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Contemporary Communications

This course introduces students to the fundamentals of effective communication in contemporary society. The primary focus is on communication using electronic means, such as cell phones, e-mail, instant messaging, and Internet technologies. Topics include communication methods and technologies and their impact on the individual and society.


Communication/Rhetorical Criticism

In this course we will acquire and demonstrate an understanding of the major approaches to the analysis and criticism of rhetoric in various contexts. We apply rhetorical criticism methods to oral and written analyses of communicative acts and from a variety of contexts. Examples include: comedy, music, public address, new media, and visual art.


Introduction to Human Communication

The primary objective of this course is to introduce students to the field of human communication as an area of study and skill development. The course is a “hybrid” of instruction in both interpersonal and public communication. The University and the State are concerned with your abilities to present materials and to engage in active oral discussion as both a condition of successful classroom work and as preparation for your taking part in democratic responsibilities.

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Rhetoric of Popular Culture

The primary objective of this course is to offer an alternative focus on the rhetoric of popular culture in today’s globalized and mediated society. Rhetoric of Popular Culture presents an historic range of rhetorical and critical intellectual approaches, including media, feminist, queer, and Marxist theories.


Spinning on Margins: A Rhetorical Perspective on Racial Passing

This essay employs social theory, legal precedent, literature and rhetorical analysis to respond to the following specific interrogations: (1) How do acts of passing become communicative behaviors that simultaneously express/deny identity and defy the fixity of institutionally imposed racial identification?