Professor:  Cynthia Duquette Smith, Ph.D.
Office:  MJ 212
Phone:  855-5307 (office w/voice mail)
Email:  cds@indiana.edu
Course Description & Objectives

** special note-C305 is an "intensive writing" course. This means
you'll be writing at least 5,000 words and making revisions to your
work during the semester.

C305 is a course in the practical art of rhetorical criticism.  It
focuses on the application of a wide variety of specific critical
methods to communication artifacts.  Although rhetorical criticism has
its origins in the evaluation of speeches, in this class you will have
the opportunity to evaluate many different kinds of communication
artifacts, ranging from speeches to films, photographs, and even
buildings. You will have the opportunity to write about the kinds of
artifacts that interest you, with guidance from me.  Rhetorical
criticism can be a life-changing experience. Through rhetorical
criticism, we can better understand the strategies and motives of
rhetors, the underlying ideologies of communication texts, and the
implications of persuasive discourse for human beings. I sincerely
hope that you will never be the same after taking C305.
During the semester we will work together to meet a number of learning
objectives. At the end of C305 you will:
1.	Be able to offer a working definition of "rhetoric" and "
rhetorical criticism"
2.	Be familiar with eight specific methods for the rhetorical
criticism of artifacts
3.	Be able to explain the key components of each critical method
in your own words
4.	Understand the connection between methods and artifacts; that
is, when a method is particularly appropriate to use and when it is
not the best choice
5.	Apply your knowledge of these critical theories and methods to
your own original analyses of specific artifacts
6.	Demonstrate, in your writing and in class, sound reasoning
well-supported by evidence
7.	Make appropriate use of the critical vocabulary integral to
the course
8.	Analyze and articulate the various implications for human
beings of participating in the rhetoric of various artifacts
9.	Be confident offering your informed evaluation of rhetorical
methods, artifacts, and examples of rhetorical criticism offered by
other scholars
10.	Appreciate the value of revision and reflection in the writing
process

Assignments:
	C305 involves three essays of roughly 1700 words each, two
exams, and a team presentation with another classmate (or two).  The
specific nature of these assignments may be subject to change for the
Fall 2003 semester, but C305 will always involve a combination of
substantial written work with examinations.