1. ENGL 309 | Rhetorical Style
SYLLABUS
This course is grounded in the premise that style is not simply a formal quality of writing and
other forms of composition, but that it is always rhetorical: that is, it is deeply associated with
audience, purpose, and genre.
We will spend the semester investigating the rhetorical nature of style. We’ll begin by gaining an
understanding of genre through analysis and play. Then we’ll practice different kinds of styles by
writing about one topic across various genres, including the professional (a white paper solving
a problem for a professional audience) to the literary (an essay written in the style of another
writer) to the public (an open letter). As with dancing and other skills, a true facility with style will
not come without practice: it requires attention and practice. Becoming aware of and practiced
with style in this way will prepare you to write in a lot of different situations, for a lot of different
audiences – something that will help you no matter what your career plans.
At the end of the semester you will submit a final portfolio of one revised project (3 or 4) and an
extensive reflective statement about how you have met the learning outcomes for the course.
Ideally, you’ll leave the course with at least one beautifully polished piece of writing that you’ll be
able to use as writing samples for professional or graduate school purposes.
By the end of the course, you should be able to...
1. Explain why style is rhetorical, a product of audience, purpose, and genre.
2. Effectively compose in a wide range of written genres using the style appropriate to that
genre, audience, and purpose.
3. Thoroughly analyze the stylistic devices of a given piece of prose, and be able to imitate
those devices in your own writing.
4. Use advanced research skills and understand how to use that research to advance your
own writing goals.
5. Effectively give and receive feedback about writing in small and large-group settings.
2. REQUIRED MATERIALS
Chris Holcomb and Jimmie Killingsworth, Performing Prose: The Study and Practice of
Style in Composition. Amazon, for about $34 new/$25 used.
Hilton Als, ed. Best American Essays 2018. Amazon, for about $11.
Required readings on the English 309 BbLearn site.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Complete all major assignments. As per English department policy, you must complete every
major assignment in order to pass the course. Not completing a major assignment leads
automatically to a grade of F in the course. Late assignments will be docked 1/2 letter grade per
day.
Complete homework assignments and take the quizzes. For each project, there will be one or
more assignments designed to help “scaffold” the project. There is no “busy work” in this course
– every assignment I give you is meaningful, and is designed to help you develop some
important skill that will help you complete the project. The quizzes, though, are to hold you
accountable for the reading.
Participate in online discussions and draft workshops. Some of the work for the course involves
participating with your fellow students. Again, I only assign discussions and workshops if they
are meaningful and help you arrive at an understanding of some concept. I expect you to
participate in a more-than-cursory way; if you choose not to participate, you will lose the
associated points.
Complete a final portfolio. At the end of the semester, you will submit a final portfolio that
reflects on your work during the semester, makes substantive arguments about how you met
the course objectives, and provides a significantly revised version of either Projects 3 or 4.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
I will not tolerate academic dishonesty (cheating) of any sort. Consequences for academic
dishonesty will certainly include failing the assignment; students who plagiarize may also
receive an F in the course. If you’re not sure what plagiarism is, you can read the University of
Idaho’s Academic Honesty Policy online at
http://www.if.uidaho.edu/docs/academic_honesty.pdf.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Reasonable accommodations are available for you if you have a documented disability. Please
notify me during the first week of class regarding accommodation(s) needed for the course. All
accommodations must be approved through Disability Support Services located in the Idaho
Commons Building, Room 312 (885-7200; email at dss@uidaho.edu; see
also www.access.uidaho.edu orwww.webs.uidaho.edu/aap).
GRADING POLICY
Each project includes a Drop Box for assignments. Assignments are typically due either
Wednesday or Sunday at midnight – the final due dates are clearly listed on each of the project
schedules, and the assignments themselves.
Unless you have gotten permission from me at least 24 hours ahead of time, homework
assignments will lose one letter grade per day they are late. I will make exceptions if you have
3. serious extenuating circumstances (severe illness, death in the family, etc.), but you must tell
me about these circumstances before the homework is due, and you must provide the
appropriate documentation upon your return.
Regarding late policies for major assignments (Projects 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and the Final Portfolio), see
the “Grading, Self-Evaluation, and Missed Work Policies” link on the BbLearn course menu.
I will grade your work based on the following general criteria, though I’ll provide you with more
specific criteria for each assignment:
A: superior; the work is of near-professional quality. The assignment meets or exceeds
all objectives. The content is mature, thorough, and well suited for the audience; the
style is clear, accurate, and forceful; the information is well organized and formatted so
that it is accessible and attractive; the mechanics and grammar are correct.
B: good; the paper meets the objectives of the assignment, but it needs improvement in
style, or it contains easily correctable errors in grammar, format, or content, or its content
is superficial.
C: competent; the paper needs significant improvement in concept, details,
development, organization, grammar, or format. It may be formally correct but superficial
in content.
D: marginally acceptable; the paper meets some of the objectives but ignores others; the
content is inadequately developed; or it contains numerous or major errors.
F: unacceptable; the paper does not have enough information, does something other
than the assignment required, or it contains major errors or excessive errors.
Your final grade will be determined by the grades you receive on written and in-class
assignments, based on the following weighting:
Draft Workshops 100
Homework Assignments (these will be graded
on thoroughness and completeness).
150
Quizzes 80
Genre Parody Assignment 100
Semester Topic Proposal 25
Annotated Bibliography 50
White Paper Assignment (Solving a Problem for a
Professional Audience)
150
Style Map 50
Imitative Essay and Memo 150
Open Letter 100
Final Portfolio 200
