In this Department  Writing Courses for First- and Second-Year Students  Writing Courses for Students Beyond the First Year  Other Courses of Interest to Student Writers Catalog  Main Page  General Information   College of Arts and Sciences   Conservatory of Music  Double Degree Program  Other Links  Course Syllabi  Registrar's Office Office/Departmental Directory  Arts and Sciences Main Page Rhetoric and Composition The Rhetoric and Composition Program supports the college-wide commitment to the teaching of writing. Writing is one of the primary skills needed at Oberlin and is also necessary for almost any occupation to which an Oberlin graduate might aspire. Beyond these practical values, writing serves as one of the most essential tools for inquiry in a liberal education. All Oberlin students are strongly encouraged to pursue the goal of writing well. Writing Requirement. The writing requirement applies to all students in the College of Arts and Sciences. The requirement also applies to all transfer students and double-degree students. Students changing divisions from Conservatory to College or becoming double-degree candidates are also subject to the requirement. The Rhetoric and Composition Program administers the requirement. The writing requirement is usually satisfied in either of the following ways: 1. By a score of 710 or better on the SAT II Writing Test or by a score of 5 on the English Language/Composition or Literature/Composition Advanced Placement Examination. or 2. By certification of proficiency in writing from two different Oberlin College instructors who have taught the student in specially designated "writing intensive" or "writing certification" courses in two different departments or programs. One of these may be a private reading course or a Winter Term course (by approval of the Rhetoric and Composition Program Director). Under special circumstances students may apply to satisfy the requirement either by submitting work done for writing intensive courses at other institutions transferred for credit by Oberlin College OR by taking a writing proficiency examination provided by the Rhetoric and Composition Program. Members of the Rhetoric and Composition Program will judge whether such work merits writing certification. Students who have unusual difficulty completing the Writing Requirement should contact the Director of the Rhetoric and Composition Program as soon as possible to determine the best means of satisfying the requirement. Students are strongly urged to take at least one step toward achieving writing proficiency as soon as possible, preferably during their first year. Students seeking information about the Oberlin Conservatory writing requirement should consult "Requirements for Graduation" in the Conservatory section of this catalog. Writing Certification Courses. Courses that bear the designation WR are those in which a substantial amount of writing (approximately 15 pages) is required but which do not devote special attention to instruction in writing except at the instructor's option. Instructors will evaluate papers for writing ability and will decide, at the end of the course, whether the student is to receive a writing proficiency credit, independent of the course grade. To fulfill the graduation requirement, students need to earn two certification credits from writing-certification or writing-intensive course work in two different departments. Writing Intensive Courses. Courses that bear the designation WRi are those in which substantial essay writing (approximately 15 pages) is assigned and writing pedagogy is stressed to a significant degree. The normal expectation is that the instructor will introduce the student to the methods of writing papers for the discipline in which the course is offered. Several papers will be assigned during the course; students will receive detailed evaluations of their writing skills as well as content; some time will be devoted to the discussion of student writing, both in class and in conferences; and a certain amount of rewriting/revision will normally be expected. Although there is an emphasis on writing instruction in these courses, students may earn a certification credit if the instructor judges their work to be proficient. A list of criteria for evaluating writing proficiency is available from the Rhetoric and Composition Program Director in King 139. Students enrolled in the two-semester sequence of Rhetoric and Composition 100 followed by another Rhetoric and Composition course, other than RHET 107, will earn one of their two required proficiency credits by virtue of