The Rhetoric Studio

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I do in the Rhetoric Studio?
We invite you to visit the Rhetoric Studio to work with our consultants at any stage of your paper or project. For example, you can brainstorm topics and ideas; conduct research; hone your thesis statement; outline a project, speech, or essay; draft and revise; create print and digital documents or visual aids; rehearse and record presentations or creative projects; interview and record oral histories; practice interviewing skills; and more!

Do I Need an Appointment?
We ask that individuals sign up online for consultations in advance or via one of our many QR codes posted throughout campus. Once you have made an appointment, you will receive an email before your meeting with a link to a Microsoft Teams video conference.

What Should I Bring?
Please have a copy of your assignment and any notes you have about the project. Also collect any work in progress, such as your research notes, rough drafts or outlines, data you’ve collected, ideas for visuals, etc. Finally make sure to upload a copy of the assignment details when you make an appointment. 

What about the Honor Code?
It is not a violation of the Honor Code to work with consultants in the Rhetoric Studio! In fact, professors in various departments at the College often recommend that their students seek such assistance for written, oral, digital, and multi-modal projects. After your session, consultants will provide written feedback to you that you may share with your professors to indicate that you visited the Rhetoric Studio for assistance.

How can I use the Rhetoric Studio in my classes and co-curricular projects?

Our Proposed Model

1. Require or encourage students to come to the Rhetoric Studio—early and often—to work on class or co-curricular projects. Sending us a copy of your assignment helps our consultants better assist your students.
2. Collaborate with a Faculty Consultant to design and implement an assignment or project in your curriculum.
3. Participate in Faculty Professional Development Workshops to explore the possibilities for creative, multimodal communication projects. We offer numerous workshops during the academic year.
4. Think about new assignments and technology that you would like to integrate into your cirrculum. 
5. Schedule workshops for your students to give them the skills needed to complete your communication project. A faculty or student consultant will facilitate workshops in the Rhetoric Studio, preferably, or in your classroom if you prefer. We offer workshops in topics related to writing, presentational speaking, and digital/multimodal rhetoric.
   1. Developing and Refining a Topic
   2. Creating an Annotated Bibliography
   3. Participating in or Leading Class Discussion
   4. Recording and Editing Audio 
   5. Podcasting
   6. Responsive Web Design 
   7. Dataviz with ArcGIS
   8. Integrating Visuals in Essays and Presentations
   9. Designing Research Posters
   10. Designing and Creating Infographics
   11. Speaking with Confidence
   12. Conducting an Interview
   13. Developing and Presenting a Grant Proposal, Elevator Speech, Research Brief