Promoting Civic Discourse in a Polarizing World

FAIN: AKB-265731-19

Susquehanna University (Selinsgrove, PA 17870-1164)
Betsy Verhoeven (Project Director: October 2018 to present)
Nicholas J. Clark (Co Project Director: March 2019 to present)
Emma Fleck (Co Project Director: March 2019 to present)

A two-year curriculum development project that would create two interdisciplinary courses integrating rhetoric, political science, and marketing.

Susquehanna University proposes to launch "Promoting Civic Discourse in a Polarized World" as part of the National Endowment for the Humanities’ (NEH) Humanities Connections program. This implementation project brings together Professors Betsy Verhoeven (Humanities: Rhetoric and Composition, a subdivision of English), Nicholas Clark (Political Science), and Emma Fleck (Marketing and Communications) to develop a cohort of two linked and team-taught courses enrolling approximately 100 students. Both courses share a project-based lab experience, which will feature student-led projects from both classes, designed to promote civic and respectful discourse to the broader public. These projects and curriculum materials will be disseminated via a public-facing website. In addition, an estimated 50 faculty members from Susquehanna (as well as other local schools) will participate in faculty development workshops that promote the pedagogical model and content of the project.

Associated Products

Rhetoric and Democracy (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Rhetoric and Democracy
Author: Betsy Verhoeven
Author: Emma Fleck
Author: Nick Clark
Abstract: The course serves as a bridge between theories of Rhetoric, Marketing and Democracy with empirical research on the relationship between political elites and mass behavior. The course will begin by defining rhetoric, considering different types of and devices for using rhetoric and learning the fundamentals of rhetorical analysis, whereby students will learn to identify the specific rhetorical strategies employed within democracy and the wider media.  In addition, this class will examine the ethics of rhetoric in marketing, including questions of who is included and excluded from messaging and considering the best rules for rhetorical participation to maintain open communication. This will studies using a range of contexts to include society, democracy and the economy.
Year: 2019
Primary URL: will be available on website: https://www.susqu.edu/academics/national-endowment-for-the-humanities/neh-faculty-resources
Primary URL Description: Website offering faculty resources.
Audience: Undergraduate

National Endowment for the Humanities: Promoting Civil Discourse in a Polarizing World (Web Resource)
Title: National Endowment for the Humanities: Promoting Civil Discourse in a Polarizing World
Author: Emma Fleck
Author: Amanda Bannon
Author: Betsy Verhoeven
Author: Nick Clark
Abstract: Website that publicizes the project and its support by NEH; publicizes workshops and serves as an interface for sign-up; shares student projects, faculty syllabi and other teaching resources.
Year: 2019
Primary URL: https://www.susqu.edu/academics/national-endowment-for-the-humanities

Town-Gown Open Forum (Public Lecture or Presentation)
Title: Town-Gown Open Forum
Abstract: The university president, the university grants manager, and the university CFO, the borough council leader, and several local business leaders met for a panel that was open to students, faculty, staff, and borough residents. The panel led to discussion of ways the town and the university support each other as well as ways they could collaborate in the near future.
Author: Malcolm Derek
Author: Nick Clark
Date: 10/09/2019
Location: Degenstein Student Center, Susquehanna University

Syllabus (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Syllabus
Author: Fleck, Emma
Author: Verhoeven, Betsy
Author: Clark, Nick
Abstract: This is the syllabus for a general education course that studied national polarization and taught strategies for depolarizing national discourse. The class draws from the fields of political science, marketing, and rhetoric.
Year: 2020
Audience: Undergraduate

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