passing both courses. In all other cases, a passing grade will not necessarily result in a writing proficiency credit; certification will depend on the instructor's appraisal of the student's writing ability. Major. No major is offered in Rhetoric and Composition, but students with such interests might consider majoring in English or Creative Writing. The Individual Major is another alternative. Minor. Students may earn a minor in Rhetoric and Composition by completing approved programs of study. Such programs will consist of at least 15 credit hours, including: one Rhetoric and Composition colloquium, one 200-level Rhetoric and Composition course, RHET 481, a course in English language history or linguistics, and a private reading in a topic of rhetoric and composition of the student's choosing. Interested students are advised to consult the director. Tutor Training. Students interested in training to be peer tutors in writing should consider taking RHET 481, listed below. Seeking Writing Assistance. Members of the Rhetoric and Composition Program will be glad to consult with students interested in working on their writing at any level or with any faculty member seeking advice about working with students to improve their writing. Winter Term. Staff members will be available to sponsor Winter Term Projects in writing. back to top Writing Courses for First- and Second-Year Students RHET 100 and the Rhetoric and Composition Colloquia are intended for first-year or sophomore students desiring an introduction to college-level writing. The use of writing as a tool for learning is emphasized through a combination of class discussion and individualized instruction. These courses are not open to juniors, seniors, or fifth year students except by consent of the instructor. 100. Basic Writing 3 hours 3HU, WRi A course designed to help first-or second-year students who feel they lack experience in using basic writing skills in English. Instruction focuses mainly on methods of composing and revising, as well as critical reading and thinking skills. This course is recommended for students with an SAT-V score below 580. Note: Students who pass both RHET 100 and another Rhetoric and Composition course other than RHET 107 automatically receive one of their two required proficiency credits. This course is not open to students who have taken a Rhetoric and Composition colloquium (RHET 111-119) or 200-level course except by consent of instructor. CR/NE grading. Enrollment Limit: 14. Sem 1 RHET-100-01 MWF 9-9:50 Ms. Cooper RHET-100-02 MWF 3:30-4:20 Ms. Cooper Sem 2 RHET-100-01 MWF 9-9:50 Ms. Cooper 111-119 Colloquia in English Composition for First- and 3 hours Second-Year Students 3HU, WRi Courses for first- or second-year students desiring instruction in college writing. Emphasis is on writing itself (i.e., invention, arrangement, style, drafting/revising) and developing critical skills in thinking and reading through exploring interdisciplinary topics. Workshop/discussion format is emphasized. Recommended for first- and second-year students who have passed RHET 100 or who have an SAT-V score above 580 but who do not feel prepared to take other Writing Certification or Writing Intensive courses taught across the curriculum. For full course descriptions see section entitled "Colloquia for First- and Second-Year Students." CR/NE grading. Enrollment Limit: 15. Sem 1 RHET-111-01 MWF 1:30-2:20 Staff Special Topics in English Composition RHET-111-02 MWF 2:30-3:20 Staff Special Topics in English Composition RHET-111-03 TuTh 8:35-9:50 Staff Special Topics in English Composition RHET-116-01 TuTh 11-12:15 Mr. Podis and Mr. Saaka Literary Reflections of the British Empire and Commonwealth Sem 2 RHET-111-01 TuTh 8:35-9:50 Staff Special Topics in English Composition RHET-111-02 MWF 2:30-3:20 Staff Special Topics in English Composition RHET-112-01 MWF 1:30-2:20 Ms. Cooper Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Issues in Writing RHET-115-01 MW 3:30-4:20 Mr. Podis Entering Discourse Communities: Writing for College and Beyond   back to top Writing Courses for Students Beyond the First Year Rhetoric and Composition courses at the 200-level are intended for students beyond the first year who feel that their writing skills need improvement. Issues in disciplinary discourses and composing/revising for a range of writing tasks are emphasized through a class discussion and workshop format. 