California State University, Northridge: Spring 2012
English 651: Rhetorical and Composition Theory
This study challenges European-centered history, provincializes alphabetic dominance, and positions Mestiz@ scripts
at the center of twenty-first century writing.
Damián Baca
Syllabus Table of Contents:
Instructor Information
Disability Information
Course Description
Required Texts
Course Requirements
Seven Moodle
Assignments
Collaborative Oral
Presentation
Final Project
Tentative Schedule
Attendance and
Participation
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Instructor Information:
Instructor: Ian Barnard, Ph.D.
Office: ST 834
In-person office hours: MW 2:45-3:45 p.m., and by appointment
Email: ian.barnard@csun.edu
Disability Information:
Please see me early in the semester if you have a documented disability, so that we can discuss
what accommodations, if any, I might make to help you to succeed in this class.
Course Description:
What does “writing” mean in the age of Facebook and the empire of the visual? Whose rhetoric
and what types of rhetoric get privileged under the sign of the “war on terror” and in the era of
“the hegemony of global capitalism and its political supplement, liberal democracy” (Slavoj
Žižek)? Your English, my English, World Englishes, Spanglish, no English?
This semester, our graduate level overview of the exciting, exponentially expanding, and rapidly
shifting field of rhetoric and composition will pay special attention to a growing body of
scholarship on “The Rhetoric of the Americas” as a way of contesting more conventional
Aristotelian- and Western-centered histories of rhetoric, and as a way of situating our own work
and selves in the imperial migrant-rich metropolis of a multicultural and deeply historied
“American” country and continent. (Which doesn’t mean that we won’t read Aristotle as well—
after all, he may be more complex than both his admirers and his detractors make him out to be!)
The course serves as one of the foundation courses for students in the rhetoric and composition
theory option of the M.A. program in English, but other graduate students interested in questions
of language and empire or who are simply interested in finding out more about rhetoric and
composition studies are also welcome to enroll.
Professor’s Promises:
 This is, in some ways, an “overview” course, but I promise not to assign any hefty
anthologies with pages so thin you can’t annotate the reading. In fact, we’ll be reading a
book that attacks The Rhetorical Tradition, one of the “heavyweight” anthologies in the
field.
 No tests and exams; few lectures. Class meetings are discussion-based.
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Required Texts (texts marked & are on reserve in the Oviatt Library):
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&
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In addition, you will be
reading articles and other
materials on Moodle
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Course Requirements:
Attendance and
Participation
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This is a discussion-based course, and I expect you to attend all seminar meetings on time and participate
critically and actively in seminar discussions and other class activities (including in-class peer workshops
on the final project). You may miss two seminar meetings without penalty.
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Critical
Reading/Viewing
I expect you to read/view all assigned texts carefully and critically by the posted due dates.
Seven Moodle
Assignments
Since the final project is relatively short, the seven Moodle assignments will constitute the bulk of your
individual writing for the course. Each Moodle assignment consists of a 500-750 word post and
substantive responses to at least two colleagues (each response should be at least a paragraph long). Do
not respond to the same colleagues as everyone else, and do not respond to the same colleagues each week.
See the rubric for more details on how I will evaluate the Moodle assignments. Given the size of the class,
I cannot give each class member individual written feedback on Moodle responses; however, we will
discuss sample responses in class, and you are welcome to visit me in my office hours to discuss your
responses.
These assignments are designed to allow you to reflect on course readings and concerns, dialogue with
other class members about your and their ideas, and prepare for seminar meetings; they also give me a
sense of how class members are responding to the course texts. See the schedule for due dates and times.
Moodle assignment #1: Respond in any way you like to Baca’s book. Remember, though, that this is a
scholarly response. Don’t spend time complaining about the text and don’t write a general impressionistic
response to the text as a whole. You might want to focus on a specific issue or section or rhetorical
strategy in the text, or perhaps something that particularly interests or intrigues or disturbs you. You don’t
have to demonstrate mastery of the book--it’s ok if you don’t understand everything, and if you have more
questions than answers. However, you should read carefully and closely and thoughtfully. Make specific
references to the text.
Moodle assignment #2: What about Lynn’s introduction to the field of rhetoric and composition was new
to you? What did you know already? What surprised you? What did you find problematic? Exciting? Be
selective in your response so that you are able to develop a few ideas in depth rather than cover many ideas
superficially. Try to connect your ideas so that your post isn’t a list of disparate points. Make specific
references to the text.
Moodle assignment #3: After reading Romney and Guaman Poma, write a Moodle post in which you 1)
demonstrate that you understand Romney’s argument and 2) use Guaman Poma’s book to develop your
own position agreeing or disagreeing with Romney. Make specific references to both texts.
