “garbage,” and how do representations of trash impact decisions we make every day? Drawing on personal points of interest and developing their own techniques for inquiry, students will grow as writers, readers, and thinkers by interrogating what contributes to our notions of garbage. We will consider how garbage is represented to us in different media by looking at notable texts, both scholarly and literary: A.R. Ammons’ long poem Garbage, for example, as well as critical research on waste management, and Lucy Walker’s film Waste Land. Through the process of writing and revising, through class discussions and peer feedback, we will consider where garbage travels once it leaves our hands, and we will think about what’s at stake for us environmentally, artistically, and historically. Assignments will include writing reflections, short essays, a multi-modal project, as well as a final 8-10 page argumentative research paper for which students are invited to draw from their own disciplinary interests.

Location

Goergen Hall Room 110 (TR 3:25PM - 4:40PM)

As the internet has boomed, the fine arts have begun to leave their homes in museums and galleries and find a new place on our smartphones and computer screens. Once a community for only “high society,” the high arts are now accessible across cultures, socioeconomic classes, generations, abilities, and geographical regions. Has this increase in accessibility and engagement in arts changed the way we interact with art? What we consider to be art? Who is a member of the “art world”? In this course, we will discuss responses to these questions, and develop our own, through the scholarly work of art historians, critics, and sociologists. We will also use TED Talks and other popular sources to guide us in considering the ways that the rise of digital arts, engagement through social media, and the advent of new technology like Non-Fungible Tokens (“NFTs”) have shifted our understanding of art, value, creativity, and ownership. Students will explore their own ideas through discussion, short informal and formal writing assignments, and an 8-10 page argumentative research paper. For each formal assignment we will refine our ideas by utilizing peer feedback, self-reflection, and revision.

Location

Lechase Room 161 (TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM)

Allegories, while fictional, are always a commentary on the world outside their boundaries. Contemporary examples of allegories are wide and varied. George Orwell chose to critique Stalanism through animals in his aptly named novel Animal Farm. In The Dispossessed, Ursula K. Le Guin used the technology of science fiction to comment on cold war politics. While we will not read these specific authors, we will consider other varied manifestations of the allegory as a genre. Why are authors attracted to this form? What allows it to raise political or cultural questions? Through their writing, students will consider the lens of the allegorical form to engage with a diverse range of topics. At the same time, group discussion will be a place to consider the possibilities and limitations of the form itself. We will explore allegories through multiple genres from poetry, plays, and short stories like Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown,” to visual media like television episodes of The Twilight Zone and Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away. In responding to these works students will develop skills in academic writing and critical thinking. Assignments will include shorter essays, peer feedback, evidence of self-reflection, revisions, and a final 8-10 page argumentative research paper.

Location

Hylan Building Room 206 (MW 9:00AM - 10:15AM)

Human culture and machine/technology culture are becoming more and more entangled in recent decades. In this course, we will engage a variety of questions regarding the social, political, and moral implications of this entanglement. Should autonomous systems be permitted in warfare? Should human enhancement technologies be controlled by parents or by governments? Should humanity strive to throw off the constraints of biological existence for something else entirely? What are genetic "diseases" and should we try to eliminate them? We will use the tools of research, writing, argument, and discussion to hone our views on these complex issues and learn to communicate our conclusions through writing. Students will develop two analytical and argumentative essays during this course. Successful completion of the course will prepare students for the research proposal and 8-10 page argumentative research paper.

Location

Todd Union Room 202 (MW 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

What does it mean to travel? This question has long occupied writers. Travel writing has traditionally served as a medium for investigations of identity and the spirit of place. More recently it has become a space for renewed analyses of race, gender, capitalism, imperialism, and the ethics of movement and technology during climate change. What might it mean to you? We will use this course as an opportunity to articulate for ourselves just what it means to travel, and what our own questions of travel might be. We will read widely, engaging with perspectives of travel from a variety of periods, places, professions, and identities, and then leverage that reading into a robust writing practice in order to locate our own bearings on these questions. We will begin with a series of short assignments, both formal and informal, from paper proposals and annotated bibliographies to mock itineraries and journals. Readings might range from tales of wandering in classical Japan to the nature writing of Barry Lopez and the Paris essays of James Baldwin. We will build up, through a process of discussion, revision, peer feedback, and reflection into writing a final 8-10 page argumentative research paper. No travel experience necessary.

Location

Frederick Douglass Room 420 (TR 6:15PM - 7:30PM)

We are constantly making decisions that we hope will lead to our immediate or future happiness, yet what do we really know about this complex emotion? What is happiness? To what extent is the search for happiness instinctual? How might our personalities shape our desire to seek different kinds of happiness? How do our experiences influence our perceptions of happiness? Using writing as a tool for inquiry, discovery, and knowledge construction, students will investigate such questions. Informal assignments, readings, and formal papers work together to inform students’ final 8-10 page argumentative research paper. Students will have multiple opportunities to collaborate and capitalize on all aspects of peer review and self-assessment as the goal of this course is for students to learn how to construct an effective argument and become confident in their role as academic writers.

Location

Meliora Room 206 (TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM)

Before coming to UR, you had some idea of what college would be like. You also received representations of college that mediated those expectations. This course uses common genres of academic writing to raise questions about college. What does it mean? What is it good for? Why are you here? Through books (Excellent Sheep), media (Dear White People, The College Admissions Scandal), and research, we’ll see college as an object of discourse and as a site that produces it. We’ll examine different representations of college, how each constructs its object, and how construction affects students’ lived experience. Our object of analysis is the language used to describe college—we’ll review the impact of descriptions as much as the college experience itself. We’ll consider how audience and purpose shape the organization and strategy of a text. You’ll become more critical writers through peer and instructor feedback, revision, editing, reflection, and completing an 8-10 page argumentative research paper.

Location

Lattimore Room 431 (MW 9:00AM - 10:15AM)

Research into the origins and workings of human empathy has flowered in recent years. Scholars in fields from literature and law to psychology and neuroscience now study empathy’s role in human evolution, relationships, and political life. Is empathy a reliable guide to moral action? How should it factor into legal decisions regarding guilt and punishment? How is it influenced by race, gender, and other forms of cultural identity? Students will explore such questions as a way of developing as college-level writers and thinkers. They will watch films like A Time to Kill and Jo-Jo Rabbit and confront arguments about empathy from multiple disciplines and multiple genres (like op-eds and podcasts). They will then join in the discussion about these issues, composing a series of informal responses and short formal assignments leading up to an 8-10pp argumentative research paper. The class will emphasize all aspects of the writing process, including peer and instructor feedback, revision, and self-reflection.

Location

Hylan Building Room 306 (TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM)

Originating in art in the 1950s, minimalism as a philosophy is prevalent in many areas of today’s society. What comes into your mind when hearing the word “minimalism”? Capsule wardrobe, zero-waste kitchen, or a break from the web? Why is minimalism, or the idea of having less, gaining popularity? How do notions such as contemporary values and technology come into play with people’s choices about minimalism? We will consider and develop questions like these by viewing and writing about minimalists’ blogs and videos. We will also develop our ideas by exploring scholarly articles from fields such as psychology, cultural economy, and environmental science. Furthermore, we will communicate and test our ideas with diverse audiences in the classroom through writing and sharing short essays, peer feedback, reflection, and revision. The culminating experience includes making a multimodal presentation and writing an 8-10 page argumentative research paper based on your interest within the course theme.

Location

Meliora Room 219 (MW 3:25PM - 4:40PM)

Over the past two decades, Taylor Swift has risen from aspiring country singer to “Fearless” global superstar.  “Long Story Short,” she has won countless awards for her music and has toured four continents.  What really distinguishes Swift, however, is the level of connection she achieves with her fans through songwriting, a “Love Story” they know “All Too Well.”  What is it about her writing that makes her music so effective and affecting?  How does she manage to “Shake It Off” when encountering criticism and “Begin Again” with each new era?  In our class, we will investigate the phenomenon of Taylor Swift through research, discussion, and writing.  We will analyze sources ranging from lyrics and music videos to scholarly articles and the Miss Americana documentary to explore Swift’s artistry and influence.  In essays, students will trace themes across Swift’s canon and explore the impact Swift has had on the music industry, popular culture, and the realms of politics and feminism.  We will take inspiration from her work to help us discover and refine our own authorial voices.  Peer response and reflective writing will help students grow as writers and the course will culminate in an 8-10 page argumentative research paper.

Location

Hylan Building Room 306 (MW 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

Have you felt ‘butterflies in your stomach’ or ‘the weight of the world on your shoulders’? Have you ‘fallen for someone’ ‘head over heels’? Have you felt a physical rush when expressing rage in profanity you could not believe you even knew? Whether we choose to ignore or embrace them, emotions manifest themselves. Using writing as a mode of thinking, we explore how emotions converge in verbal and non-verbal communication, and how they shape us and the world we live in. We will consider a range of sources on language and body; e.g. whether vulnerability is at the heart of courage (psychology, Brown 2018), whether anything is conveyed through touch (tactile communication, Classen 2020) and whether silence or lack of movement are tough to interpret (cultural studies, Donahue 2020). To reflect on an emotion of your choice, the students produce an informal podcast. The podcast exchange will open research questions. Next, we forge a research proposal with an annotated bibliography. Finally, the proposal will grow into an 8-10 page argumentative research paper. The drafting of papers increasing in complexity, writer-reflection as well as peer and instructor’s response will help us hone academic writing as scholarly dialogue.

Location

Lechase Room 122 (TR 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

Why are people moved to join social movements and work toward political change? What do movements themselves reveal about the kind of world we want to live in? In exploring these questions, we will draw from contemporary writing on new social movements from Angela Davis and Arundati Roy and others, and consider a variety of texts that deal with local and global expressions of dissent, including documentary films and personal testimonies. Our collective inquiry will connect concepts from movement practices in several short essays as we learn about effective writing through drafting, revision, peer response, and self-reflection.  Our work will culminate in an 8-10 page argumentative research paper, which will demonstrate student ability to engage in critical conversation around contemporary social movements. Please be aware that this course contains content that explores violence and may be upsetting. Please feel free to contact the instructor for more information.

Location

Lechase Room 122 (MW 9:00AM - 10:15AM)

Why are people moved to join social movements and work toward political change? What do movements themselves reveal about the kind of world we want to live in? In exploring these questions, we will draw from contemporary writing on new social movements from Angela Davis and Arundati Roy and others, and consider a variety of texts that deal with local and global expressions of dissent, including documentary films and personal testimonies. Our collective inquiry will connect concepts from movement practices in several short essays as we learn about effective writing through drafting, revision, peer response, and self-reflection.  Our work will culminate in an 8-10 page argumentative research paper, which will demonstrate student ability to engage in critical conversation around contemporary social movements. Please be aware that this course contains content that explores violence and may be upsetting. Please feel free to contact the instructor for more information.