201. Writing in the Sciences 3 hours 3HU, WRi A course designed for students interested in developing their composing/revising skills for writing in natural science and mathematics disciplines or interpreting science topics for readers of general science issues. This course is not open to first-year students except by consent of the instructor. CR/NE grading. Enrollment Limit: 15. Sem 1 RHET-201-01 TuTh 3-4:15 Ms. Cooper 202. Advanced English Composition 3 hours 3HU, WRi A workshop designed for juniors and seniors in all fields who wish to develop their writing and rhetorical skills. Issues in contemporary cultural studies will form the topics of inquiry for the course; these may include identity politics, the challenges of representing or appropriating other cultures, and the difficulties of writing and communicating within diverse communities. Emphasis will be on composing, developing, and editing a range of writing tasks. CR/NE grading. Enrollment Limit: 15. Sem 2 RHET-202-01 TuTh 1:30-2:45 Ms. McMillin   back to top Other Courses of Interest to Student Writers 107. Practicum in Journalism 1 or 2 hours 1 or 2HU This course is open only to students who will be working for an approved journalistic publication on campus during the fall or spring semesters. Interested students should consult with the instructor or with the editor of the respective publication. Students can earn a maximum of 4 hours credit toward graduation (a maximum of 6 hours credit for editors). CR/NE grading. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Enrollment Limit: 90. Sem 1 RHET-107-01 To be arranged Ms. Cooper Sem 2 RHET-107-01 To be arranged Ms. McMillin 481. Teaching and Tutoring Writing Across the Disciplines 3 hours 3HU, WRi A course in which students will tutor at the writing desk in the library or assist one of the writing-intensive courses offered in various disciplines while studying composition theory and pedagogy. In the process of learning how to help educate others, students work toward a fuller understanding of their own educational experiences, particularly in writing. Juniors or seniors who write well, regardless of major, are encouraged to apply in King 139. Identical to ENGL 399. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 12. Sem 1 RHET-481-01 TuTh 3-4:15 Mr. Podis Sem 2 RHET-481-01 TuTh 3-4:15 Mr. Podis 995. Private Reading 1-3 hours 1-3HU Consent of instructor required. back to top The following are Writing Certification courses offered in various disciplines during 2001-2002. This list is as complete as possible at the time of publication. For more current information students should check the primary course listings in specific departments or ask the instructor. African American Studies 131 Traditional African Cosmology 181 Education in the Black Community 203 African History from Earliest times to the 19th Century 204 African History 208 Slavery and Freedom in the Western Hemisphere 209 Society and Politics in the Modern Caribbean 219 The Freedom Movement: Civil Rights and Black Power 235 Government and Politics of Africa 244 Modern African Literature 321 Black Feminist Thought: An Historical Perspective 336 Pan-Africanism Political Perspective 343 Langston Hughes and the Black Aesthetic 346 Contemporary African American Literature: 1960 ­ Present 385 Black Pedagogy 450 Senior Seminar 500 Junior Honors Project 501, 502 Senior Honors First Year Colloguium 118 Ritual and Performance I: The world according to the Yoruba and their descendants in the New World First and Second Year Colloquium 120 The Caribbean and the Wider World Anthropology 110 The Idea of the Folk in American Culture History 288 Immigrant America: Then and Now 353 Culture Theory 408 Seminar on Current Issue in Anthropology: Museums, Ethics, Postmodernism Art 131 Traditional African Cosmology 222 Greek and Roman Sculpture 267 Art since 1960 268 Roots of Modernism: The Avant-Garde in Fin-de-Siecle France 361 Modern Seminar: The Femme Fatale and Other Forms of Female Identity in Twentieth-Century Film Biology 013 Colloquium: Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Biology, History, and Misery 205 Community Ecology 302 Developmental Biology 326 Vascular Plant Systematics 411 Seminar: Conservation Biology 414 Seminar: Reporting in the Biological Sciences Chemistry 163 Origins and Treatment of Cancer Classics 100 Myth and Hero in the Greek Epic 206 Greek and Roman Drama in Translation 210 Greek and Roman Mythology Comparative Literature 265 Anglophone Literatures of the Third World 329 Literature and the Land: Writing Nature in Russia and America Creative Writing 201 Poetry/Prose Workshop 310 Poetry Workshop 320 Fiction Workshop 330 Playwriting Workshop 380, 381 Intermediate Writing Projects 480, 481 Advanced Writing Projects East Asian Studies