Oakland University Writing and Rhetoric Major

Oakland University Writing and Rhetoric Major

Greg A. Giberson, Lori Ostergaard, and Marshall Kitchens

The founding document of the writing major at Oakland University is our full proposal. While a version of it had existed for several years and had been circulated and rejected by various committees, this final version built a new program almost from scratch. It remains an important document for our young department as we continue to revise, update, and hopefully improve our program, as it serves as a reminder our original vision and goals.

Also important to the sustainability of our program is our video introduction to the Department of Writing and Rhetoric and the writing major at Oakland University; it is part of a broader promotional effort for both. After a couple years of rapid growth after first offering the major, the program experienced a dramatic reduction in declared majors, and we have since been looking for ways to reverse that trend. Instructors in all writing and rhetoric courses are encouraged to show the video during the first week of classes and encourage students who might be interested in learning more about the major to contact the department adviser. It is also an important component of our department homepage.

Download the Proposal for Major in Writing and Rhetoric

Watch the Video Introduction