The Wabash College Speech Department has officially changed its name to Rhetoric after ten years of preparation. The transition began in the summer of 1995 when President Andrew Ford directed the department to build upon its strong history to strengthen and develop a modern rhetorically-based curriculum.
Between 1996 and 2002 the department proposed seven new courses which include: Reasoning and Advocacy, Contemporary Rhetorical Theory and Criticism, Legal Debate, Political Debate, Legal Rhetoric, Gender and Communication, and the Senior Seminar. All courses were approved and implemented into the department.
"We were asked to no longer to dabble on the social scientific paradigm but to focus of the qualitative humanistic paradigm." Prof. Timmerman said. "So we are much closer to what one would do as an English major or Psychology major or Economics major."
Rhetoric, which is one of the seven original liberal arts dating back to ancient Greece more accurately reflects the academic rigor and fields of interest of the department. Rhetoric provides a historical connection to the liberal arts and a natural fit to the Wabash curriculum. The name change reflects the curriculum the department has been teaching for the past ten years while strengthening the disciplinary identity of the program.
"This is the best, most accurate way to describe what we do here in the department," Prof. Todd McDorman said. "Speech did not match the content of the courses. The change to Rhetoric is a way to make sure the name of the department reflects what we study. When we say Rhetoric, we mean our department focuses on the analysis of discourse. We are interested in the way words and symbols create meaning, and to study Rhetoric means to learn the responsibilities of being and ethical advocate, to learn how to be an ethical actor, and also to learn methods or means of critiquing types of communication."
The primary focus of the department has been and will continue to on public speaking. In fact, this year we’re offering more sections of public speaking (Spe/Rhe 101) than at any point over the past decade, which is a good thing as more than two-thirds of Wabash students take a public speaking course during their college career.
The department name change will not affect current Speech majors and/or minors because the curriculum changes were made before any current Wabash student has attended the college.
"None of the requirements will change at all," Professor Timmerman said. "The names of the courses will change but the content is remaining exactly the same. From a student level, the name changes but the experience stays the same"
"Changing the department name illustrates the wide range of Rhetoric major’s and minor’s studies, Rhetoric minor Jake Lundorf ’07 said. " We have never been merely classes about speaking."
The Rhetoric department will continue to sponsor the Parliamentary Union and are committed to civil dialogue and debate on campus. The Department is located in the Fine Arts Center.
Sexton is a Wabash College junior and English major.