Location

Lechase Room 182 (MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM)

What makes popular nonfiction so compelling? The writer’s style? Their voice? Their eye for topics that often surprise us? And how can we successfully utilize those rhetorical strategies in our own writing? In this course, we’ll take a deep dive into popular nonfiction, analyzing how the way one writes affects what is learned, who the audience is, and how the text shapes the world. To explore these questions in action, we’ll look at post-1945 nonfiction writers like renegade journalist Hunter S. Thompson, conflicting chroniclers of the Vietnam War Michael Herr and Viet Thanh Nguyen, public intellectual Ta-Nehisi Coates, and the “everymen” podcasters behind Stuff You Should Know, seeing how these writers became famous, in part, for making their complex ideas profoundly engaging to the larger public. While we use these works to underpin our informal and formal writing assignments and discussion, we’ll also use them as models as we practice writing in styles which suit audiences from trained academics to casual readers. Through peer feedback, reflection, and revision, you will develop writing skills fit for a variety of contexts, with your work culminating in an 8-10 page argumentative research paper integrating course themes and individual interests.

Location

Hylan Building Room 203 (TR 3:25PM - 4:40PM)

How is American culture and history shaped by work? How does one's work and search for a career affect individual identity development? What makes "work" into a career? Through popular culture examples including children's books (eg. Richard Scarry's, What do People do all day) films (eg. Billy Elliot, Office Space, Social Network), and theoretical readings from labor history, sociology, and psychology, this class will explore the definition of work in American culture broadly as well as in individual stories. By engaging students in a constructive learning process including class discussions, critical reading, and formal and informal writing assignments this course will introduce students to academic writing. Writing assignments include short analytical essays and one 8-10 page argumentative research paper. The focus of this course is the writing process and will involve drafting, peer response, self-assessment and revision.

Location

Lechase Room 121 (TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM)

In what scholars have dubbed “The Age of Fracture,” it is no surprise that sports and fandom are increasingly shaped by political values. In the past couple of years sports fans have argued over boycotting different sports leagues, kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality, and changing racially insensitive team names and logos. How has this politicization changed what it means to be a sports fan? Why are these questions debated through sports? Are sports inherently political? Students will explore these questions and develop other lines of inquiry about the growing politicization of American sports. In order to do so, students will read, watch, listen to, and compare modern sports and political journalism from a wide range of media outlets including ESPN, theringer.com, CNN, Fox News, etc. In class discussion and through journals and other short writing assignments, students will be asked to analyze the format of this coverage and the perspectives and underlying assumptions that shape it. Students will also write 3-4 short papers developing ideas raised throughout the semester with each paper undergoing peer response, instructor feedback, and reflection. The course will culminate in an 8-10 page argumentative research paper on a sports debate of the student’s choosing.

Location

Lechase Room 103 (TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM)

Engineering innovations can be found all around us, but how do ideas become tangible products? What is the design process? And how can we apply principles of design thinking to our own lives? We will explore questions such as these and develop others as we listen to podcasts (e.g., Being an Engineer), watch YouTube (e.g., Mark Rober), read scholarly articles, and learn about the impact and career paths of engineers such as Sara Spangelo, Danielle Boyer, and Janelle Wellons. In this class, we will practice thinking like engineers by engaging in design activities such as brainstorming, peer feedback, self-reflection, and testing and refining our ideas. To be an effective engineer – and writer – requires that you be curious, try new things, talk with others, and share your story. Assignments will include trying out new tools (e.g., Blender, SQL, Flourish), interviewing an engineer, creating a podcast, and drafting and revising short essays in addition to drawing from your own disciplinary interests to write a final 8-10-page argumentative research paper.

Location

Lechase Room 121 (MW 9:00AM - 10:15AM)

How is American culture and history shaped by work? How does one's work and search for a career affect individual identity development? What makes "work" into a career? Through popular culture examples including children's books (eg. Richard Scarry's, What do People do all day) films (eg. Billy Elliot, Office Space, Social Network), and theoretical readings from labor history, sociology, and psychology, this class will explore the definition of work in American culture broadly as well as in individual stories. By engaging students in a constructive learning process including class discussions, critical reading, and formal and informal writing assignments this course will introduce students to academic writing. Writing assignments include short analytical essays and one 8-10 page argumentative research paper. The focus of this course is the writing process and will involve drafting, peer response, self-assessment and revision.

Location

Genesee Hall Room 309 (TR 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

New opportunities for artistic expression have disseminated to the masses at an unprecedented rate through access to social media. Instagram photographers, Wordpress poets, YouTube
comedians, Soundcloud rappers—amongst others—are now common in our everyday lives. But
how has access to these massive digital communities and new platforms of expression influenced the arts as a whole? To answer this question we’ll explore the intricacies of social media
platforms and their relationship to long-standing artistic traditions. We’ll base our discussions
around influencers, artists, platforms, and genres that you’re interested in, and engage with
critical works from writers like Guy Debord, Jean Baudrillard, and numerous scholarly articles.
This complicated relationship between the arts and technology will be explored through writing
and discussion, focusing on reflection, revision, and peer feedback. We’ll write several short
papers, an 8-10 page argumentative research paper, and design one multi-modal project.

Location

Hylan Building Room 105 (MW 4:50PM - 6:05PM)

What is the meaning of life? For centuries, a variety of thinkers, cultural traditions, and social movements have attempted to answer this question. In this class, we will consider “the meaning of life” as both a theoretical problem and lived experience using critical reading and discussion, drawing from texts by philosophers, journalists, and literary figures like Susan R. Wolf, Friedrich Nietzsche, Donna Haraway, Jill Lepore, and Albert Camus, as well as works ranging from academic scholarship and religious writings to fiction and film. This course invites students to enter this existential conversation by formulating their own ideas through discussion, in-class writing, and formal assignments, and drawing parallels between readings and the dilemmas we face in everyday life. Students will also take part in informal writing, peer response, writer reflection, and revision. The course will culminate in an 8-10 page argumentative research paper.

Location

Lechase Room 163 (TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM)

Research into the origins and workings of human empathy has flowered in recent years. Scholars in fields from literature and law to psychology and neuroscience now study empathy’s role in human evolution, relationships, and political life. Is empathy a reliable guide to moral action? How should it factor into legal decisions regarding guilt and punishment? How is it influenced by race, gender, and other forms of cultural identity? Students will explore such questions as a way of developing as college-level writers and thinkers. They will watch films like A Time to Kill and Jo-Jo Rabbit and confront arguments about empathy from multiple disciplines and multiple genres (like op-eds and podcasts). They will then join in the discussion about these issues, composing a series of informal responses and short formal assignments leading up to an 8-10pp argumentative research paper. The class will emphasize all aspects of the writing process, including peer and instructor feedback, revision, and self-reflection.

Location

Hylan Building Room 306 (TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

Who are we? Why are we here? What, after all, is human nature? As a species, we have long wondered what drives us, what makes us unique, why we are the way we are. In this class, we will examine the question of human nature from various perspectives, including science, religion, philosophy, psychology, sociology, and animal studies. We will analyze these viewpoints using writing, critical reading, and discussion, drawing from authors like Edward O. Wilson, Simone de Beauvoir, Michel Foucault, Charles Darwin, and William James, as well as texts ranging from academic scholarship and popular journalism to fiction and film. Students will take part in informal writing, peer response, writer reflection, and revision. The course will culminate in an 8-10 page argumentative research paper.

Location

Dewey Room 4162 (MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM)

One of the greatest intellectual problems of modern existence is knowing who and what to believe. Even as we pride ourselves on skepticism and independent thinking, we recognize the limits of our own knowledge and the pragmatic need to take some information on authority. Deferring to the judgment of experts may be a generally sound rule to follow, but applying this rule can get complicated. Is it possible for the work of experts to be corrupt, biased, or philosophically misguided? When are outsiders of an academic field intellectually justified in criticizing the conclusions of insiders? How can we distinguish legitimate criticism of authority from that which results from ignorance, paranoia, vested interest, or political bias? The readings for this course will include passages from works like Naomi Oreskes’s and Erik M. Conway’s Merchants of Doubt (2010) and Marion Nestle’s Unsavory Truth (2018). We will explore a variety of controversies in areas as diverse as human health, economics, law, and art criticism. Assignments will include both informal responses and formal essays, culminating with an argumentative research paper. Expectations include commitment to self-assessment, revision, and peer feedback.

Location

Meliora Room 219 (MW 6:15PM - 7:30PM)

Why do we see racial, sexual and other forms of inequality when most people denounce racism and sexism? What responsibilities do present generations have for the injustices of past generations? How does one live ethically in an unjust world? To answer these questions, recent conversations about racism and sexism have become increasingly focused on subtle manifestations of power, including implicit bias, various forms of privilege, and microaggressions. Through formal and informal writing, you will enter the debates about these issues, exploring both the promise of these ways of understanding oppression, and also the ways in which some perspectives might overreach.  Course materials will include texts by Robin DiAngelo, Robert Boyers, John McWhorter, and others. In two shorter papers and an 8-10 page argumentative research paper, you will develop and refine responses to course materials through a writing process that will involve drafting, revision, peer response, and self-reflection.

Location

Lechase Room 122 (TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

What is it about shapeshifting that has so fascinated us throughout human history? Who and what are our shapeshifters? In what ways does the figure of the shapeshifter reveal our own anxieties, desires, and fantasies about becoming something unfamiliar, something otherwise, something new? How are the very political, scientific, and identity-based questions we ask today shaped by the notion of shapeshifting? Through open conversation and exploratory writing about our course texts, we will work through these questions and other inquiries we discover together. From aliens and witches to cosplayers and octopuses, we will see the many ways in which shapeshifting shifts through our everyday lives by way of movies, literature, scholarly articles, podcasts, and comic books: including acclaimed works such as Mamoru Hosoda’s Belle, Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis”, Sherwin Bitsui’s Shapeshifter, and Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed’s My Octopus Teacher. Finally, we will familiarize ourselves with the writing process through informal and formal writing, peer feedback, reflection, and guided revisions. By the end of the semester, we will use these processes to write an 8-10 page argumentative research paper.  

