Course Schedule
| Date | Reading/Topic | Homework |
| Week 1 | Getting Started | |
| T 8/29 | Introductions! | Read the syllabus and come to next class with one question about the class. |
| Th 8/31 | Answer syllabus questions. Create your own course site at WordPress.com. | |
| Week 2 | Identity & Advocacy | |
| M 9/4 | CAMPUS CLOSED | NO CLASSES |
| T 9/5 | What Is the Role of Storytelling in Activism? Watch Adichie’s TED Talk “The Danger of a Single Story” together and consider the role of storytelling in public action. Assign reading groups for Martinez’s “A Plea for Critical Race Theory” and “Alejandra Writes a Book.” | Post your in-class writing to your WordPress site as Blog post #1 before next class. Read your group’s assigned text (either Martinez’s “A Plea for Critical Race Theory” OR “Alejandra Writes a Book”). Be ready to work on Thursday! |
| Th 9/7 | Reading groups will convene to create & present posters of their work around Martinez’s texts. Individual writing around our personal counterstories. Assign Counterstorytelling Project | Begin thinking towards Counterstorytelling project. |
| Week 3 | Identity & Advocacy (cont.) | |
| T 9/12 | Design mapping towards Counterstorytelling Project. | Post your in-class writing to your blog as Blog post #2 before next class. |
| Th 9/14 | Come to class with your counterstory idea. What’s the dominant narrative that your counter-narrative is pushing against? | Come to class with a “shitty draft” of your counterstory. |
| 9/15-17 | NO CLASSES SCHEDULED | NO CLASSES |
| Week 4 | Identity & Advocacy (cont.) | |
| T 9/19 | Round-robin readings of our counterstories. Submit your counterstory drafts to Andrea via email or posting to your blog. Introduce Corder’s “Argument as Emergence, Rhetoric as Love,” available on Blackboard or (Bb). | Read Corder’s “Argument as Emergence, Rhetoric as Love” (Bb) and Downs’ “Rhetoric: Making Sense of Human Interaction.” |
| Th 9/21 | How does your Counterstory fit into a larger concept of rhetoric and public writing? Discuss Corder’s “Argument as Emergence, Rhetoric as Love”(Bb) and Downs’ “Rhetoric: Making Sense of Human Interaction” in the context of what we’ve done and where we’re headed. | |
| 9/24-9/25 | NO CLASSES SCHEDULED | NO CLASSES |
| Week 5 | Going Public | |
| T 9/26 | Look at peers’ examples of Counterstory Assignment. | Revise Counterstory Assignment. |
| Th 9/28 | What is Activist Writing? Collaborative rhetorical analysis of Children’s Committee for Citizenship. | Post in-class writing as Blog #3. Read Foss & Griffin’s “Beyond Persuasion.” |
| Week 6 | Going Public (cont.) | |
| T 10/3 | Counterstorytelling project due (with extension to TH 10/5). Discuss Foss & Griffin’s “Beyond Persuasion.” | Select a multimodal text in your own life that represents invitational rhetoric. |
| Th 10/5 | In-class consideration of your multimodal texts as invitational rhetoric. In-class writing towards blog #4: How does the piece you brought to class represent invitational rhetoric? In your answer, explain the rhetorical ecology of the text you shared. | Post Blog #4 before next class on TH 10/12. |
| Week 7 | Going Public (cont.) | |
| M 10/9 | COLLEGE CLOSED | NO CLASSES |
| T 10/10 | CLASSES FOLLOW A MONDAY SCHEDULE | |
| Th 10/12 | Look together at Knight News pieces on QC administration: Velsaco’s Op-Ed “It’s Time for a Change” and Kuzma’s “Administration Launches Listening Tour.” Introduce Keith Grant-Davie’s “Rhetorical Situations and their Constituents.” | Read Keith Grant-Davie’s “Rhetorical Situations and their Constituents” (on Blackboard). |
| Week 8 | The Work of Local Activists | |
| T 10/17 | Assign Rhetorical Analysis of Local Activism. | |
| Th 10/19 | CLASS CANCELLED TODAY–see HOMEWORK! | Email me at andrea.efthymiou@qc.cuny.edu indicating who you will work with for the Rhetorical Analysis of Local Activism project & work organization you will study. Reread Grant-Davie’s article because you MUST use this for your Rhetorical Analysis of Local Activism project. |
| Week 9 | The Work of Local Activists (cont.) | |
| T 10/24 | Taking stock & moving forward. We’ll do some reflection today to help us ensure we’re all on track. | If you haven’t already, email me at andrea.efthymiou@qc.cuny.edu indicating who you will work with for the Rhetorical Analysis of Local Activism project & which organization you will study. Really re-read Grant-Davie’s article because you MUST use this for your Rhetorical Analysis of Local Activism project. |
| Th 10/26 | Review the Rhetorical Analysis of Local Activism assignment & our community organization spreadsheet. Ask and answer any questions about the assignment. Practice understanding rhetors, audience, and constraints. | |
| Week 10 | The Work of Local Activists (cont.) | |
| T 10/31 | Practice understanding rhetors, audience, and constraints. | |
| Th 11/2 | REMOTE CLASS | REMOTE CLASS. Post Blog # 5: mapping project from last class. |
| Week 11 | Advocacy in the Academy | |
| T 11/7 | Final writing workshop towards Rhetorical Analysis of Local Activism website. | READ Stommel’s “Ungrading: An Introduction.” Consider structures within academia that need rethinking. |
| Th 11/9 | REMOTE CLASS | Post Blog #6: How should your Rhetorical Analysis of Local Activism website be assessed? Cite Stommel in your response. |
| Week 12 | Advocacy in the Academy (cont.) | |
| T 11/14 | Rhetorical Analysis of Local Activism DRAFT DUE. Discuss Stommel’s “Ungrading: An Introduction.” | Continue working on your Rhetorical Analysis of Local Activism website. |
| Th 11/16 | Last working day on Rhetorical Analysis of Local Activism DRAFT. Look at work-in-progress from one of your peer groups. | Complete your Rhetorical Analysis of Local Activism website. |
| Week 13 | Advocacy in the Academy (cont.) | |
| T 11/21 | Rhetorical Analysis of Local Activism DUE. Assign the Poster Project. | Blog Post #7: Post your brainstorming for the Poster Project. Read Cushman’s “Rhetorician as Agent of Social Change” (Bb) and consider what local social issue you to engage for your final project. |
| W 11/22 – 11/26 | THANKSGIVING BREAK | NO CLASSES SCHEDULED |
| Week 14 | Advocacy in the Academy (cont.) | |
| T 11/28 | Discuss Cushman’s “Rhetorician as Agent of Social Change” (Bb) & modes of activist engagement. | Read Hu’s “The Second Act of Social Media Activism” (Bb). |
| Th 11/30 | Discuss Hu’s “The Second Act of Social Media Activism” (Bb). | Work on your Post/er Project. |
| Week 15 | Completing Your Work! | |
| T 12/5 | Peer Review of the Post/er Project. | Work on your Post/er project. Blog Post #8: Revision notes for your poster based on in-class peer review. |
| Th 12/7 | Writing Workshop towards the Reflective Essay of your Post/er Project. | Complete your Post/er Project & Reflective Essay by the 12/15 DUE DATE. |
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