Instructor: Jessica O’Hara, Ph.D jessicaohara@psu.edu
Office Hours: Office hours will be held on Zoom. They are Mondays from 12:00-1:30 PM and Wednesdays from 2:30-4 PM.
Sometimes we will have unit conferences that will be scheduled through signupgenius.com. If you can’t find a time that will work for your schedule, please email me to suggest alternate times.
Office Hours Zoom Link: https://psu.zoom.us/j/3432186867
Section 9: 9:05-10:20 AM Tuesday/Thursday, 303 Rackley Building
Section 9 Teaching Assistant: Emma Hoebler esh5289@psu.edu
Section 7: 10:35 AM-11:50 AM Tuesday/Thursday, 317 Nursing Sciences Building
Section 7 Teaching Assistant: Graham Oven: gpo5068@psu.edu
Section 11: 1:35-2:50 PM Tuesday/Thursday, 117 Sackett Building
Section 11 Teaching Assistant: Kevin Tian kmt6125@psu.edu
Section 12: 3:05-4:20 PM. Tuesday/Thursday, 208 Thomas Building
Section 12 Teaching Assistant: Julia Gale jbg6001@psu.edu
Required Reading and Course Textbooks
Keywords online textbook: https://sites.psu.edu/caskeywords/. Passcode: since1959
How to Write with Flair by Heather Holleman. IBSN: 978-1453721209
Easy Writer by Andrea Lunsford. 8th edition. IBSN: 978-1319244224
Linked PDF course readings
Sample student work at Penn State RCL: sites.psu.edu/pennstatercl
Please bring your copy of How to Write With Flair to class every day and a laptop every Thursday.
Rhetoric and Civic Life (RCL) is a year-long honors course offering comprehensive training in oral, written, visual, and digital communication for the twenty-first century. It unites these various modes under the flexible art of rhetoric and uses rhetoric both to strengthen communication skills and to sharpen awareness of the challenges and advantages presented by oral, written, visual, and digital modes.
RCL I focuses particularly on two critical academic capacities: analyzing and contextualizing. In this semester, students learn to rigorously examine the rhetoric surrounding them, compellingly present their findings in various modes, and thoughtfully contextualize their research.
This section of Rhetoric and Civic Life will focus on sustainability as a touchstone for analyzing rhetoric, studying evolving ideas, and exploring controversy.