Syllabi are offered for some courses that have been taught recently and for others to represent the range of the curriculum. Keep in mind that some courses are taught by more than one faculty member, and that all courses are revised regularly. Syllabi are not contractual until presented in class. For additional information about any course, please feel welcome to contact the individual instructor.
Departmental faculty also offer courses through several interdisciplinary programs each year. These are also listed below.
SCSR 24: Rhetoric as a Liberal Art: Introduction to foundational concepts
and perennial themes regarding the role of language in public life, with additional
emphasis on the place of the liberal arts ideal in higher education today. SCSR 73: Public Speaking: Introduction to the principles of argument
about public policy with emphasis on effective performance. SCSR 100: Philosophy of Dialogue and Interpersonal Communication: Examination
of the self-other relationship in the communication process with regard to models
of ideal communication. SCSR 101: Communication and Conflict: Analysis of how communication
habits and strategies affect the creation, management, and resolution of conflict
in interpersonal, small group, and organizational settings. SCSR 106: Aesthetics of Everyday Life: Analysis of how the material
environment of architecture, clothes, furniture, music, signage, tools, toys,
and other objects operates as a field of persuasive appeals and how it influences
and constrains the formation of identity and community. SCSR 110: History and Criticism of American Public Address: Study of
major speeches shaping American history from the founding to the twentieth century.
Emphasis is on learning how to read public speech, identifying basic patterns
in American political discourse as well as specific persuasive strategies, and
forming reasoned judgments about eloquence. SCSR 112: Rhetoric and War: Discussion of the relationships between
war and public discourse, with special attention to public debate about the
conduct of war, the effect of war on ideas about public discourse, and the representation
of war in contemporary media. SCSR 114: Rhetorics of Race: Study of the discourses of race in American
politics and popular culture. Students examine both debates about racial issues
(affirmative action, police brutality, etc.) and the negotiation of racial ideology
in mass-mediated entertainment. SCSR 120: Introduction to Philosophical Hermeneutics: Examination of
the theory and practice of interpretation as it fits within the framework of
philosophic inquiry. Hermeneutical theory is traced through its incarnations
in ancient, medieval and modern philosophy to its present central position in
continental thought where everything human beings understand and do is seen
as a function of interpretation. Students work on problems in Biblical interpretation
and the analysis of canonical texts, with particular attention to the questions
of narration and audience. SCSR 122: The Politics of Interpretation: A critical examination of
the power relationships that influence the interpretation of legal, religious,
and other foundational texts upon which societies are built. SCSR 124: Rhetorical Criticism: Introduction to systems of rhetorical
criticism and their application to various genres of public discourse. Students
collaborate in writing, editing, producing, and judging a journal of critical
essays. SCSR 128: Advanced Public Speaking: Advanced training in the design
and presentation of persuasive speeches for diverse civic audiences. Students
conduct a public forum on a issue of current interest for the university community.
SCSR 130: Independent Study SCSR 132: Internship SCSR 134: Special Topics: Courses in selected areas of interest that
are not offered periodically. SCSR 140: Communication and Law: Analysis of the role of persuasion
in the legal process and of how legal forums and discourse operate persuasively
in American society. SCSR 142: Political Communication: Study of the media, forums, and strategies
for persuasion in electoral campaigning. Typically offered in the fall of election
years. SCSR 144: Photojournalism and Public Culture: Analysis of standard practices
and distinctive examples of news photography to determine their role in the
formation of public memory and the maintenance of liberal-democratic societies.
SCSR 146: Communication and Religion: Study of the interrelated areas
of the Bible as persuasion, the relationship between preaching and Biblical
interpretation, and the problem of representing Biblical faith in a pluralistic
society. SCSR 150: Classical Rhetoric: Study of the rhetorical tradition from
the Sophists to Augustine. SCSR 152: Contemporary Communication and Rhetorical Theory: Study of
major theories regarding the relationship between language and society. FYS: American Character and Society: A discussion of how American values of equality and individual liberty are
realized in the ordinary, everyday activities of American life and how they can have paradoxical consequences. This
course is part of a learning community with a section of Political Science 1.
FYS: Popular Trials: Study of the legal, rhetorical, and political dimensions of famous trials as they are a distinctive
and increasingly important form of public discourse that negotiates many of society's more unsettling issues. Critical
analysis of individual trials features how they present competing visions of community, struggle to structure
understandings, and influence both public and private life.
FYS: Love and Friendship from Plato to Buddy Movies: An introduction to the ongoing conversation in Western
civilization on the nature of friendship. Students read classic texts and analyze contemporary films in order to work
out a better understanding of how friendship exists as both a historically variable social form and a universal
opportunity for personal growth.
LPS 100: Introduction to Law, Politics, and Society (forthcoming Spring 2000): An interdisciplinary study of the
distinctive role of the law and the legal establishment in American politics and society.
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