Location

Goergen Hall Room 110 (TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM)

Greenwashing. Fast fashion. Post-consumer plastics. Climate change. Sustainability. We’re inundated with environmental concerns in the news, social media, our local communities, scientific publications, etc. When everyone has an environmental agenda, how do we evaluate this information for accuracy and reliability? Together, we’ll engage with these environmental issues and the communities who are most affected, and we’ll ask: What is the purpose of this information, what is its form, who has created it, and who is its intended audience? Using scientific, political, and cultural texts, we will analyze and write about how and why environmental information is disseminated. Course materials will include scholarly and popular articles, fiction, and social media, such as a Miyazaki film, Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass, Big Closets, Small Planet podcast, and Shiva and Mies’ Ecofeminism. Group work, discussion, and informal and formal writing assignments will help us explore our ideas about climate change and how we are influenced (or not) by discourses about the environment. Because writing is a process of refining and clarifying ideas, all formal assignments will undergo drafts, peer feedback, and reflection. One of these formal assignments will be an 8–10-page argumentative research paper developed from your own interests in the course topic.

Location

Lechase Room 161 (TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM)

Who are we? Why are we here? What, after all, is human nature? As a species, we have long wondered what drives us, what makes us unique, why we are the way we are. In this class, we will examine the question of human nature from various perspectives, including science, religion, philosophy, psychology, sociology, and animal studies. We will analyze these viewpoints using writing, critical reading, and discussion, drawing from authors like Edward O. Wilson, Simone de Beauvoir, Michel Foucault, Charles Darwin, and William James, as well as texts ranging from academic scholarship and popular journalism to fiction and film. Students will take part in informal writing, peer response, writer reflection, and revision. The course will culminate in an 8-10 page argumentative research paper.

Location

Bausch & Lomb Room 315 (MW 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

Originating in art in the 1950s, minimalism as a philosophy is prevalent in many areas of today’s society. What comes into your mind when hearing the word “minimalism”? Capsule wardrobe, zero-waste kitchen, or a break from the web? Why is minimalism, or the idea of having less, gaining popularity? How do notions such as contemporary values and technology come into play with people’s choices about minimalism? We will consider and develop questions like these by viewing and writing about minimalists’ blogs and videos. We will also develop our ideas by exploring scholarly articles from fields such as psychology, cultural economy, and environmental science. Furthermore, we will communicate and test our ideas with diverse audiences in the classroom through writing and sharing short essays, peer feedback, reflection, and revision. The culminating experience includes making a multimodal presentation and writing an 8-10 page argumentative research paper based on your interest within the course theme.

Location

Lechase Room 143 (TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM)

Mindfulness meditation decreases anxiety and improves academic performance. Might it therefore serve as a tool in the writing process? Meditators are less prone to racial stereotyping and implicit bias. Is mindfulness therefore an effective means of promoting political justice? Buddhists have claimed that mindfulness can be used to discern the ultimate nature of the self and reality. Does meditation really live up to the hype? This course aims to develop college-level writing skills and an understanding of the basic principles of academic writing by analyzing mindfulness meditation from a variety of intellectual perspectives. Spanning the fields of psychology, philosophy, neuroscience, and religion, our investigation will center around whether being mindful of language, ideas, and experiences can be an aid to becoming better at writing and better at living. To stimulate the process of drafting, peer feedback, reflection, and revision, we will engage with texts such as Robert Wright’s “Why Buddhism Is True” and Sharon Salzberg’s “Real Happiness,” all the while employing meditative techniques to determine how they can help in our journey. The course will culminate with an 8- to 10-page argumentative research paper in which students develop an argument about a related issue of their choosing.

Location

Rush Rhees Library Room G108 (TR 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

The brain is complex. It is responsible for countless functions from storage and retrieval of memories to reflexive responses to stimuli. How does it allow us to interact with the world through sensory input and active output as we think, speak, and write? What happens in the brain when we shift between these everyday tasks? In this course, we will explore how these intertwined functions compare cognitively and how each contributes to communication from neurological, cognitive, and behavioral perspectives. The works of Steven Pinker, V. S. Ramachandran, as well as other scholarly and popular sources will be investigated through informal and formal writing experiences. This course emphasizes the importance of the writing process through writer-reflection, peer feedback, and revision. The culmination is an 8 to 10 page research paper where you will develop an argument that is informed by your perspective and the existing research. You will also highlight your findings through a multimodal presentation.

Location

Lechase Room 103 (TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

The brain is complex. It is responsible for countless functions from storage and retrieval of memories to reflexive responses to stimuli. How does it allow us to interact with the world through sensory input and active output as we think, speak, and write? What happens in the brain when we shift between these everyday tasks? In this course, we will explore how these intertwined functions compare cognitively and how each contributes to communication from neurological, cognitive, and behavioral perspectives. The works of Steven Pinker, V. S. Ramachandran, as well as other scholarly and popular sources will be investigated through informal and formal writing experiences. This course emphasizes the importance of the writing process through writer-reflection, peer feedback, and revision. The culmination is an 8 to 10 page research paper where you will develop an argument that is informed by your perspective and the existing research. You will also highlight your findings through a multimodal presentation.

Location

Todd Union Room 202 (TR 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

Human culture and machine/technology culture are becoming more and more entangled in recent decades. In this course, we will engage a variety of questions regarding the social, political, and moral implications of this entanglement. Should autonomous systems be permitted in warfare? Should human enhancement technologies be controlled by parents or by governments? Should humanity strive to throw off the constraints of biological existence for something else entirely? What are genetic "diseases" and should we try to eliminate them? We will use the tools of research, writing, argument, and discussion to hone our views on these complex issues and learn to communicate our conclusions through writing. Students will develop a few short analytical and argumentative essays before working on an 8-10 page argumentative research essay. Those who successfully complete this course will be prepared to research and write for audiences across academic disciplines.

Location

Lechase Room 141 (TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

It is often assumed that our environments control who we become. Also prevalent is the notion that we can control the shapes our cultural, national, gendered, even racial identities assume. What possible intersections can exist between such poles? What does the term “identity” mean for you, and how does that meaning compare to how it is defined—and debated—across the disciplines? How does the constant interplay of self-perception and others’ view of ourselves affect our sense of identity? How have Anglophone writers from the last two centuries—like Toni Morrison, Arundhati Roy, Kazuo Ishiguro, Edward Said, Stuart Hall, and Chinua Achebe—used writing to explore the meaning of different identity categories? Using peer-responses and reflections, we, too, shall try to use academic writing as we examine the various debates over this vexed term. Collaborating as an active learning community, we shall invent, draft, revise, and edit four essays, including an 8-10 page argumentative research paper.

Location

Rush Rhees Library Room G108 (MW 3:25PM - 4:40PM)

It is often assumed that our environments control who we become. Also prevalent is the notion that we can control the shapes our cultural, national, gendered, even racial identities assume. What possible intersections can exist between such poles? What does the term “identity” mean for you, and how does that meaning compare to how it is defined—and debated—across the disciplines? How does the constant interplay of self-perception and others’ view of ourselves affect our sense of identity? How have Anglophone writers from the last two centuries—like Toni Morrison, Arundhati Roy, Kazuo Ishiguro, Edward Said, Stuart Hall, and Chinua Achebe—used writing to explore the meaning of different identity categories? Using peer-responses and reflections, we, too, shall try to use academic writing as we examine the various debates over this vexed term. Collaborating as an active learning community, we shall invent, draft, revise, and edit four essays, including an 8-10 page argumentative research paper.

Location

Meliora Room 219 (MW 4:50PM - 6:05PM)

How do you define friendship? Develop it? Practice it? Maintain it? Scholars in science, economics, and anthropology approach friendship as both socially and biologically valuable, studying its role in evolutionary survival, consumerism, social bonding, and community. How does friendship affect how we cooperate and compete, spend our money, and forge kinship? Students will explore such questions as a way of developing their own inquiries into friendship’s place in shaping personal and social identity. Course texts will include a range of scholarly articles; "Struggle for Existence" by Charles Darwin; "It's Who You Know" by John Terrell; "People Who Can Be Friends: Selves and Social Relationships" by James G. Carrier; and Big Friendship by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman. Students will research, write, and reflect in order to develop their own inquiries and enter into a scholarly conversation. Through informal writing, peer response, and revision, students will engage their own and others’ questions in order to develop and support their ideas in shorter assignments and a final 8-10 page argumentative research paper.

Location

Lechase Room 141 (TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM)

It might seem on first glance that knowledge requires certainty, but with a little reflection it comes to seem instead that we know quite a bit while being certain of extremely little. Experts are sometimes wrong, the data can be misleading or, more radically, we could be living in a Descartes-style massive delusion where our experiences do not match up to reality at all. In this class, we’ll use writing to investigate the role of uncertainty in academic research and our everyday lives. We’ll ask general questions such as: If certainty and knowledge are not synonymous, what is the value of certainty? Is certainty something to be sought after or avoided? How do certainty and uncertainty function in research across the humanities, social, and natural sciences? We will begin with immersive virtual reality experiences to test our senses of certainty. We will engage with a range of popular sources, including a podcast about Lyme disease and the scientific process, and work through research, primarily from philosophy and psychology, on knowledge, experience, and information exchange. Students will be expected to write several argumentative essays, which will go through a process of peer-response, self-reflection, and revision, culminating in an 8-10 page argumentative research paper.

Location

Meliora Room 206 (TR 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

The adage “home is where the heart is” does not capture the whole truth; our experiences in the age of COVID tell us that home is also where the work is, for example. This begs the question: What is “home” and our relationship to it? To what extent is home a physical structure, a state of mind, and/or a community of people? What does it mean to “leave home,” whether to embark on a fantastical adventure, to attend college, or to be unhoused? We will interact with multidisciplinary texts that will include theoretical perspectives such as ecology’s home range theory and Aristotle’s philosophical view of the household. Texts will also include personal and popular perspectives from the unhoused subjects of the YouTube series Invisible People and films like Finding Nemo. Considering these perspectives, we will develop and critically discuss our own ideas through group activities and informal written assignments. Formal written assignments will undergo processes such as peer-feedback, self-reflection, and revision, and our progress as academic writers will culminate in a final 8-10 page argumentative research paper.

Location

Lechase Room 163 (TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM)

We call ourselves Homo sapiens sapiens: a knowing species. But how does the human consciousness work? Why does the mind also wander afield and go on autopilot, as noted by neuroscience, behavioral medicine, and meditative traditions? In catastrophe, how might mindfulness of our behaviors reveal important information about the individuals and the species? We will consider these questions by exploring poetry by writers from Rumi to Mary Oliver to Derek Walcott and films such as Ghost in the Shell and The Matrix. Other readings probe how the brain, mind, and heart work subtly to create realities—realities as fleeting as they can be profound and consequential. We invite everyone to join our interdisciplinary inquiry while cultivating academic writing skills through discussion, formal and informal writing, peer review, revision, writer reflection, and a final argumentative research paper.