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Moodle assignment #4: Select a short passage from pp. 111-250 of Aristotle’s On Rhetoric that you’d like
to write about. Perhaps choose a passage that you find particularly resonant or interesting or intriguing or
difficult or offensive. Attend closely to your selected passage, teasing out its possible meanings and
significance. You don’t need to copy out the passage in your post, but be sure to identify the passage you
are working with and to make specific references to the passage in your explication of it.
Moodle assignment #5: Use Rose’s text to frame your own education auto-ethnography, in which you
discuss your experiences as a student (in English and other classes), as a writer, and as a teacher (if you
have teaching experience). Don’t just describe your experience, but try to also reflect on it theoretically, as
Rose does with his own experience. Be sure to make specific references to Rose’s text in the course of
your education auto-ethnography.
Moodle assignment #6: Gloria Anzaldúa expressed surprise at the way in which her work suddenly got
taken up by scholars, teachers, and students in rhetoric and composition. Discuss what you see as
Anzaldúa’s relevance for the field of rhetoric and composition or why you think scholars/students/teachers
in rhet./comp. might or should be interested in Anzaldúa’s work. Develop one or two points in depth
rather than cover too many points too superficially. Make specific references to Anzaldúa’s text. Feel free
to also refer to Baca’s Mestiz@ Scripts, Lynn’s Rhetoric and Composition, and other course readings (or
readings you have discovered elsewhere).
Moodle assignment #7: Select any two of this week’s readings to respond to. Discuss a few salient
similarities and/or striking differences that you notice in your two texts. (If you choose to respond to
Kairos, respond to the journal issue as a whole rather than to an individual article in this issue.) Don’t
merely list similarities and/or differences—try to reflect on their significance as well.
Collaborative Oral
Presentation
You and your group members will give an oral presentation on one of four cutting edge areas of inquiry in
the field of rhetoric and composition: lgbt and queer rhetoric and composition; feminist rhetoric and
composition; visual/digital rhetoric and composition; critical animal studies in rhetoric and composition.
Each group will
1. research your assigned topic (I will give you a list of resources to get you started)
2. decide on the focus and direction of your presentation
3. compile a selection of readings (no more than 50 pages total) on your topic for class members to
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read
4. post your readings on Moodle one week before your presentation. (Ensure that your scanned
documents contain complete citation information.)
5. deliver an interactive presentation on your topic in class. The presentation must include discussion
of (some of) your assigned readings and an interactive component where you invite class members
to engage with your presentation topic and/or readings. Each presentation (including interaction)
should last no longer than sixty minutes. Do not exceed the time limit.
I will give you time in class to meet with your group members to work on the presentation, but you will
also need to meet with your group members outside of class. You are also welcome to meet with me to
discuss your presentation plans.
Remember that this is a collaborative presentation—groups that earn strong presentation evaluations will
work together in presenting their topic, rather than deliver several short mini-presentations. All group
members earn the same evaluation from me, unless I hear that some group members did not contribute
their fair share to the presentation.
You cannot possibly give a comprehensive presentation on your topic, but you should give class members
some kind of overview of the topic and then focus in on particular issues or readings that interest you.
Final Project
For your final project, you will create a “remediation” of one of your seven Moodle posts. Choose the
Moodle post that you feel is the strongest or the one that interests you the most or the one that has the most
potential to be further developed. You may revise and expand your selected Moodle post into a 5 page
paperlet (which may include links and digital media) or you may revise and transform it into some other
genre or medium (e.g., a short video, website, blog, piece of creative writing). You will receive peer
feedback on a draft of your final project. You need to post an on-time draft and final project in order to be
eligible to earn full credit for this assignment.
I will assign each class member a holistic grade at the end of the semester, unless we as a class decide otherwise. Note that I do use
+/- grades.
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Tentative Schedule
readings marked * are on Moodle
readings marked & are on reserve in the Oviatt Library
Date
In-Class Activities
Assignments for Next Time
1/23
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
introduction to the course
class member introductions
discuss syllabus and grading
discuss rubric for Moodle responses
view and discuss “In Defense of Rhetoric” *
read and discuss Richardson, “Writing is Not
Just a Basic Skill” *
read and discuss Horner and Lu, “Working
Rhetoric and Composition” *
read and discuss Crowley, “Composition is Not
Rhetoric” *
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read Baca, Mestiz@ Scripts &
Moodle assignment #1 due: post by 3 p.m. on 1/29; respond
to colleagues by 3 p.m. on 1/30
bring your presentation preferences to class
1/30
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
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
discuss reading and Moodle posts
assign presentation groups and dates
discuss presentation prompt
meet with presentation collaborators