JAPN 116 Traditional Japanese Literature in Translation EAST 121 Chinese Civilization EAST 122 Modern China EAST 131 Traditional Japan to 1868 EAST 132 Modern Japan, 1868 to Present Economics 209 Economic Development 219 Labor-Management Relations 224 Law and Economics 317 Industrial Organization 342 Monetary Theory 441 Seminar: Economics of Labor and Welfare Policy 491 Honors Program English 201 Chaucer 207 Sixteenth- and Seventeeth-Century Poetry 212 Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Literature 216 Studies in Shakespeare 220 Romantic Literature 228 Modern British and Irish Fiction 230 Reading and Writing Poetry 239 History and Structure of the English Language 255 In Search of America: Early American Writing in the Information Age 257 The Re-making of "America" and "Americans": American Literature at the Turn into the Twentieth Century 261 Humor and Twentieth-Century African-American Literature 265 Anglophone Literatures of the Third World 272 American Cinema: The Possibilities of Art in the Entertainment Business 282 Survey of Drama 283 Modern Irish Drama 302 Studies in Medieval Literature 304 Shakespeare and the Forms of Tragedy 315 Eighteenth-Century Fiction 317 Nineteenth-Century Novel 327 Modern Drama: Ibsen to Pirandello 332 Modern Poetry II: Imagism to Postmodernism 336 Shakespeare and His Contemporaries 353 American Literature: 1825-1865 360 Representing Blackness, Whiteness, and Citizenship in American Fiction 366 Nature and Transcendentalism 372 Contemporary Literary Theory in American Culture 376 Screening Spirituality 386 Narrating the Nation: Historical and Literary Approaches to Nationalism 391 George Eliot and Virginia Woolf 393 James Joyce 395 Poetry Workshop 396 Non-Fiction Workshop 397 Fiction Workshop 398 Playwriting 400 Seminar: Literary Sympathies and Social Consciousness 405 Seminar: Philosophical Issues in Shakespeare 406 Seminar: Post-Colonial Criticism: Theory & Practice 433 Special Topic: Imagining History 434 Seminar: Africana Literary Theory and Theorizing 435 Seminar: Nature Writing in America 449 Senior Project 453 Honors Project 455 Honors Project 924 Culture and Politics in Modern Britain 925 British Theater History I. Introductory Courses 105 Chinese Civilization 106 Modern China 107 Russian History I 108 Russian History II 131 Jewish History From Biblical Antiquity to 1492 132 Jewish History From Spanish Expulsion to the Present 159 Traditional Japan to 1868 160 Modern Japan, 1868 to Present II. Colloquia for First- and Second-Year Students 117 National Schizophrenia in Japan and Sub-Saharan Africa 148 The Collision of Cultures in North America, ca. 1500-1700 III. Topical Courses Topical Courses in European History 201 History of Science from Antiquity through the Scientific Revolution 233 Jewish Memoirs and Memory: Writing The Self In Jewish Society 234 Good & Evil: Decision-Making in the Holocaust Topical Courses in American History 252 American Environmental History 253 Recent America: The United States Since World War II 254 Radical Tradition 260 Asian American History 263 The American Civil War and Reconstruction 264 Aliens and Citizens 265 American Sexualities 270 Latina/Latino Survey Topical Courses in Latin American History 294 The United States and Latin America IV. Colloquia European History Colloquia 316 Cultural Reactions to Modernization American History Colloquia 323 Liberty and Power, Democracy and Slavery in Jacksonian America 328 American Mixed Blood Asian History Colloquia 344 Colloquium: Gender, Marriage, and Family in China Methodology Colloquia 367 Narrating the Nation: Historical and Literary Approaches to Nationalism V. Research Seminars 451 Japan in the Post-World War II International Arena   First and Second Year Colloquia 117 National Schizophrenia in Japan and Sub-Sajaran Africa 1945-present: Tradition, Modernity and the Modern Novelist Jewish Studies 131 Jewish History from Biblical Antiquity to 1492 132 Jewish History from the Spanish Expulsion to the Present 233 Jewish Memoirs and Memory: Writing the Self in Jewish Society 234 Good & Evil: Decision-Making in the Holocaust Philosophy 105 Philosophy and Values 109 Morality, Meaningful Life, Problematic Self 206 Theory of Knowledge 208 Metaphysics 210 Existentialism 245 Nineteenth-Century Philosophy 348 Seminar: Naturalism, Rationality, and Morality Politics 103 Political Change in America 110 Revolution, Socialism and Reform in China 131 Problems of Political Theory 132 Colliquium: Explaining Social Power: Classical and Contemporary Theories 202 American Constitutional Law 212 The Political Economy of Development in Asia 