Location

Hylan Building Room 206 (TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

What would it be like to host another species in our body? To what extent are we still ourselves if we inhabit a body other than our own? What if the body we have doesn’t belong to us? In this course, through formal and informal writing assignments, we will build and participate in a conversation about the radical ways in which bodies can be altered and the outcomes of such alterations. We will engage material in critical race theory by Saidiya Hartman, in gender studies by Jack Halberstam, and more, including fiction by Octavia Butler, writings by Molly McCully Brown, films Advantageous and Alien, and TED Talks, in order to write, think, and formulate our own questions in diverse disciplines about altered bodies. Students will write several argumentative essays, engage in peer feedback, reflection, and revision, to work toward an 8-10 page argumentative research paper.

Location

Bausch & Lomb Room 315 (MW 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

Play and games have been at the heart of the human experience for centuries. When we play, we learn, and video games are increasingly a part of this tradition. What conversations are we having about games and play in our society, and why do they matter? Where does power lie in the world of games, design, and development? How do we perform identity when we play? How are games impacting social change and behavior? Students will raise authentic questions as they write about games from a variety of lenses: design, narrative, psychology, gender, genre, and more. We will not only play video games as primary texts, but also discuss, analyze, evaluate, and write about our interactions with and stances towards video games. Our work will involve writing exercises, multimodal elements, peer feedback, formal essays, reflection, revision, and a supportive writing environment. We will analyze peer-reviewed articles, Ralph Koster’s illustrated book A Theory of Fun, and literature from game-studies luminaries such as Gee, Squire, McGonigal, and Ito. Students will culminate their efforts towards becoming better writers in an 8-10 page argumentative research paper. All disciplines and levels of interest in critiquing games are welcome, no expertise is required.

Location

Lechase Room 161 (TR 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

What does it mean to be mindful? How does it help during the writing process? What are the practices of a mindful writer? Mindfulness refers to the mental state of directing one’s attention to the present moment, and its benefits expand to a variety of domains, such as emotional well-being and cognition. This course will broadly focus on these benefits while primarily examining the act of being mindful as a writing tool. Students will take part in mindful practices including reflexive writing, focused attention exercises, and light mediation to support the writing process. They will also learn about mindfulness perspectives from Ellen Langer, Jon Kabat-Zinn, and other scholars in the field. This course emphases the importance of argument development through informal and formal writing assignments and contemplative practices, such as writer reflection, peer feedback, and revision. By the end of the course, students will have compiled mindful techniques to use in a variety of writing contexts.

Location

Hylan Building Room 305 (TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM)

Language lets us share with others thoughts once trapped inside our own mind, but it’s also been argued to shape or constrain those thoughts. Are our minds shaped by the language we speak? Does language make the human mind special? How should we think about developments in AI and machine translation that have brought machines closer to using language? Could these machines have minds, and how would we know? Our interdisciplinary inquiry will consider a wide variety of perspectives — from psychology, linguistics, philosophy, neuroscience, and AI — and also explore how these themes play out in TV, movies, and literature. These discussions and readings will inform the drafting and revision of two short argumentative papers. We’ll draw upon concepts from cognitive science to develop ideas about how to produce effective written arguments that are clear and engaging for readers, and work to ensure each student builds confidence in their role as academic writers.

Location

Lechase Room 160 (TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM)

Mindfulness meditation decreases anxiety and improves academic performance. Might it therefore serve as a tool in the writing process? Meditators are less prone to racial stereotyping and implicit bias. Is mindfulness therefore an effective means of promoting political justice? Buddhists have claimed that mindfulness can be used to discern the ultimate nature of the self and reality. Does meditation really live up to the hype? This course aims to develop college-level writing skills and an understanding of the basic principles of academic writing by analyzing mindfulness meditation from a variety of intellectual perspectives. Spanning the fields of psychology, philosophy, neuroscience, and religion, our investigation will center around whether being mindful of language, ideas, and experiences can be an aid to becoming better at writing and better at living. To stimulate the process of drafting, peer feedback, reflection, and revision, we will engage with texts such as Robert Wright’s “Why Buddhism Is True” and Sharon Salzberg’s “Real Happiness,” all the while employing meditative techniques to determine how they can help in our journey. The course will culminate with an 8- to 10-page argumentative research paper in which students develop an argument about a related issue of their choosing.

Location

Frederick Douglass Room 403 (TR 3:25PM - 4:40PM)

In 2013, health care spending consumed 17 percent of the United States of America’s Gross Domestic Product. Societies must make choices about spending, balancing the desire to achieve the best possible health for everyone with the reality of limited resources. Underlying these decisions are ethical and practical concerns, and any policy requires answers to many questions. For instance, which diseases get the most attention? Are contagious diseases in a different class from heart disease and cancer? When may we infringe on someone’s rights in the name of better health? We will examine these questions, drawing on newspaper articles, TED talks, policy blogs, and scholarly sources that examine the sociological, psychological, economic, ethical, and medical aspects of these questions. You will develop and refine your ideas through critical reading, visual mapping, writing, discussion, peer feedback, reflection, and revision, and share them in the form of two short papers.

Location

Lechase Room 163 (TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

We are constantly making decisions that we hope will lead to our immediate or future happiness, yet what do we really know about this complex emotion? What is happiness? How do our experiences influence our perceptions of happiness? Students will explore questions such as these by using writing as a tool for inquiry, discovery, and knowledge construction. Class discussions, readings, and informal assignments will work together to inform the drafting and revision of two short argumentative essays that explore the nature of happiness. Students will learn how to enter academic conversations related to positive psychology and well-being by using, documenting, and analyzing scholarly and non-scholarly sources. In weekly writing groups, students will learn how to set reasonable and manageable writing goals and capitalize on all aspects of peer response and self-assessment. The goal of this course is for students to learn how to construct an effective argument and become confident in their role as academic writers.

Location

Genesee Hall Room 323 (TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

The second-half of the WRT 105A-WRT 105B sequence, WRT 105B immerses students in the experience of academic writing, with a particular emphasis on analyzing, using, and documenting scholarly and non-scholarly texts. It provides instruction and practice in constructing cogent and compelling arguments, as students draft and revise a proposal and an 8-10 page argumentative research paper. Students will develop and test their ideas through discussion, informal writing, peer critiques and self-assessments. All sections of WRT 105A&B revolve around a theme and include a weekly writing group in which students do the work of writing with immediate support from the course instructor. WRT 105B students who have worked diligently but have not attained a grade of “B-“ or higher may take an incomplete and sign up for the Extension, a weekly workshop and tutorial program that allows students to continue working on their writing, raise their final grades, and satisfy the Primary Writing Requirement.

Location

Lechase Room 184 (MW 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

YOU MUST REGISTER FOR RECITATION WRTG 105E-21 WHEN REGISTERING FOR THIS SECTION

In 2013, health care spending consumed 17 percent of America’s Gross Domestic Product. Societies must make choices about spending, balancing the desire to achieve the best possible health for everyone with the reality of limited resources. Underlying these decisions are ethical and practical concerns, and any policy requires answers to many questions. For instance, which diseases get the most attention? Are contagious diseases in a different class from heart disease and cancer? When may we infringe on someone’s rights in the name of better health? We will examine these questions, drawing on newspaper articles, TED talks, policy blogs, and scholarly sources that examine the sociological, psychological, economic, ethical, and medical aspects of these questions. You will develop and refine your ideas through critical reading, visual mapping, writing, discussion, peer feedback, reflection, and revision, and share them in the form of several short papers and an 8-10-page argumentative research paper.

YOU MUST REGISTER FOR RECITATION WRTG 105E-21 WHEN REGISTERING FOR THIS SECTION

Location

Frederick Douglass Room 302 (MW 9:00AM - 10:15AM)

YOU MUST REGISTER FOR RECITATION WRTG 105E-18 WHEN REGISTERING FOR THIS SECTION

We call ourselves Homo sapiens sapiens: a knowing species. But how does the human consciousness work? Why does the mind also wander afield and go on autopilot, as noted by neuroscience, behavioral medicine, and meditative traditions? In catastrophe, how might mindfulness of our behaviors reveal important information about the individuals and the species? We will consider these questions by exploring poetry by writers from Rumi to Mary Oliver to Derek Walcott and films such as Ghost in the Shell and The Matrix. Other readings probe how the brain, mind, and heart work subtly to create realities—realities as fleeting as they can be profound and consequential. We invite everyone to join our interdisciplinary inquiry while cultivating academic writing skills through discussion, formal and informal writing, peer review, revision, writer reflection, and a final argumentative research paper.

YOU MUST REGISTER FOR RECITATION WRTG 105E-18 WHEN REGISTERING FOR THIS SECTION

Location

Hylan Building Room 203 (TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM)

YOU MUST REGISTER FOR RECITATION WRTG 105E-28 WHEN REGISTERING FOR THIS SECTION

Language lets us share with others thoughts once trapped inside our own mind, but it’s also been argued to shape or constrain those thoughts. Are our minds shaped by the language we speak? Does language make the human mind special? How should we think about developments in AI and machine translation that have brought machines closer to using language? Could these machines have minds, and how would we know? Our interdisciplinary inquiry will consider a wide variety of perspectives — from psychology, linguistics, philosophy, neuroscience, and AI — and also explore how these themes play out in TV, movies, and literature. These discussions and readings will inform the drafting and revision of two short argumentative papers. We’ll draw upon concepts from cognitive science to develop ideas about how to produce effective written arguments that are clear and engaging for readers, and work to ensure each student builds confidence in their role as academic writers.

YOU MUST REGISTER FOR RECITATION WRTG 105E-28 WHEN REGISTERING FOR THIS SECTION

Location

Meliora Room 219 (TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM)

YOU MUST REGISTER FOR RECITATION WRTG 105E-13 WHEN REGISTERING FOR THIS SECTION

How do you define friendship? Develop it? Practice it? Maintain it? Scholars in science, economics, and anthropology approach friendship as both socially and biologically valuable, studying its role in evolutionary survival, consumerism, social bonding, and community. How does friendship affect how we cooperate and compete, spend our money, and forge kinship? Students will explore such questions as a way of developing their own inquiries into friendship’s place in shaping personal and social identity. Course texts will include a range of scholarly articles; "Struggle for Existence" by Charles Darwin; "It's Who You Know" by John Terrell; "People Who Can Be Friends: Selves and Social Relationships" by James G. Carrier; and Big Friendship by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman. Students will research, write, and reflect in order to develop their own inquiries and enter into a scholarly conversation. Through informal writing, peer response, and revision, students will engage their own and others’ questions in order to develop and support their ideas in shorter assignments and a final 8-10 page argumentative research paper.

