Syllabus | Rhetoric 101

Charles Henebry, College of General Studies, Boston University

Welcome to Rhetoric 101, the first semester of a two-course sequence designed to hone the skills you’ll need for writing in college and beyond.

Good writing is based on evidence, not merely opinion.
- Interesting evidence does more than just confirm prior understanding — it complicates, teaches something new.
- Vivid description makes readers experience evidence for themselves.
Passionate argument makes readers care about the issue being argued.
Stepwise structure helps readers follow your logic.
A topic is not a thesis. But you need both a topic and a thesis.
Almost all writing aims either to inform or to persuade — or both.
So, besides knowing what you want to argue about your topic (your thesis), you need to know what the reader already understands or believes about your topic — what your essay takes as its starting point, its preliminary understanding.
- Journalism tends to take as its starting point the understanding of a typical reader.
- Academic writing tends to take as its starting point the understanding of experts in the field.

Plagiarism is a very serious offense in this course, at CGS, and in the wider BU community.
Be respectful of me and of your fellow students in lecture and section. Focus on what other people are saying, and join in the discussion with insights or questions of your own.
Bring your laptop to class so you can access your writing and other course materials as needed.
Keep your laptop closed at all other times. Keep your phone in your bag, not your lap. Stand up to the power of your devices; don't let them take charge of your attention.

Due dates and assignments are listed on the course website, rhet101.commacafe.org