216 The Political Economy of Advanced Capitalism 218 Marxist Analysis of Society and Politics 305 Seminar: The Presidency 310 Topics in Comparative Politics 313 Seminar: Socialist Reform and Crisis in China Psychology 205 Psychology of Close Relationships 216 Developmental Psychology 302 Developmental Psychology Laboratory 303 Laboratory in Cognitive Psychology 410 Seminar in Sociocultural Psychology 420 Seminar: Explorations in Cognitive Neuropsychology 500 Teaching Assistant Religion 103 Introduction to Religion: Material Religion 208 The New Testament and Christian Origins 250 Medieval Jewish Thought and Culture 251 Judaism in the Modern Period: Tradition and Crisis 258 Introduction to the Talmud: Argument and Interpretation 334 Seminar: Mysticism in Christianity 338 Seminar: Selected Topics in Early Judaism and Christianity 343 Seminar: Selected Topics in Modern and Contemporary Religious Thought 365 Seminar: Selected Topics in Women and Religion 384 Seminar: Selected Topics in African American Religious History: The Black Theology Movement 401 Senior Honors Russian 321 Tolstoy and Dostoevsky 326 Literature of Dissent from Stalin to the Present 329 Literature and the Land: Writing Nature in Russia and America 330 Russian Theater: Imperial to Improvisational Sociology 123 Deviance, Discord, and Dismay 124 Classics of Sociology 211 Social Research Methods 233 Gender, Social Change, and Social Movements 271 Sociology of Law and Legal Institutions 273 Criminology, Delinquency, and Legal Policy 282 Classical and Contemporary Sociological Theory 330 Global Feminisms 446 Seminar on the City, Environmental and Social Policy Theater and Dance 118 Ritual and Performance I 150 Dance History: Cross-Cultural Approaches to Dance 203 Physical Mindfulness: Embodying Contemplative Practice 250 Dance History: Dance in the 20th Century 332 Continuing Contact Women's Studies WOST 100 Introduction to Women's Studies WOST 233 Gender, Social Change, and Social Movements WOST 330 Global Feminisms ARTS 268 Roots of Modernism: The Avant-Garde in Fin-de-Siecle ARTS 361 Modern Seminar: The Femme Fatale and Other Forms of Female Identity in Twentieth-Century Film ENGL 391 George Eliot and Virginia Woolf HIST 265 American Sexualities HIST 270 Latina/Latino Survey HIST 344 Colloquium: Gender, Marriage, and Family in China RELG 365 Seminar: Selected Topics in Women and Religion   The following are Writing Intensive courses offered in various disciplines during 2001-2002. Creative Writing 340 Nonfiction Workshop East Asian Studies JAPN 320 The Avante-Garde in Japanese Literature English 119 Media and Memory 121 To Be Announced 124 The Sense of Time and Place 125 Shakespeare and History 131 Forms of Dialogue 134 Novels of Development 142 Fictions of Authority 146 Art and Authenticity: Reading U.S. Minority Literatures 148 Pedagogies of Empire 155 W.B. Yeats and the Irish Renaissance 177 Ways of Seeing, Ways of Knowing 181 Middle Passage and Migration in the African-American Imagination 188 To Be Announced 399 Teaching and Tutoring Writing Across the Disciplines History Colloquia for First- and Second-Year Students 112 The Bourgeoisie and the Making of Modern Europe 119 The 1960s 141 The Gilded Age 145 Water in American History 149 Approaches to World History Colloquia European History Colloquia 308 Heresy and Orthodoxy in Medieval Europe American History Colloquia 327 Borderlands 331 Colloquium in Asian American History 338 Colloquium in U.S. Urban Environmental History Research Seminars 407 Research Seminar: European Cultural and Intellectual History First and Second Year Colloquia 112 The Bourgeoisie and the Making of Modern Europe 119 The 1960s 141 The Gilded Age 145 Water in American History 148 The Collision of Cultures in North America, ca. 1500-1700 149 Approaches to World History Jewish Studies 353 Moses Maimonides: Philosophy & Law Neuroscience 332 Neuroendocrine Research Methods Psychology 303 Laboratory in Cognitive Psychology Religion RELG 117 The Sacred and the Other RELG 339 Seminar: Religion, War, and Peace JWST 353 Seminar: Moses Maimonides: Philosophy and Law RELG 371 Seminar: Islam and Modern Social Change Rhetoric and Composition 100 Basic Writing 111-119 Colloquia in English Composition for First- and Second-Year Students 201 Writing in the Sciences 202 Advanced English Composition 481 Teaching and Tutoring Writing Across the Disciplines Sociology 406 Seminar: Gender and the State in the Middle East Women's Studies 300 Feminist Research Methodologies 402 Seminar: Visible Bodies and the Politics of Sexuality 405 Seminar: Gender and the State in   back to top