Elon University - Department of English

Professional Writing & Rhetoric

A Classical Liberal Arts Education...for the 21st Century

writers' meeting Rhetoric, one of the oldest liberal arts and developed in ancient Greece to prepare citizens for active participation in democratic society, has long been focused on connecting itself to "the life of the polis." The English major concentration in Professional Writing and Rhetoric (PWR) reflects a national trend in higher education, as well as a long tradition within the discipline of rhetoric, to more clearly connect the liberal arts to worlds beyond the walls of academia.

Though distinctly not a pre-professional program, PWR prepares students to be more critically reflective, civically responsible communicators in their daily lives and, primarily, workplace contexts.

Programmatic Assumptions

We approach professional writing and rhetoric not simply as a functional art limited to the means of production, but as a critical social practice that includes engaging in the cultural production of social ends.
We approach professional writing and rhetoric as a way of acting effectively and wisely within complex situations, corporate, civic, and personal.
We conceive of "writing" broadly, and paired with "rhetoric," extend the concentration's scope of study and practice to a wide variety of symbolic action.
We understand professional writing and rhetoric to be a situated art.
We value the integration of theory and practice.
We approach 'professional writing and rhetoric' as one, integrated disciplinary field of study and practice.

Programmatic Goals

Students will learn, often through working hands-on with actual clients, how to analyze, reflect on, assess, and effectively act within complex contexts and rhetorical situations.
Students will learn to approach a wide variety of communication practices (e.g., visuals, multimedia, collaboration, and research) from the perspective of writing and rhetoric.
Students will study a wide variety of rhetorical techne (i.e., strategies) and, by working within and reflecting on actual rhetorical contexts, learn to adapt and develop rhetorical strategies and heuristics appropriate to specific situations.
Students will show an ability to integrate theoretical knowledge and professional practice.
Students will adopt a disciplinary identity as a writer and see themselves as experts (i.e., professional writers/rhetors) who bring particular (e.g., rhetorical) ways of seeing and ways of acting in and on the world around them.
Students will understand that writing participates in socially constructing the worlds within which we live, work, play, etc.

History

Professional Writing and Rhetoric (PWR) is one of the four concentrations offered by the English Department at Elon University. The program was pre-dated by the Writing Concentration, which had been developed in 1994 and modeled largely on masters programs designed to prepare teachers of writing. A small number of fine students graduated from that early program.

In an attempt to make an advanced rhetorical education more responsive to undergraduate students, the Writing Concentration was dramatically revised in 1999. The concentration was, then, renamed to reflect the concentration's revised focus on the integrated study of rhetoric and writing within, primarily, professional contexts.

The 2000-01 academic year marked the first in the history of the new Professional Writing and Rhetoric concentration. In that first year, three students graduated as English majors with concentrations in PWR. In the second year, the program graduated seven more students, and then ten more followed in the 2002-03 academic year.

As the number of graduates has grown, we are proud to say that the quality of those students choosing to study in the program has remained high. The comments our students' senior seminar portfolios receive from outside reviewers continually confirm what PWR students and professors believe:

"PWR graduates are liberally educated, critically reflective about the roles writing and writers play in our world, civically minded, and well prepared to assume active roles within the workplace."


PWR Home Curriculum Courses Internships Faculty Students Resources FAQs English Home Arts & Sciences Home	Professional Writing & Rhetoric A Classical Liberal Arts Education...for the 21st Century Rhetoric, one of the oldest liberal arts and developed in ancient Greece to prepare citizens for active participation in democratic society, has long been focused on connecting itself to "the life of the polis." The English major concentration in Professional Writing and Rhetoric (PWR) reflects a national trend in higher education, as well as a long tradition within the discipline of rhetoric, to more clearly connect the liberal arts to worlds beyond the walls of academia. Though distinctly not a pre-professional program, PWR prepares students to be more critically reflective, civically responsible communicators in their daily lives and, primarily, workplace contexts. Programmatic Assumptions We approach professional writing and rhetoric not simply as a functional art limited to the means of production, but as a critical social practice that includes engaging in the cultural production of social ends. We approach professional writing and rhetoric as a way of acting effectively and wisely within complex situations, corporate, civic, and personal. We conceive of "writing" broadly, and paired with "rhetoric," extend the concentration's scope of study and practice to a wide variety of symbolic action. We understand professional writing and rhetoric to be a situated art. We value the integration of theory and practice. We approach 'professional writing and rhetoric' as one, integrated disciplinary field of study and practice. Programmatic Goals Students will learn, often through working hands-on with actual clients, how to analyze, reflect on, assess, and effectively act within complex contexts and rhetorical situations. Students will learn to approach a wide variety of communication practices (e.g., visuals, multimedia, collaboration, and research) from the perspective of writing and rhetoric. Students will study a wide variety of rhetorical techne (i.e., strategies) and, by working within and reflecting on actual rhetorical contexts, learn to adapt and develop rhetorical strategies and heuristics appropriate to specific situations. Students will show an ability to integrate theoretical knowledge and professional practice. Students will adopt a disciplinary identity as a writer and see themselves as experts (i.e., professional writers/rhetors) who bring particular (e.g., rhetorical) ways of seeing and ways of acting in and on the world around them. Students will understand that writing participates in socially constructing the worlds within which we live, work, play, etc. History Professional Writing and Rhetoric (PWR) is one of the four concentrations offered by the English Department at Elon University. The program was pre-dated by the Writing Concentration, which had been developed in 1994 and modeled largely on masters programs designed to prepare teachers of writing. A small number of fine students graduated from that early program. In an attempt to make an advanced rhetorical education more responsive to undergraduate students, the Writing Concentration was dramatically revised in 1999. The concentration was, then, renamed to reflect the concentration's revised focus on the integrated study of rhetoric and writing within, primarily, professional contexts. The 2000-01 academic year marked the first in the history of the new Professional Writing and Rhetoric concentration. In that first year, three students graduated as English majors with concentrations in PWR. In the second year, the program graduated seven more students, and then ten more followed in the 2002-03 academic year. As the number of graduates has grown, we are proud to say that the quality of those students choosing to study in the program has remained high. The comments our students' senior seminar portfolios receive from outside reviewers continually confirm what PWR students and professors believe: "PWR graduates are liberally educated, critically reflective about the roles writing and writers play in our world, civically minded, and well prepared to assume active roles within the workplace."	Department News » Kim Pyne publishes book chapter on English teacher educator identity » Jessie Moore presents as invited speaker at symposium » Rebecca Pope-Ruark Elected to ABC Board of Directors » Kathy Lyday-Lee presents paper on Will Allen Dromgoole: Race and the Melungeons at SAMLA conference » College Writing Faculty and CATL Research Digital Literacies Pedagogies » Janet Myers authors new book on “Antipodal England” Contact Information Jessie Moore jmoore28@elon.edu Campus Box 2125 Elon University Elon, NC 27244