ENGL 381 A: Advanced Expository Writing

What do we mean when we talk about diversity? How do we actively foster diversity? How do we measure our success in doing so? This class will seek to answer these questions, but also to interrogate the ways in which we talk and write about diversity globally and locally, using the University as a representational site. We will begin with short pieces of cultural and educational criticism to build a framework for analyzing 21^st-century rhetorics of diversity. These texts will provide us with the language as well as the conceptual tools needed to critically discuss the primary texts we will then pick up, from university mission statements and programs to campus organizations (student and professional) and dynamics. Ultimately, students will use these materials to create individualized composition projects that engage in local, national, or global conversations about diversity.

This is a writing- and reading-intensive class and you should expect a rigorous pace. That being said, this course is also focused on foregrounding the stakes of inquiry-driven projects that matter to you. As such, you will choose between several course pathways early on that will guide you towards a specific type of final project. You can choose between a community partnership, a research project (aimed at a specific venue/publication), project/organization development (which might entail grant writing), or public influence (op-ed/political brief).