read Lynn, Rhetoric and Composition: An Introduction
Moodle assignment #2 due: post by 3 p.m. on 2/5; respond
to colleagues by 3 p.m. on 2/7
2/6
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
discuss readings and Moodle posts
discuss sample Moodle posts
introduction to research resources in rhetoric and
composition
discuss Covino, “Rhetorical Pedagogy” *
meet with presentation collaborators
read Guaman Poma, The First New Chronicle and Good
Government
read Romney, “Indian Ability (auilidad de Indio) and
Rhetoric’s Civilizing Narrative: Guaman Poma’s Contact
with the Rhetorical Tradition” *

discuss readings and Moodle posts

Moodle assignment #3 due: post by 3 p.m. on 2/17; respond
2/13
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
meet with presentation collaborators
2/20
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
discuss reading
meet with presentation collaborators


read Aristotle, On Rhetoric, 111-250 &
Moodle assignment #4 due: post by 3 p.m. on 2/26; respond
to colleagues by 3 p.m. on 2/27
2/27


discuss reading and Moodle posts
meet with presentation collaborators

if you are presenting on 3/12, post your presentation
readings on Moodle by 3 p.m. on 3/5
work on presentations


watch and discuss Winnie the Pooh
meet with presentation collaborators
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
if you are presenting on 3/19, post your presentation
readings on Moodle by 3 p.m. on 3/12
read presentation readings
work on presentations
3/12
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
presentations
mid-semester evaluations of course


read presentation readings
work on presentations
3/19


presentations
discuss mid-semester evaluations


read Rose, Lives on the Boundary &
Moodle assignment #5 due: post by 3 p.m. on 3/25; respond
to colleagues by 3 p.m. on 3/26
3/26

discuss reading and Moodle posts


read Anzaldúa, Borderlands/La Frontera &
Moodle assignment #6 due: post by 3 p.m. on 4/6; respond
to colleagues by 3 p.m. on 4/8
3/5


to colleagues by 3 p.m. on 2/19.
read Aristotle, On Rhetoric, ix-110 (if you’re pressed for
time, omit Book 1, Chapters 4-6) &
Spring Break
4/9

discuss reading and Moodle posts

read Baca, “Rethinking Composition, Five Hundred Years
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
discuss final project
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4/16
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discuss readings
work on final project
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
Later” *
read Young, “’Nah, We Straight’: An Argument Against
Code Switching” *
read Canagarajah, “The Place of World Englishes in
Composition” *
read Lunsford, “Toward a Mestiza Rhetoric” (interview
with Gloria Anzaldúa) *
read Self, “The Movement of Air, The Breath of Meaning:
Aurality and Multimodal Composing” *
read Kairos 14.2 *
read Thompson, “Clive Thompson on the New Literacy” *
read McDougall and Nordstrom, “Ma ka Hana ka ‘lke (In
the Work is the Knowledge): Kaona as Rhetorical Action” *
optional reading: Cole, “Writing Removal and Resistance:
Native American Rhetoric in the Composition Classroom *
Moodle assignment #7 due: post by 3 p.m. on 4/23; respond
to colleagues by 3 p.m. on 4/30
4/23
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
discuss readings and Moodle posts
work on final project

read Coetzee, Waiting for the Barbarians &
4/30
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discuss reading
work on final project

post a draft of your final project (or a link to your draft) on
Moodle by 11:59 p.m. 5/5
read your group members’ final project drafts before class *
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workshops on final project
wrap-up
party?
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5/7

post your revised final project (or a link to it) on Moodle by
3 p.m. on 5/14