YOU MUST REGISTER FOR RECITATION WRTG 105E-13 WHEN REGISTERING FOR THIS SECTION

Location

Todd Union Room 202 (TR 3:25PM - 4:40PM)

How do you define friendship? Develop it? Practice it? Maintain it? Scholars in science, economics, and anthropology approach friendship as both socially and biologically valuable, studying its role in evolutionary survival, consumerism, social bonding, and community. How does friendship affect how we cooperate and compete, spend our money, and forge kinship? Students will explore such questions as a way of developing their own inquiries into friendship’s place in shaping personal and social identity. Course texts will include a range of scholarly articles; "Struggle for Existence" by Charles Darwin; "It's Who You Know" by John Terrell; "People Who Can Be Friends: Selves and Social Relationships" by James G. Carrier; and Big Friendship by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman. Students will research, write, and reflect in order to develop their own inquiries and enter into a scholarly conversation. Through informal writing, peer response, and revision, students will engage their own and others’ questions in order to develop and support their ideas in shorter assignments and a final 8-10 page argumentative research paper.

Location

Lechase Room 182 (W 3:25PM - 4:15PM)

Location

Lechase Room 184 (TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

YOU MUST REGISTER FOR RECITATION WRTG 105E-20 WHEN REGISTERING FOR THIS SECTION

In the US, comics are often relegated to the Sunday Funnies or denigrated as cartoons for children. But images can express ideas that are difficult to articulate in words, and comics can bring these modes together in beautiful and startling ways. But how do comics “work”? Why do we think of comics as kids’ books while most readers are adults? Are there stories that can only be told in comics? To answer these questions, we will engage in scholarly research and analyze exemplary texts including the biographical Holocaust narrative, Maus, and superheroes facing apocalypse in Watchmen. Through reading, writing, and discussion we will explore comics in terms of form and narrative; we’ll look at the specific strengths of comics in relation to other media. Alongside this exploration, students will develop academic writing strategies through reflection, peer response, and revision. Assignments will include an 8-10 page argumentative research paper and will culminate in a multimodal project of their own design.

YOU MUST REGISTER FOR RECITATION WRTG 105E-20 WHEN REGISTERING FOR THIS SECTION

Location

Hylan Building Room 206 (TR 3:25PM - 4:40PM)

Location

Goergen Hall Room 110 (MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM)

In the US, comics are often relegated to the Sunday Funnies or denigrated as cartoons for children. But images can express ideas that are difficult to articulate in words, and comics can bring these modes together in beautiful and startling ways. But how do comics “work”? Why do we think of comics as kids’ books while most readers are adults? Are there stories that can only be told in comics? To answer these questions, we will engage in scholarly research and analyze exemplary texts including the biographical Holocaust narrative, Maus, and superheroes facing apocalypse in Watchmen. Through reading, writing, and discussion we will explore comics in terms of form and narrative; we’ll look at the specific strengths of comics in relation to other media. Alongside this exploration, students will develop academic writing strategies through reflection, peer response, and revision. Assignments will include an 8-10 page argumentative research paper and will culminate in a multimodal project of their own design.

Location

Lattimore Room 431 (W 3:25PM - 4:15PM)

We call ourselves Homo sapiens sapiens: a knowing species. But how does the human consciousness work? Why does the mind also wander afield and go on autopilot, as noted by neuroscience, behavioral medicine, and meditative traditions? In catastrophe, how might mindfulness of our behaviors reveal important information about the individuals and the species? We will consider these questions by exploring poetry by writers from Rumi to Mary Oliver to Derek Walcott and films such as Ghost in the Shell and The Matrix. Other readings probe how the brain, mind, and heart work subtly to create realities—realities as fleeting as they can be profound and consequential. We invite everyone to join our interdisciplinary inquiry while cultivating academic writing skills through discussion, formal and informal writing, peer review, revision, writer reflection, and a final argumentative research paper.

Location

Hylan Building Room 203 (M 11:50AM - 12:40PM)

We call ourselves Homo sapiens sapiens: a knowing species. But how does the human consciousness work? Why does the mind also wander afield and go on autopilot, as noted by neuroscience, behavioral medicine, and meditative traditions? In catastrophe, how might mindfulness of our behaviors reveal important information about the individuals and the species? We will consider these questions by exploring poetry by writers from Rumi to Mary Oliver to Derek Walcott and films such as Ghost in the Shell and The Matrix. Other readings probe how the brain, mind, and heart work subtly to create realities—realities as fleeting as they can be profound and consequential. We invite everyone to join our interdisciplinary inquiry while cultivating academic writing skills through discussion, formal and informal writing, peer review, revision, writer reflection, and a final argumentative research paper.

Location

Hylan Building Room 306 (M 10:25AM - 11:15AM)

Location

Lattimore Room 413 (W 4:50PM - 5:40PM)

In 2013, health care spending consumed 17 percent of America’s Gross Domestic Product. Societies must make choices about spending, balancing the desire to achieve the best possible health for everyone with the reality of limited resources. Underlying these decisions are ethical and practical concerns, and any policy requires answers to many questions. For instance, which diseases get the most attention? Are contagious diseases in a different class from heart disease and cancer? When may we infringe on someone’s rights in the name of better health? We will examine these questions, drawing on newspaper articles, TED talks, policy blogs, and scholarly sources that examine the sociological, psychological, economic, ethical, and medical aspects of these questions. You will develop and refine your ideas through critical reading, visual mapping, writing, discussion, peer feedback, reflection, and revision, and share them in the form of several short papers and an 8-10-page argumentative research paper.

Location

Genesee Hall Room 323 (M 2:00PM - 2:50PM)

Location

Lechase Room 143 (R 11:05AM - 11:55AM)

The brain is complex. It is responsible for countless functions from storage and retrieval of memories to reflexive responses to stimuli. How does it allow us to interact with the world through sensory input and active output as we think, speak, and write? What happens in the brain when we shift between these everyday tasks? In this course, we will explore how these intertwined functions compare cognitively and how each contributes to communication from neurological, cognitive, and behavioral perspectives. The works of Steven Pinker, V. S. Ramachandran, as well as other scholarly and popular sources will be investigated through informal and formal writing experiences. This course emphasizes the importance of the writing process through writer-reflection, peer feedback, and revision. The culmination is an 8 to 10 page research paper where you will develop an argument that is informed by your perspective and the existing research. You will also highlight your findings through a multimodal presentation.

Location

Lechase Room 122 (F 11:50AM - 12:40PM)

YOU MUST REGISTER FOR RECITATION WRTG 105E-30 WHEN REGISTERING FOR THIS SECTION

Engineering innovations can be found all around us, but how do ideas become tangible products? What is the design process? And how can we apply principles of design thinking to our own lives? We will explore questions such as these and develop others as we listen to podcasts (e.g., Being an Engineer), watch YouTube (e.g., Mark Rober), read scholarly articles, and learn about the impact and career paths of engineers such as Sara Spangelo, Danielle Boyer, and Janelle Wellons. In this class, we will practice thinking like engineers by engaging in design activities such as brainstorming, peer feedback, self-reflection, and testing and refining our ideas. To be an effective engineer – and writer – requires that you be curious, try new things, talk with others, and share your story. Assignments will include trying out new tools (e.g., Blender, SQL, Flourish), interviewing an engineer, creating a podcast, and drafting and revising short essays in addition to drawing from your own disciplinary interests to write a final 8-10-page argumentative research paper.

YOU MUST REGISTER FOR RECITATION WRTG 105E-30 WHEN REGISTERING FOR THIS SECTION

Location

Lechase Room 184 (MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM)

Location

Lechase Room 121 (TR 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

New opportunities for artistic expression have disseminated to the masses at an unprecedented rate through access to social media. Instagram photographers, Wordpress poets, YouTube comedians, Soundcloud rappers—amongst others—are now common in our everyday lives. But how has access to these massive digital communities and new platforms of expression influenced the arts as a whole? To answer this question we’ll explore the intricacies of social media platforms and their relationship to long-standing artistic traditions. We’ll base our discussions around influencers, artists, platforms, and genres that you’re interested in, and engage with critical works from writers like Guy Debord, Jean Baudrillard, and numerous scholarly articles. This complicated relationship between the arts and technology will be explored through writing and discussion, focusing on reflection, revision, and peer feedback. We’ll write several short papers, an 8-10 page argumentative research paper, and design one multi-modal project.

Location

Lechase Room 148 (M 2:00PM - 2:50PM)

Did the CIA order the assassination of John F. Kennedy? Were the 9/11 attacks really a series of planned, controlled detonations? And is it true that the Apollo moon landings were staged in a Hollywood studio? In this class we will analyze well-known conspiracy theories through news articles, radio broadcasts and scholarly sources, and consider how they help us to explore concepts like knowledge, power and a fear of the unknown. Critical reading assignments and the process of writing and revising will help to inspire discussion and develop knowledge as we share and test out ideas and arguments. Weekly writing workshops, peer feedback and self-reflection will provide a space to explore academic writing strategies as students draft and revise two argumentative essays. WRT105A will prepare students for the research proposal and 8-10 page argumentative research paper they will write for WRT105B.

Location

Frederick Douglass Room 420 (F 10:25AM - 11:15AM)

Location

Dewey Room 4162 (F 10:25AM - 11:15AM)

YOU MUST REGISTER FOR RECITATION WRTG 105E-32 WHEN REGISTERING FOR THIS SECTION

What is the relationship between dreams and reality? It’s commonly accepted that our sleeping brains borrow and recombine elements from reality to create dreams. But can it work the other way? Do dreams influence reality? This class will investigate this relationship through the many forms of dream rhetoric. We’ll examine prophecies, psychological analyses, philosophical musings, legislative proposals, and calls to action as we explore how presenting an idea as a dream can change its impact. Recurring questions will include: what makes dreams so compelling? Does framing something as a dream make it more compelling and, if so, to whom? Has the power of dream rhetoric changed in recent decades? Ultimately, this class will consider how these narratives reflect and revise our perspectives of reality. We’ll explore the motives and tools of dream narratives from expressions in ancient folklore to modern fiction, film, speech-writing, and music. Course texts include scholarly views from psychology, philosophy, and literature, alongside MLK’s “I Have a Dream”, The Matrix, and short stories. Our investigations of dream rhetoric will unfold as we develop our own rhetorical techniques through discussion, peer feedback, self-reflection, and revision leading to a 8-10 page argumentative research paper. Contains graphic content.

