Welcome to Comp 105 – Writing & Rhetoric I. The topic for this section of Comp105 is “Culture, Community, and Public Writing.” Although we will focus on writing practices and processes, the readings, videos, and other texts in the course will give us thoughtful material to consider in relation to history and contemporary culture and public writing. In this course, you will have opportunities to reflect, synthesize and evaluate texts while developing critical thinking and reading skills, learn more about doing research, using sources, and more.

Because everyone in the class is coming from a different set of backgrounds and experiences, there may be multiple perspectives and interpretations of texts, and so we should remember to respect each other’s opinions, ideas, and experiences and give each other space for participating in conversations. During the semester we read and think about race, class, gender, sexuality, ability and other topics that we all have different personal relationships to. Since discussion is an essential part of our learning process, it is extremely important that we all feel free to express viewpoints that may be considered controversial or potentially open to disagreement. Please remember to express your ideas with thought and care. As a community of learners, we share responsibility to maintain a healthy environment where everyone feels recognized and safe, especially when sharing ideas that may make us feel vulnerable. If at any point you have questions or concerns please make sure to reach out and let me know.

I also encourage you to open your mind to texts, readings, ideas, and opinions that you wouldn’t have expected to encounter, or might not have chosen on your own. We’ll talk about objectively summarizing authors’ texts and ideas, and how to frame our own responses to those arguments. I encourage each member of this class to be willing to read, discuss, and engage because we will all benefit as writers and readers. This class relies on reflection and conversation, which open opportunities for us to all learn from each other.

Rhetoric, in a broad sense, is about how we use language and other tools to share our ideas and perspectives, how we synthesize information and articulate what we want to say to others via writing, video, audio, and other means. Reading and writing while paying attention to rhetorical elements of written, video, and other texts helps us to learn more about our own writing and communication. Paying attention to what texts “say” and how they “say” it can help us to present our own ideas more effectively in writing, speaking, and via other media formats. We’ll also learn about how public writing can have an impact on others in our communities and the larger society, and reflect on the power that can have.

For this class, you will also be responsible for reading the syllabus, course policies, resources, and other materials in Canvas, and following the schedule and announcements regularly. You should note that this class will have deadlines–it’s not a work-at-your-own-pace class. However, if you have extenuating circumstances and need some flexibility, please reach out to me so we can figure out what you need. I am here to help with any questions or concerns via email, in weekly office hours, and by appointment in zoom. The zoom link for office hours and other meetings will be on the front page of our Canvas site.

Jill Darling

jldarlin@umich.edu