ENC 3021 - Fall 2026 - Adofo

ENC 3021 serves as a foundational course for students across disciplines not limited to Editing, Writing, and Media (EWM). This course introduces students to key concepts, histories, and frameworks in the study of rhetoric — the art and practice of persuasion, meaning-making, and communication across contexts. We will trace the development of rhetorical traditions beginning with classical Western rhetoric and extending outward to engage diverse global traditions, asking how different cultures, communities, and historical moments have understood and practiced the art of rhetoric. Central themes include the rhetorical appeals of ethos, logos, and pathos, and how notions of credibility, reasoning, and empathy operate differently across communities, texts, and media. We will also consider how visual and digital modes of communication extend and complicate traditional rhetorical frameworks. By the end of this course, students will have a broad foundation in rhetorical theory, an awareness of diverse rhetorical traditions, and practical skills for analyzing and producing rhetoric across multiple contexts, media, and cultures.