YOU MUST REGISTER FOR RECITATION WRTG 105E-32 WHEN REGISTERING FOR THIS SECTION

Location

Rush Rhees Library Room G108 (MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM)

YOU MUST REGISTER FOR RECITATION WRTG 105E-27 WHEN REGISTERING FOR THIS SECTION

Did the CIA order the assassination of John F. Kennedy? Were the 9/11 attacks really a series of planned, controlled detonations? And is it true that the Apollo moon landings were staged in a Hollywood studio? In this class we will analyze well-known conspiracy theories through news articles, radio broadcasts and scholarly sources, and consider how they help us to explore concepts like knowledge, power and a fear of the unknown. Critical reading assignments and the process of writing and revising will help to inspire discussion and develop knowledge as we share and test out ideas and arguments. Weekly writing workshops, peer feedback and self-reflection will provide a space to explore academic writing strategies as students draft and revise two argumentative essays. WRT105A will prepare students for the research proposal and 8-10 page argumentative research paper they will write for WRT105B.

YOU MUST REGISTER FOR RECITATION WRTG 105E-27 WHEN REGISTERING FOR THIS SECTION

Location

Bausch & Lomb Room 315 (TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM)

Engineering innovations can be found all around us, but how do ideas become tangible products? What is the design process? And how can we apply principles of design thinking to our own lives? We will explore questions such as these and develop others as we listen to podcasts (e.g., Being an Engineer), watch YouTube (e.g., Mark Rober), read scholarly articles, and learn about the impact and career paths of engineers such as Sara Spangelo, Danielle Boyer, and Janelle Wellons. In this class, we will practice thinking like engineers by engaging in design activities such as brainstorming, peer feedback, self-reflection, and testing and refining our ideas. To be an effective engineer – and writer – requires that you be curious, try new things, talk with others, and share your story. Assignments will include trying out new tools (e.g., Blender, SQL, Flourish), interviewing an engineer, creating a podcast, and drafting and revising short essays in addition to drawing from your own disciplinary interests to write a final 8-10-page argumentative research paper.

Location

Hylan Building Room 206 (F 10:25AM - 11:15AM)

Location

Hylan Building Room 306 (F 10:25AM - 11:15AM)

What is the relationship between dreams and reality? It’s commonly accepted that our sleeping brains borrow and recombine elements from reality to create dreams. But can it work the other way? Do dreams influence reality? This class will investigate this relationship through the many forms of dream rhetoric. We’ll examine prophecies, psychological analyses, philosophical musings, legislative proposals, and calls to action as we explore how presenting an idea as a dream can change its impact. Recurring questions will include: what makes dreams so compelling? Does framing something as a dream make it more compelling and, if so, to whom? Has the power of dream rhetoric changed in recent decades? Ultimately, this class will consider how these narratives reflect and revise our perspectives of reality. We’ll explore the motives and tools of dream narratives from expressions in ancient folklore to modern fiction, film, speech-writing, and music. Course texts include scholarly views from psychology, philosophy, and literature, alongside MLK’s “I Have a Dream”, The Matrix, and short stories. Our investigations of dream rhetoric will unfold as we develop our own rhetorical techniques through discussion, peer feedback, self-reflection, and revision leading to a 8-10 page argumentative research paper. Contains graphic content.

Location

Rush Rhees Library Room G108 (F 9:00AM - 9:50AM)

YOU MUST REGISTER FOR RECITATION WRTG 105E-34 WHEN REGISTERING FOR THIS SECTION

New opportunities for artistic expression have disseminated to the masses at an unprecedented
rate through access to social media. Instagram photographers, Wordpress poets, YouTube
comedians, Soundcloud rappers—amongst others—are now common in our everyday lives. But
how has access to these massive digital communities and new platforms of expression influenced
the arts as a whole? To answer this question we’ll explore the intricacies of social media
platforms and their relationship to long-standing artistic traditions. We’ll base our discussions
around influencers, artists, platforms, and genres that you’re interested in, and engage with
critical works from writers like Guy Debord, Jean Baudrillard, and numerous scholarly articles.
This complicated relationship between the arts and technology will be explored through writing
and discussion, focusing on reflection, revision, and peer feedback. We’ll write several short
papers, an 8-10 page argumentative research paper, and design one multi-modal project.

YOU MUST REGISTER FOR RECITATION WRTG 105E-34 WHEN REGISTERING FOR THIS SECTION

Location

Frederick Douglass Room 420 (TR 4:50PM - 6:05PM)

New opportunities for artistic expression have disseminated to the masses at an unprecedented
rate through access to social media. Instagram photographers, Wordpress poets, YouTube
comedians, Soundcloud rappers—amongst others—are now common in our everyday lives. But
how has access to these massive digital communities and new platforms of expression influenced
the arts as a whole? To answer this question we’ll explore the intricacies of social media
platforms and their relationship to long-standing artistic traditions. We’ll base our discussions
around influencers, artists, platforms, and genres that you’re interested in, and engage with
critical works from writers like Guy Debord, Jean Baudrillard, and numerous scholarly articles.
This complicated relationship between the arts and technology will be explored through writing
and discussion, focusing on reflection, revision, and peer feedback. We’ll write several short
papers, an 8-10 page argumentative research paper, and design one multi-modal project.

Location

Frederick Douglass Room 420 (F 2:00PM - 2:50PM)

YOU MUST REGISTER FOR RECITATION WRTG 105E-36 REC WHEN REGISTERING FOR THIS SECTION

Human culture and machine/technology culture are becoming more and more entangled in recent decades. In this course, we will engage a variety of questions regarding the social, political, and moral implications of this entanglement. Should autonomous systems be permitted in warfare? Should human enhancement technologies be controlled by parents or by governments? Should humanity strive to throw off the constraints of biological existence for something else entirely? What are genetic "diseases" and should we try to eliminate them? We will use the tools of research, writing, argument, and discussion to hone our views on these complex issues and learn to communicate our conclusions through writing. Students will develop a few short analytical and argumentative essays before working on an 8-10 page argumentative research essay. Those who successfully complete this course will be prepared to research and write for audiences across academic disciplines.

YOU MUST REGISTER FOR RECITATION WRTG 105E-36 REC WHEN REGISTERING FOR THIS SECTION

Location

Lechase Room 184 (MW 9:00AM - 10:15AM)

Human culture and machine/technology culture are becoming more and more entangled in recent decades. In this course, we will engage a variety of questions regarding the social, political, and moral implications of this entanglement. Should autonomous systems be permitted in warfare? Should human enhancement technologies be controlled by parents or by governments? Should humanity strive to throw off the constraints of biological existence for something else entirely? What are genetic "diseases" and should we try to eliminate them? We will use the tools of research, writing, argument, and discussion to hone our views on these complex issues and learn to communicate our conclusions through writing. Students will develop a few short analytical and argumentative essays before working on an 8-10 page argumentative research essay. Those who successfully complete this course will be prepared to research and write for audiences across academic disciplines.

Location

Dewey Room 4162 (R 9:40AM - 10:30AM)

Location

Meliora Room 206 (MW 6:15PM - 7:30PM)

It is often assumed that our environments control who we become. Also prevalent is the notion that we can control the shapes our cultural, national, gendered, even racial identities assume. What possible intersections can exist between such poles? What does the term “identity” mean for you, and how does that meaning compare to how it is defined—and debated—across the disciplines? How does the constant interplay of self-perception and others’ view of ourselves affect our sense of identity? How have Anglophone writers from the last two centuries—like Toni Morrison, Arundhati Roy, Kazuo Ishiguro, Edward Said, Stuart Hall, and Chinua Achebe—used writing to explore the meaning of different identity categories? Using peer-responses and reflections, we, too, shall try to use academic writing as we examine the various debates over this vexed term. Collaborating as an active learning community, we shall invent, draft, revise, and edit four essays, including an 8-10 page argumentative research paper.

Location

Wegmans Room 1005 (F 3:25PM - 4:15PM)

YOU MUST REGISTER FOR RECITATION WRTG 105E-23 WHEN REGISTERING FOR THIS SECTION

The brain is complex. It is responsible for countless functions from storage and retrieval of memories to reflexive responses to stimuli. How does it allow us to interact with the world through sensory input and active output as we think, speak, and write? What happens in the brain when we shift between these everyday tasks? In this course, we will explore how these intertwined functions compare cognitively and how each contributes to communication from neurological, cognitive, and behavioral perspectives. The works of Steven Pinker, V. S. Ramachandran, as well as other scholarly and popular sources will be investigated through informal and formal writing experiences. This course emphasizes the importance of the writing process through writer-reflection, peer feedback, and revision. The culmination is an 8 to 10 page research paper where you will develop an argument that is informed by your perspective and the existing research. You will also highlight your findings through a multimodal presentation.

YOU MUST REGISTER FOR RECITATION WRTG 105E-23 WHEN REGISTERING FOR THIS SECTION

Location

Lechase Room 182 (MW 9:00AM - 10:15AM)

YOU MUST REGISTER FOR RECITATION WRTG 105E-31 WHEN REGISTERING FOR THIS SECTION

The brain is complex. It is responsible for countless functions from storage and retrieval of memories to reflexive responses to stimuli. How does it allow us to interact with the world through sensory input and active output as we think, speak, and write? What happens in the brain when we shift between these everyday tasks? In this course, we will explore how these intertwined functions compare cognitively and how each contributes to communication from neurological, cognitive, and behavioral perspectives. The works of Steven Pinker, V. S. Ramachandran, as well as other scholarly and popular sources will be investigated through informal and formal writing experiences. This course emphasizes the importance of the writing process through writer-reflection, peer feedback, and revision. The culmination is an 8 to 10 page research paper where you will develop an argument that is informed by your perspective and the existing research. You will also highlight your findings through a multimodal presentation.

YOU MUST REGISTER FOR RECITATION WRTG 105E-31 WHEN REGISTERING FOR THIS SECTION

Location

Genesee Hall Room 321 (MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM)

YOU MUST REGISTER FOR RECITATION WRTG 105E-19 WHEN REGISTERING FOR THIS SECTION

We call ourselves Homo sapiens sapiens: a knowing species. But how does the human consciousness work? Why does the mind also wander afield and go on autopilot, as noted by neuroscience, behavioral medicine, and meditative traditions? In catastrophe, how might mindfulness of our behaviors reveal important information about the individuals and the species? We will consider these questions by exploring poetry by writers from Rumi to Mary Oliver to Derek Walcott and films such as Ghost in the Shell and The Matrix. Other readings probe how the brain, mind, and heart work subtly to create realities—realities as fleeting as they can be profound and consequential. We invite everyone to join our interdisciplinary inquiry while cultivating academic writing skills through discussion, formal and informal writing, peer review, revision, writer reflection, and a final argumentative research paper.

