This class helps students become effective peer writing tutors. They explore the theoretical and practical relationships among writing, learning, and thinking by reading in the fields of composition studies, rhetoric, literacy studies, cognitive psychology, and education. Students gain the skills necessary for helping others with writing: they learn to draw on pedagogical techniques; become aware of the diverse ways in which other students write, learn, and think; and have a broader understanding of the conventions and expectations for writing in a range of disciplines. S/U only.

Offered as WRT 136 and ENG 136. In this intellectually rigorous writing class, students learn how to craft compelling "true stories" using the journalist’s tools. They research, report, write, revise, source and share their work—and, through interviewing subjects firsthand, understand how other people see the world. The course considers multiple styles and mediums of journalism, including digital storytelling. Prerequisite: One WI course. Enrollment limited to 16.

Climate change affects everyone, but Black, Indigenous, and low-income populations are especially vulnerable to its impact. These populations have also led the efforts to combat climate change by protesting capitalist extraction, building food sovereignty and leading ecological restoration projects. This course centers Indigenous and Black climate action, especially efforts to restore traditional, anti-capitalist and decolonial practices of land and water stewardship, fishing and farming.

This class explores the contemporary “remix culture” to ask pressing questions about creativity, originality and identity. Students explore the remix as a necessary tool for cultural transformation and look at their own experience of race, gender, sexual orientation, class and ability as an opportunity to reimagine and transform old ideas. Students make a case for the remix as a place for critical updates to the culture and discuss the possibilities of how remixing contributes to a richer production of cultural ideas.

The human relationship with nature is one of the most important questions in the world. Are humans part of nature? Are humans destroying it? Can humans save it? Can nature save humanity? And what is nature, anyway? Is it the opposite of “human” or is it the truth at the core of humanity?

How people speak – the words they choose, the way they structure their sentences, the pitch of their voices, even their gender while speaking – is constantly judged by those around them. Examining the interaction of gender and language leads to questions, such as how does gender shape the way people use language, how does gender affect others’ perceptions of speech (both written and verbal), what variation occurs across cultures with regards to gender and language? This course uses the topic of language and gender to expand upon and improve rhetorical and writing skills.

How people speak – the words they choose, the way they structure their sentences, the pitch of their voices, even their gender while speaking – is constantly judged by those around them. Examining the interaction of gender and language leads to questions, such as how does gender shape the way people use language, how does gender affect others’ perceptions of speech (both written and verbal), what variation occurs across cultures with regards to gender and language? This course uses the topic of language and gender to expand upon and improve rhetorical and writing skills.

Nietzsche called maturity the rediscovered seriousness of a child at play. What is the meaning of comedy in light of this “seriousness of the child at play?” Why do people laugh, at what and in what way? How does one distinguish silly comedy from serious comedy? This course examines such questions on comic platforms including film, music, videos, short stories and cartoons.