The Art of Persuasion: Rhetoric Major Approved

Kristina Wilkerson, Staff Writer

Eliza Dieck, Opinions Editor

Sewanee students may officially choose to major in rhetoric starting in the Advent 2025 semester. Dr. Sean Patrick O’Rourke, Dr. Melody Lehn, Dr. Jamie Capuzza, and Dr. Terry Papillon persuaded the Curriculum and Academic Policy Committee (CAPC) to approve the rhetoric major proposal. On Tuesday, February 18, 2025 the proposal went to a vote among the Sewanee faculty and won by a commanding majority of 74 to 16 votes.

Students are thrilled about the new major. Jack Slade (C ‘26) showed his interest in majoring in rhetoric because “it has strengthened my argumentation, public speaking, and writing skills. As someone who is aspiring to get into the broadcasting industry, it was important to find a degree that can merge communication and the arts.” 

After taking Lehn’s Voices of American Women and O’Rourke’s Public Speaking classes, Mary Webster Burke (C ‘26) decided to major in the field. “These two classes showed me the two sides of rhetoric, public speaking and analyzing public speeches, and I instantly fell in love with both. I also loved RHET 201 because it led me to truly value this liberal arts education that we receive at Sewanee.”

The Sewanee Purple interviewed O’Rourke, the Rhetoric Department Chair, about the approval process and the future of rhetoric at Sewanee.

Why is Sewanee adding rhetoric as a major now instead of earlier? What changed? 

“We wanted to work slowly and carefully. We first built the Center for Speaking and Listening and all of the programs (courses, training, etc.,) needed to make that work well. We then proposed new upper-division courses and, when students enrolled in very healthy numbers, proposed the Rhetoric minor, which the faculty voted in favor of in the spring of 2021. When the minor grew and students began to ask about a major, we put together that proposal, which the faculty just passed.

All of this began before I arrived at Sewanee. In 2013-14 the Sewanee faculty recognized the need for courses and other programs in speaking and listening. The rhetoric major is, in many ways, the culmination of our colleagues’ recognition that rhetoric remains an important liberal art, perhaps more important now than ever before.”

What has your involvement in this process been like? 

“Dr. Lehn and I worked very hard on the major proposal–it was 32 single-spaced pages–but even that experience was enjoyable. Here at Sewanee I have had the very good fortune of working with terrific faculty colleagues who are amazing teachers/scholars, as well as talented, passionate, smart students. I have yet to teach a class here that has failed to be a joyful, rewarding experience.”

As far as you know, is there interest amongst students in the major? 

“The Class of 2022 saw five minors graduate and the Class of 2023 increased to seven. The graduated Class of 2024 saw nine students move beyond the gates with a rhetoric minor. Those minor alumni have gone on to pursue careers and vocations in education, communication, media, advocacy, and graduate study in theology, business, and public policy. Our list of current minors reflects the growing interest in the study of rhetoric at Sewanee. The Class of 2025 has fifteen students declared, of which 8 have indicated a desire to declare a rhetoric major. The Class of 2026 has nine students declared, and the Class of 2027 presently has three students declared (with others in progress).

With the existing demand for a rhetoric major, two students—Jenna Miller (C ’25) and Sloan Rogers (C ’25)—have worked closely with Profs. Sean O’Rourke, Melody Lehn, Sid Simpson [in the politics department], and Eric Thurman [in the religious studies department] to create their own, distinct student-initiated major programs of study in rhetoric since our proposed major, if passed, would in all likelihood not take effect in time for their graduation. The two proposals successfully passed the Curriculum and Academic Policy Committee on February 21, 2024 and the College faculty on March 26, 2024.”

What classes would be required for the rhetoric major? 

“Students pursuing the rhetoric major will all be required to take RHET 101 Public Speaking, RHET 201 Introduction to Rhetoric, RHET 301 Junior Seminar in Rhetoric, and RHET 401 Senior Seminar in Rhetoric. Students will also be required to successfully complete five elective courses, four of which must be at the 300- or 400-level.”

Do you think rhetoric as a major is needed more in today’s society? 

“In an age of such bitter divisions, our ability to communicate well is threatened as never before. Rhetoric, while no panacea, offers students much of what they will need: a scaffolded program of study that can help them negotiate the tricky and sometimes terrifying domain they will confront in this century. When they study rhetoric, they learn to investigate complex controversies and disputes; evaluate evidence and proof; construct cases for improved policies and proposals; advocate for workable and feasible solutions; listen carefully and critically to the ideas of others; and make considered, discerning, fair, and ethical judgments. Moreover, rhetoric helps develop other habits crucial to good citizenship, including (but not limited to) invigorating and stimulating intellectual curiosity; thinking effectively; deepening moral awareness and creativity; developing expressive capabilities in speaking and listening, of course, but also in reading and writing; integrating knowledge into meaningful syntheses and purposeful action; and cultivating a lived commitment to civic engagement.” 

How has your experience in teaching rhetoric made you realize where students are lacking in their speech? Or their biggest weaknesses? 

“Over the last few years, we have noticed that more and more students have had no experience reading, following, researching, and building a good case. Content is our chief focus, though of course, we do not ignore organization, style, delivery, or audience adaptation.”

Do you believe the U.S. has adequate rhetoric professors or does the subject matter need to be further implemented? 

“There are many schools–Berkeley, Penn State, and Iowa come to mind–that have rhetoric departments, and the discipline is currently healthy. Additionally, our peer institutions within the Associated Colleges of the South and several of our peer or aspirant institutions, outside of the ACS, offer majors, minors, tracks, and coursework in rhetoric. Now is a good time for liberal arts colleges to introduce programs where there are none.”