Students conduct original research on a topic related to writing, discourse, and identity, beginning with exploratory questions and culminating in a 1700-word research paper. The project includes wide reading, database research, annotated citations, and two self-conducted interviews. Students are expected to integrate multiple perspectives, including their own, and contribute meaningfully to ongoing academic discourse.
Students complete a multi-stage research project on a writing-related issue of their choosing inspired by course readings.
In this multi-step assignment, students select a topic and write an informative research paper about an approved topic of significance to their audience (peers comprised of business majors and software engineering majors). Phases of the project include: a formal topic proposal, an annotated bibliography, a progress report, and the research paper.
Students write an analytical essay on a seventeenth-century still life painting, applying insights from class discussions and Charlotte Houghton’s article. The essay explores how a contemporary viewer of the time might interpret the painting, identifying symbolic elements and their social significance. Students are also asked to reflect on the nature of still life as a genre and propose a modern reinterpretation for a twenty-first-century audience.
This workbook-based assignment engages students in the practice of philosophy through a series of detailed, reflective, and analytical problems. Students construct and critique arguments on ethical issues such as physician-assisted suicide, affirmative action, and cloning, using philosophical frameworks like Utilitarianism, Kantianism, and Rawlsian theory.
Students write an essay responding to a question about the distinction between pre- and post-1848 art, using examples from class to explain what defines “modern” art. The essay explores how modern artists approached subject matter, technique, and medium differently from earlier artists, particularly in their representation of contemporary life and the concept of modernity. Students are encouraged to reflect on how these shifts mark a turning point in art history.
Students write a tailored cover letter in response to a real job or internship posting, aligning their skills, experiences, and values with the position’s requirements. The assignment includes drafting, participating in a peer workshop with a guest speaker, receiving instructor feedback, and submitting a revised final version. Emphasis is placed on clarity, professionalism, and customization for each application.