Rhetoric is at the crux of effective communication. Strong arguments, solid logic, and persuasive vocabulary are building blocks in any successful career. To be accomplished is to speak, write, and debate well.

Why study rhetoric at Sewanee?

At Sewanee, we value eloquence. When our graduates leave the Mountain, they're well-written and well-spoken. Along with our various rhetoric classes in argumentation and debate, Sewanee also provides a center for speaking and listening. Using state-of-the-art equipment, the center schedules appointments in order to facilitate the review and rehearsal of student speeches. Demonstrations are recorded, so you'll be able to watch your presentations with trained faculty and staff. Rhetoric is a process—an ancient art that, as its best practitioners understand, takes a lifetime to master. We're here to help you highlight your strengths, smooth out your weaknesses, and ace your next presentation. 

A Sampling of Courses

Public Speaking
Rhetoric

Study of the principles, precepts, and strategies of informative, persuasive, and ceremonial speaking. Emphasis is placed on assessing the rhetorical situation and researching, composing, practicing, and delivering a speech. Ethical, political, and social questions raised by speaking in public are considered. Students deliver speeches, practice effective listening, and serve as speech critics and interlocutors.

RHET 101
Introduction to Rhetoric
Rhetoric

Topical survey of the major questions and controversies in rhetorical theory, criticism, and practice, including rhetorical situations, classical canons of rhetoric, the role of rhetoric in civic life, and the relationship of rhetoric to power, politics, law, education, and ethics. Students consider the rights and responsibilities of speakers and critics. Accordingly, readings include selections from a wide array of rhetorical theorists and critics as well as a diverse and open canon of orators and speakers.

RHET 201
U.S. Public Address II: 1865-Present
Rhetoric

History and criticism of American speeches and rhetorical texts. The course examines a broad range of historical and rhetorical factors that influenced the creation and reception of speeches from the Civil War to the present, focusing not only on the political, religious, legal, and social exigencies to which speeches responded but also on the place of those rhetorical texts in U.S. public controversies.

RHET 312

Contact

Sean Patrick O'Rourke
Professor of Rhetoric and American Studies and Director of the Center for Speaking and Listening

sporourk@sewanee.edu

Gailor Hall 122, Ext. 1252

Melody Lehn
Assistant Professor of Rhetoric and Women’s and Gender Studies, Assistant Director of the Center for Speaking & Listening

mjlehn@sewanee.edu

Gailor Hall 214, Ext. 1291

Center for Speaking & Listening
Next stop: eloquence and poise

The Center for Speaking and Listening will be your new favorite resource on campus. Check out this quiet space, use state-of-the-art equipment, and meet tutors ready to watch your speech and give constructive feedback. Design, develop, and practice delivering effective, ethical speeches with eloquence and confidence.

Take a look
Politics
Government, policy, and everything in between

Students in this program are trained in the competing values and interests that guide politics. Topics in crude the nature of political change, characteristics of different governmental institutions, conflict resolution amongst states, and the politics of gender, race, & class. Majors take at least 11 courses & an upper-level seminar. There's even an internships program that grants stipends for students to take a variety of public affairs internships in local government as well as on Capitol Hill.

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Classical Studies
The archetype of liberal arts education

The roots of Greek and Latin and the power of their mythology helped propel Western civilization. Classics majors at Sewanee benefit from the study of Western civilization’s foundational languages and find that their influence extends to today’s world. From medical terminology and legal language to hard sciences and the English language itself, we are surrounded by the legacy of our intellectual ancestors.

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