Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Topics Rhet&Wrng: Place&Space (Face-to-Face)

ENGL 4160-01

Course: ENGL 4160-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: ENGL
CRN: 32278

Course Description

Places/spaces are fundamentally rhetorical. The goal for this class is to explore the communicative aspects of place and space and to investigate how place and space affect our shared practices and sense of identity. A seminar-style class, we will engage with historical and theoretical readings via student-led discussion, favoring depth to coverage. We will also engage with a variety of methods and methodologies for doing historical and rhetorical work connected with place and space.

Required Texts

  • Assigned Readings (posted on Canvas)

Learning Outcomes

  • engage deeply with historical and theoretical readings surrounding the rhetoric of space/place
  • become familiar with approaches to rhetorical history and criticism and to apply those methods to your own production and/or interpretation of various texts.
  • connect historical development of rhetoric with the shared practices and identities of place/space
  • hone academic communication skill & demonstrate critical, rhetorical awareness of language use.
  • become a more skilled practitioner of rhetoric—in the words of Quintilian, a good person speaking and writing well.

Course Requirements

Structure

This course, designed for English and humanities majors, will (1) give students an overview of the dominant theories of spatial rhetoric (2) provide critical and methodological apparatus for interrogating those theories.

Through a formal research proposal, a substantial annotated bibliography, a mock conference presentation, and leading discussions, students engage with a variety of academic genres while building over the semester to a term-length project on their topic of interest within the scope of the course. In this way, the course meets the outcomes/objectives specified above.

Requirements

To pass this course you must complete all the major assignments, fulfill all the weekly assignments, and submit all the writing assignments on time. You are expected to attend all class meetings and to participate in draft workshops, in-class exercises, and classroom discussions. All proposals, drafts, papers, and revisions must be handed in on time; failure to turn in a proposal on time, or to appear at a draft workshop without a draft is equivalent to turning in an assignment late (i.e., normally a penalty of one grade per late day).

Grade Breakdown
  • Reading Responses (10%)
  • Discussion Leader (with handout) 10%
  • Dissonance Paper 10%
  • Article Reviews of at least six sources 10%
  • Conference-length Paper with abstract (8-10 pages/250 word abstract) 40%
  • Final Presentation 10%
  • Participation 10%
Calculating Grades

Grades will be determined on a percentage basis. Major assignments will be graded on the standard letter-grade scale with plusses and minuses. Your overall grade and project grades are based on the following percentages:

A = 100 – 94 %A- = 93 – 90 %B+ = 89 – 88 %B = 87 – 83 %B- = 82 – 80 %
C+ = 79 – 78 %C = 77 – 72 %C- = 71 – 70 %D+ = 69 – 68 %D = 67 – 62 %
D- = 61 – 60 %F = 0 %

Course Outline

English 4160 Class Calendar

This calendar is subject to change, based on the needs of the class. Items listed on the calendar are due at the beginning of class. For example, everything listed as “due” on Sept 9 is due at the beginning of class on Sept 9.

Module Content may vary from the title provided here in this calendar

DateClass DiscussionAssignments Due
Week 1 | Thur | Aug 28Course introduction
Week 2 | Tue | Sept 2Rhetoric of place and space
Week 2 | Thur | Sept 4Place narrativeDue: Reading Response 1
Week 3 | Tue | Sept 9
Week 3 | Thur | Sept 11Places of Public Memory
Week 4 | Tue | Sept 16Excursion to Frontier Museum
Week 4 | Thur | Sept 18Discussion Leader Public Memory (Dickinson, Blair, Ott & selected readings)Due: Reading Response 2 Public Memory
Week 5 | Tue | Sept 23Public Memory Discussion
Week 5 | Thur | Sept 25Discussion Leader Rhetoric of Landscape (LONGINUS/DAVID Clark/ Terry Tempest Williams)
Week 6 | Tue | Sept 30Excursion to outdoor space
Week 6 | Thur | Oct 2Discussion Leader
Landscape (Selected readings)
Due: Reading Response 3 Landscape
Week 7 | Tue | Oct 7Public Gathering space
Week 7 | Thur | Oct 9Discussion Leader
Private Spaces (Astell / Woolfe /Enoch)
Due: Reading Response 5
Week 8 | Tue | Oct 14Fall BreakNo Class
Week 8 | Thur | Oct 16(Alyson Phoenix, Dorothy Leigh/Sarah Winnemucca)Due: Reading Response 6
Week 9 | Tue | Oct 21No ClassStudent Meetings re: final paper
Week 9 | Thur | Oct 23Archival SpacesDue: Reading Response 7
Week 10 | Tue | Oct 28Visits to Special CollectionsDue: Dissonance Paper (with citations of at least six articles)
Week 10 | Thur | Oct 30Excursion to public spaceDue: Reading Response 8
Week 11 | Tue | Nov 4Discussion Leader
Private Spaces (Astell / Woolfe /Enoch
Due: Article Reviews of at least six articles
Week 11 | Thur | Nov 6Discussion Leader
Displacement
Due Reading Response 9
Week 12 | Tue | Nov 11Research & Writing Day
Week 12 | Thur | Nov 13Group work / RevisionDraft of project due
Week 13 | Tue | Nov 18
Week 13 | Thur | Nov 20Writing AbstractsPeer Reviews
Week 14 | Tue | Nov 25Thanksgiving BreakNo class
Week 14 | Thurs | Nov 27Thanksgiving BreadNo class
Week 15 | Tue | Dec 2Class Presentations
Week 15 | Thurs | Dec 4Class Presentations
Final Exam week | Thur | Dec8-11 finalsDue: Final Project

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Late Work

All proposals, drafts, papers, and revisions must be handed in on time; failure to turn in a proposal on time, or to appear at a draft workshop without a draft is equivalent to turning in an assignment late (i.e., normally a penalty of one grade per late day).

Rude and Disruptive Behavior

Rude and disruptive behavior will not be tolerated in this class. Southern Utah University students are governed by the Student Responsibilities and Rights section of University Policy (5.46). All students are expected to demonstrate “conduct that respects the rights and interest of others in common endeavor...Students who violate expected standards of conduct will be subject to disciplinary action.” Inappropriate use of electronic devices during class time constitutes rude and disruptive behavior.

Attendance Policy

We will be working together often, and your comments often help your peers. I cannot give you participation points for the activities that we complete in class, which are frequent and unannounced. If you miss more than four class periods, your grade will be substantially lowered.

Course Fees

No additional fees are required

Writing center

The SUU Undergraduate Writing Center invites all students to the Writing Center in Braithwaite Center 101 where qualified peer tutors are ready to help with any stage of the writing process. Fall hours start September 2: M-Th 8 am–9 pm, F 8 am–5 pm, and Saturday 11 am–3 pm. All appointments are free, and in-person, online, and written feedback appointments are available. To schedule, visit our website at

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.