YOU MUST REGISTER FOR RECITATION WRTG 105E-19 WHEN REGISTERING FOR THIS SECTION

Location

Wegmans Room 1005 (TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM)

Offers ongoing practice and instruction in writing and critiquing writing. Students meet weekly with a writing center consultant to work on forms of academic writing relevant to their spring coursework. These forms may include summaries, critical responses, argumentative essays, and lab reports, among others. Students may also choose to revise essays completed in previous semesters or work on other non-fiction projects. Guided by a writing center consultant, students plan, draft and revise their writing, critique each other's work, assess their own writing, and participate in group session on common writing issues. The semester's work will culminate in a final portfolio that features polished essays and an overall self-assessment.

Location

Rush Rhees Library Room G121B (R 10:00AM - 10:50AM)

Prepares sophomores, juniors, and seniors enrolled in five-year programs, from the humanities, sciences, and the social sciences for work as writing fellows. Course design facilitates the development of a strong, intuitive writer and speaker in order to become a successful reader, listener and responder in peer-tutoring situations. Ample writing and rewriting experiences, practice in informal and formal speaking, and the critical reading of published essays and student work enhance students' ability to become conscious, flexible communicators. Before tutoring on their own, students observe writing fellows and writing center consultants conduct tutoring sessions. On completion of the course with a B or better, fellows should be prepared to accept their own hours as peer tutors.

YOU MUST REGISTER FOR A RECITATION WHEN REGISTERING FOR THE MAIN SECTION

Prerequisite:  Interested students must apply. Minimum GPA of 3.0.

Location

Rush Rhees Library Room G121A (MW 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

Prepares sophomores, juniors, and seniors enrolled in five-year programs, from the humanities, sciences, and the social sciences for work as writing fellows. Course design facilitates the development of a strong, intuitive writer and speaker in order to become a successful reader, listener and responder in peer-tutoring situations. Ample writing and rewriting experiences, practice in informal and formal speaking, and the critical reading of published essays and student work enhance students' ability to become conscious, flexible communicators. Before tutoring on their own, students observe writing fellows and writing center consultants conduct tutoring sessions. On completion of the course with a B or better, fellows should be prepared to accept their own hours as peer tutors.

YOU MUST REGISTER FOR A RECITATION WHEN REGISTERING FOR THE MAIN SECTION

Prerequisite:  Interested students must apply. Minimum GPA of 3.0.

Location

Rush Rhees Library Room G121A (F 12:00PM - 12:50PM)

What goes on in writers minds when they write and in readers minds when they read? Can learning about what goes on in both writers and readers minds help writers make their writing more effective? In this coursewe will delve into the cognitive processes underlying writing and reading: how writers generate ideas, translate those ideas into words and sentences, organize those sentences into arguments, and do all of this while managing things like spelling and typing, and how readers actually interpret the message being conveyed by a piece of writing. Well also explore the extent to which research in cognitive science can inform what we do as writers by experimenting on ourselves with research-grounded strategies. Students will read and take responsibility for presenting work from cognitive scientists and composition theorists, and will work towards a final project in which they explore existing research on a topic of their choosing and propose either further research or applications of that research.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Primary Writing Requirement

Location

Dewey Room 4162 (TR 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

Technology involves the development of a tool to solve a problem. In this way, writing itself can be seen a technology to aid memory, thinking, and communication. Since the invention of writing, other newer technologies have further changed how we write and how we think. Each new technology offers us a range of options that are more or less effective depending on our audience and purpose. This course will explore some of the many writing technologies that have come (and gone!) over the history of writing, from clay tablets to Snapchat. The class will take a hands-on approach and allow us opportunities to experiment with writing technologies to get a better sense of how technologies affect what we think, what we communicate, and what we think we can communicate. Students will propose individual research projects on a writing technology of their choice, which may involve some combination of original composition, scholarly research, and ethnographic study.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Primary Writing Requirement

Location

Lechase Room 122 (MW 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

We will investigate broad models of argument and evidence from the interdisciplinary field of argumentation theory. Students will apply these models to specific academic and social contexts of their choice. Some questions we might ask are: Can argument or evidence be understood absent context? What do arguments in STEM fields have in common with those in the humanities? For instance, is there common ground in how we argue about English literature and how biologists argue about the natural world? How do audience and purpose in disciplines such as psychology, physics and philosophy shape what counts as an argument in their respective fields? Does political argument resemble academic argument? What strategies will enable experts to communicate more effectively with public audiences in fields such as public health and the environmental humanities? Students will write frequent reflections, develop several short papers, and the semester will culminate in the construction of a final project of the student’s own design (for example, a research paper, a website, a podcast…) that can focus on any aspect of academic, professional, or political argumentation.

Location

Dewey Room 4162 (TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM)

What kinds of power do words really have? What does it mean to be a writer-activist? How can we use writing as a tool for social change?Drawing on social and political concepts like community, power, justice, and democracy, and scholars who reflect on these issues, this course will engage with a variety of texts (scholarship, blogs, documentary films) as we consider how the political can inform what we believe and impact the choices we make as writers. Through experiential learning and reflective writing, students will explore the power of writing to elicit equity, inclusion, and change. Research projects may include traditional academic source material, primary research such as fieldwork, surveys, and interviews, and direct work with local community organizations. Class time will include visits from community speakers and off-campus events. This is a community-engaged course that meets the requirement for the citation in community-engaged scholarship.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Primary Writing Requirement

Location

Rush Rhees Library Room G108 (MW 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

This interactive course teaches 'real life' communication skills and strategies that help students present their best professional selves and develop a fulfilling career. Students will explore and articulate their internship, career and graduate school goals for distinct audiences and purposes as they develop a professional communication portfolio of materials such as resumes, cover letters, statements of purpose, electronic communications, elevator pitches, project descriptions and abstracts, and online profiles (i.e., LinkedIn). Students will revise and refine their written and spoken work across the semester based on feedback from peers, instructors, and alumni. By the semester's end, students will have gained extensive experience with the communication skills expected in today's competitive environment. The class is suitable for juniors and seniors and can be used to fulfill 1 of the 2 required Upper-Level Writing experiences in biology or public health. NOTE: every other class will take place online.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Primary Writing Requirement

Location

Lattimore Room 431 (W 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

This interactive course teaches 'real life' communication skills and strategies that help students present their best professional selves and develop a fulfilling career. Students will explore and articulate their internship, career and graduate school goals for distinct audiences and purposes as they develop a professional communication portfolio of materials such as resumes, cover letters, statements of purpose, electronic communications, elevator pitches, project descriptions and abstracts, and online profiles (i.e., LinkedIn). Students will revise and refine their written and spoken work across the semester based on feedback from peers, instructors, and alumni. By the semester's end, students will have gained extensive experience with the communication skills expected in today's competitive environment. The class can be used to fulfill 1 of 2 required Upper-Level Writing experiences in biology or public health, and is suitable for junior and senior year biology and public health majors.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Primary Writing Requirement

Location

Frederick Douglass Room 404 (R 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

This interactive course teaches 'real life' communication skills and strategies that help students present their best professional selves and develop a fulfilling career. Students will explore and articulate their internship, career and graduate school goals for distinct audiences and purposes as they develop a professional communication portfolio of materials such as resumes, cover letters, statements of purpose, electronic communications, elevator pitches, project descriptions and abstracts, and online profiles (i.e., LinkedIn). Students will revise and refine their written and spoken work across the semester based on feedback from peers, instructors, and alumni. By the semester's end, students will have gained extensive experience with the communication skills expected in today's competitive environment. The class can be used to fulfill 1 of 2 required Upper-Level Writing experiences in biology or public health, and is suitable for junior and senior year biology and public health majors.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Primary Writing Requirement

Location

Meliora Room 209 (R 3:25PM - 4:40PM)

This interactive course teaches 'real life' communication skills and strategies that help students present their best professional selves and develop a fulfilling career. Students will explore and articulate their internship, career and graduate school goals for distinct audiences and purposes as they develop a professional communication portfolio of materials such as resumes, cover letters, statements of purpose, electronic communications, elevator pitches, project descriptions and abstracts, and online profiles (i.e., LinkedIn). Students will revise and refine their written and spoken work across the semester based on feedback from peers, instructors, and alumni. By the semester's end, students will have gained extensive experience with the communication skills expected in today's competitive environment. This course is suitable for sophomores and juniors in the Hajim School; students should have completed a minimum of 2 engineering or computer science courses in their major. All others require permission of the instructor.

.Prerequisite: Completion of the Primary Writing Requirement

Location

Lechase Room 182 (F 10:25AM - 11:40AM)

This interactive course teaches 'real life' communication skills and strategies that help students present their best professional selves and develop a fulfilling career. Students will explore and articulate their internship, career and graduate school goals for distinct audiences and purposes as they develop a professional communication portfolio of materials such as resumes, cover letters, statements of purpose, electronic communications, elevator pitches, project descriptions and abstracts, and online profiles (i.e., LinkedIn). Students will revise and refine their written and spoken work across the semester based on feedback from peers, instructors, and alumni. By the semester's end, students will have gained extensive experience with the communication skills expected in today's competitive environment. This course is suitable for sophomores and juniors in the Hajim School; students should have completed a minimum of 2 engineering or computer science courses in their major. All others require permission of the instructor.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Primary Writing Requirement

Location

Lechase Room 121 (F 11:50AM - 1:05PM)

This interactive course teaches 'real life' communication skills and strategies that help students present their best professional selves and develop a fulfilling career. Students will explore and articulate their internship, career and graduate school goals for distinct audiences and purposes as they develop a professional communication portfolio of materials such as resumes, cover letters, statements of purpose, electronic communications, elevator pitches, project descriptions and abstracts, and online profiles (i.e., LinkedIn). Students will revise and refine their written and spoken work across the semester based on feedback from peers, instructors, and alumni. By the semester's end, students will have gained extensive experience with the communication skills expected in today's competitive environment. This course is suitable for sophomores and juniors in the Hajim School; students should have completed a minimum of 2 engineering or computer science courses in their major. All others require permission of the instructor.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Primary Writing Requirement

Location

Lechase Room 121 (F 10:25AM - 11:40AM)

This interactive course teaches 'real life' communication skills and strategies that help students present their best professional selves and develop a fulfilling career. Students will explore and articulate their internship, career and graduate school goals for distinct audiences and purposes as they develop a professional communication portfolio of materials such as resumes, cover letters, statements of purpose, electronic communications, elevator pitches, project descriptions and abstracts, and online profiles (i.e., LinkedIn). Students will revise and refine their written and spoken work across the semester based on feedback from peers, instructors, and alumni. By the semester's end, students will have gained extensive experience with the communication skills expected in today's competitive environment. This course is suitable for sophomores and juniors in the Hajim School; students should have completed a minimum of 2 engineering or computer science courses in their major. All others require permission of the instructor.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Primary Writing Requirement

Location

Lechase Room 122 (T 11:05AM - 12:20PM)

This interactive course teaches 'real life' communication skills and strategies that help students present their best professional selves and develop a fulfilling career. Students will explore and articulate their internship, career and graduate school goals for distinct audiences and purposes as they develop a professional communication portfolio of materials such as resumes, cover letters, statements of purpose, electronic communications, elevator pitches, project descriptions and abstracts, and online profiles (i.e., LinkedIn). Students will revise and refine their written and spoken work across the semester based on feedback from peers, instructors, and alumni. By the semester's end, students will have gained extensive experience with the communication skills expected in today's competitive environment. This course is suitable for sophomores and juniors in the Hajim School; students should have completed a minimum of 2 engineering or computer science courses in their major. All others require permission of the instructor.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Primary Writing Requirement

Location

Meliora Room 209 (T 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

This interactive course teaches 'real life' communication skills and strategies that help students present their best professional selves and develop a fulfilling career. Students will explore and articulate their internship, career and graduate school goals for distinct audiences and purposes as they develop a professional communication portfolio of materials such as resumes, cover letters, statements of purpose, electronic communications, elevator pitches, project descriptions and abstracts, and online profiles (i.e., LinkedIn). Students will revise and refine their written and spoken work across the semester based on feedback from peers, instructors, and alumni. By the semester's end, students will have gained extensive experience with the communication skills expected in today's competitive environment. This course is suitable for sophomores and juniors in the Hajim School; all others require permission of the instructor. Students must have completed a minimum of two engineering or CS courses in their major.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Primary Writing Requirement

Location

Frederick Douglass Room 420 (R 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

This interactive course teaches 'real life' communication skills and strategies that help students present their best professional selves and develop a fulfilling career. Students will explore and articulate their internship, career and graduate school goals for distinct audiences and purposes as they develop a professional communication portfolio of materials such as resumes, cover letters, statements of purpose, electronic communications, elevator pitches, project descriptions and abstracts, and online profiles (i.e., LinkedIn). Students will revise and refine their written and spoken work across the semester based on feedback from peers, instructors, and alumni. By the semester's end, students will have gained extensive experience with the communication skills expected in today's competitive environment. This course is suitable for sophomores and juniors in the Hajim School; all others require permission of the instructor. Students must have completed a minimum of two engineering or CS courses in their major.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Primary Writing Requirement

Location

Lechase Room 103 (W 11:50AM - 1:05PM)

This interactive course teaches 'real life' communication skills and strategies that help students present their best professional selves and develop a fulfilling career. Students will explore and articulate their internship, career and graduate school goals for distinct audiences and purposes as they develop a professional communication portfolio of materials such as resumes, cover letters, statements of purpose, electronic communications, elevator pitches, project descriptions and abstracts, and online profiles (i.e., LinkedIn). Students will revise and refine their written and spoken work across the semester based on feedback from peers, instructors, and alumni. By the semester's end, students will have gained extensive experience with the communication skills expected in today's competitive environment. This course is suitable for sophomores and juniors in the Hajim School; all others require permission of the instructor. Students must have completed a minimum of two engineering or CS courses in their major.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Primary Writing Requirement

Location

Dewey Room 4162 (F 9:00AM - 10:15AM)

This interactive course teaches 'real life' communication skills and strategies that help students present their best professional selves and develop a fulfilling career. Students will explore and articulate their internship, career and graduate school goals for distinct audiences and purposes as they develop a professional communication portfolio of materials such as resumes, cover letters, statements of purpose, electronic communications, elevator pitches, project descriptions and abstracts, and online profiles (i.e., LinkedIn). Students will revise and refine their written and spoken work across the semester based on feedback from peers, instructors, and alumni. By the semester's end, students will have gained extensive experience with the communication skills expected in today's competitive environment. This course is suitable for sophomores and juniors in the Hajim School; all others require permission of the instructor. Students must have completed a minimum of two engineering or CS courses in their major.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Primary Writing Requirement

Location

Dewey Room 4162 (R 3:25PM - 4:40PM)

This interactive course teaches 'real life' communication skills and strategies that help students present their best professional selves and develop a fulfilling career. Students will explore and articulate their internship, career and graduate school goals for distinct audiences and purposes as they develop a professional communication portfolio of materials such as resumes, cover letters, statements of purpose, electronic communications, elevator pitches, project descriptions and abstracts, and online profiles (i.e., LinkedIn). Students will revise and refine their written and spoken work across the semester based on feedback from peers, instructors, and alumni. By the semester's end, students will have gained extensive experience with the communication skills expected in today's competitive environment. This course is suitable for sophomores and juniors in the Hajim School; students should have completed a minimum of 2 engineering or computer science courses in their major. All others require permission of the instructor.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Primary Writing Requirement

Location

Lechase Room 148 (W 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

This interactive course teaches 'real life' communication skills and strategies that help students present their best professional selves and develop a fulfilling career. Students will explore and articulate their internship, career and graduate school goals for distinct audiences and purposes as they develop a professional communication portfolio of materials such as resumes, cover letters, statements of purpose, electronic communications, elevator pitches, project descriptions and abstracts, and online profiles (i.e., LinkedIn). Students will revise and refine their written and spoken work across the semester based on feedback from peers, instructors, and alumni. By the semester's end, students will have gained extensive experience with the communication skills expected in today's competitive environment. This course is suitable for sophomores and juniors in the Hajim School; all others require permission of the instructor. Students must have completed a minimum of two engineering or CS courses in their major.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Primary Writing Requirement

Location

Lechase Room 182 (W 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

This interactive course teaches 'real life' communication skills and strategies that help students present their best professional selves and develop a fulfilling career. Students will explore and articulate their internship, career and graduate school goals for distinct audiences and purposes as they develop a professional communication portfolio of materials such as resumes, cover letters, statements of purpose, electronic communications, elevator pitches, project descriptions and abstracts, and online profiles (i.e., LinkedIn). Students will revise and refine their written and spoken work across the semester based on feedback from peers, instructors, and alumni. By the semester's end, students will have gained extensive experience with the communication skills expected in today's competitive environment. This course is suitable for sophomores and juniors in the Hajim School; students should have completed a minimum of 2 engineering or computer science courses in their major. All others require permission of the instructor.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Primary Writing Requirement

Location

Frederick Douglass Room 420 (F 11:50AM - 1:05PM)

This interactive course teaches 'real life' communication skills and strategies that help students present their best professional selves and develop a fulfilling career. Students will explore and articulate their internship, career and graduate school goals for distinct audiences and purposes as they develop a professional communication portfolio of materials such as resumes, cover letters, statements of purpose, electronic communications, elevator pitches, project descriptions and abstracts, and online profiles (i.e., LinkedIn). Students will revise and refine their written and spoken work across the semester based on feedback from peers, instructors, and alumni. By the semester's end, students will have gained extensive experience with the communication skills expected in today's competitive environment. This course is suitable for sophomores and juniors in the Hajim School; students should have completed a minimum of 2 engineering or computer science courses in their major. All others require permission of the instructor.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Primary Writing Requirement

Location

Dewey Room 4162 (F 11:50AM - 1:05PM)

This interactive course teaches 'real life' communication skills and strategies that help students present their best professional selves and develop a fulfilling career. Students will explore and articulate their internship, career and graduate school goals for distinct audiences and purposes as they develop a professional communication portfolio of materials such as resumes, cover letters, statements of purpose, electronic communications, elevator pitches, project descriptions and abstracts, and online profiles (i.e., LinkedIn). Students will revise and refine their written and spoken work across the semester based on feedback from peers, instructors, and alumni. By the semester's end, students will have gained extensive experience with the communication skills expected in today's competitive environment. This course is suitable for sophomores and juniors in the Hajim School; students should have completed a minimum of 2 engineering or computer science courses in their major. All others require permission of the instructor.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Primary Writing Requirement

Location

Lechase Room 143 (R 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

This interactive course teaches 'real life' communication skills and strategies that help students present their best professional selves and develop a fulfilling career. Students will explore and articulate their internship, career and graduate school goals for distinct audiences and purposes as they develop a professional communication portfolio of materials such as resumes, cover letters, statements of purpose, electronic communications, elevator pitches, project descriptions and abstracts, and online profiles (i.e., LinkedIn). Students will revise and refine their written and spoken work across the semester based on feedback from peers, instructors, and alumni. By the semester's end, students will have gained extensive experience with the communication skills expected in today's competitive environment. The class can be used to fulfill 1 of 2 required Upper-Level Writing experiences in psychology, and is suitable for junior and senior psychology majors; all others require instructor permission.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Primary Writing Requirement

Location

Lechase Room 181 (W 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

This interactive course teaches 'real life'? communication skills and strategies that help students present their best professional selves and develop a fulfilling career. Students will explore and articulate their internship, career and graduate school goals for distinct audiences and purposes as they develop a professional communication portfolio of materials such as resumes, cover letters, statements of purpose, electronic communications, elevator pitches, project descriptions and abstracts, and online profiles (i.e., LinkedIn). Students will revise and refine their written and spoken work across the semester based on feedback from peers, instructors, and alumni. By the semester's end, students will have gained extensive experience with the communication skills expected in today's competitive environment. The class can be used to fulfill 1 of the 2 required Upper-Level Writing experiences in mathematics, and is suitable for juniors and seniors.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Primary Writing Requirement

Location

Frederick Douglass Room 420 (T 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

This interactive course teaches 'real life' communication skills and strategies that help students present their best professional selves and develop a fulfilling career. Students will explore and articulate their internship, career and graduate school goals for distinct audiences and purposes as they develop a professional communication portfolio of materials such as resumes, cover letters, application essays, electronic communications, elevator pitches, project descriptions and abstracts, and online profiles (e.g., LinkedIn). Students will revise and refine their written and spoken work across the semester based on feedback from peers, instructors, and alumni. By the semester's end, students will have gained extensive experience with the communication skills expected in today's competitive environment. Course is designed for juniors and seniors with an interest in law, policy, and social good careers. This course may not be used to satisfy any major or minor requirements in Political Science or International Relations.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Primary Writing Requirement

Location

Bausch & Lomb Room 315 (W 3:25PM - 4:40PM)

Registration for Independent Study courses needs to be completed thru the instructions for online independent study registration.

Registration for Independent Study courses needs to be completed thru the instructions for online independent study registration.