Stephanie Vazquez 

Professor Weaver 

English 1102-312 

9 March 2022 

Major Project 3: Summary, Analysis, and Response Essay 

Summary 

Rice University is a private research university in Houston, Texas. The type of student that Rice University wants to see in their school is someone who values diversity, small classes, and who’s interested in building relationships and an unconventional top university. A student who is looking for a top school with high rankings, a close community, and looking for someplace to belong would be happy to attend here. The website made by Rice University uses two strategies to reel in students… knowing whom their Audience is and Imagining Ideal Readers.  

Analysis  

The rhetorical strategy that Rice University’s website mainly uses is Audience. This strategy is simple, the author must know who their audience is, whom they are writing for, and whom their message should be read by.  One of the first examples of this comes from the landing page. As the reader scrolls down there is a quick facts section. This section of the page is straightforward and lets us know facts about the university such as its rank in USA colleges and student to faculty ratio. “Top 20 in USA” “6:1 Student-to-Faculty Ratio” The university knows that most of the school website’s readers are soon-to-be students and students who are currently college searching (Rice, “Rice Facts”). The idea of having facts on the first page is not new and is used by many. A facts page means that the schools know that researching students will want to know about the college’s achievements.  

It isn’t until the reader goes on to the office of admissions page that it becomes even more persuasive. Keeping in mind the focus on the audience, the admissions page is catered for the students who are looking at applying for the school. There is one more fact page here that details an explanation of their “loan-free institution”. This is important because if they know that their audience will be students that are seeking a school that will help with financial aid, they will be drawn in by this statement. Rice University says, “It’s no secret that many students from middle-class families are increasingly taking on loans in order to afford private colleges and universities.” (Rice, “Office of Admission”) They are now appealing to the part of the audience that may be of a lower social class. Meaning that the school is trying to include every one of any social class. They continue saying, “As a loan-free institution, we invest in our students so they can graduate without the burden of student debt.” (Rice, “Office of Admission”) They are trying to reel in the students who may fear student debt. These strategies will work in answering the biggest questions students have about attending college which is ‘how am I going to pay for this?’ 

A second rhetorical strategy that is being used throughout the whole website is Imagining Ideal Readers. This is similar to the previous strategy ‘audience’ as they both focus on the reader and how they would be reacting to reading the material. The biggest point is that the author often asks the reader questions. The first thing the reader sees on the admissions page is “What if your next four years exceeded all expectations?” (Rice, “Office of Admission”) The school is depicting all these questions throughout the site. This is because the author is catering to that student who will be thinking about the questions asked. For example, another example of this happening is when they ask, “What if one of the top research universities didn’t act like all the other selective schools?” (Rice, “Office of Admission”) The student looking will start thinking maybe I do want to go to a top school that is unique in its approach to helping students. The author is using this strategy of asking questions to reel in that ideal reader. Another question they ask is, “What if a prestigious school looked for ways to open doors instead of close them” With this statement, we can deduce that they want students who seek out prestigious schools and who are invested in trying to help the students (Rice, “Office of Admission”). If a student reads that and thinks to themselves that this school might be offering what they are looking for, then this website did a good job in imagining the ideal reader of their university page.  

Response 

Rice University is a seemingly prestigious research university in the heart of Houston, Texas. This school has a lot of things I am looking for, diversity, and small classes are a big win. I do enjoy the idea of being in a city where there are a lot of fun activities to do. Whether the university stayed in Houston or moved to Atlanta I think the school would be a good choice. It is a well-respected institution with a variety of majors to choose from. Personally, if I were to choose a path as a scientist, I think this school would be a wonderful choice because of its research focus. Science is one of my interests, but I am mainly looking for schools that offer a variety of music degrees such as music technology or music therapy. This school does not offer those degrees but does offer a more classical approach to a music degree.  

Admission to the school is estimated to be around 17k after financial aid. (Rice “Cost of Attendance”) However if money was not a problem, I think Rice university would be a good stable option for someone to spend their time in. I can tell from the website that they are proud of the traditions of the school and all the majors they offer. One of my values in life would be creativity, I think this university would do a great job in fulfilling that value in my academic life. The school often has events going on, community bonding events, and as well as musical concerts that students may attend. This type of thing is important for me in school, I think it would be wonderful for a school to unite students together through more creative means.  

Citations 

“Cost of Attendance.” Office of Financial Aid | Rice University, Rice University, 2021, https://financialaid.rice.edu/cost-attendance.  

“Rice.” Rice University, 2022, https://www.rice.edu/. 

                                                                               Summary

“Stanford University” by YS is licensed under Unsplash.

On its website, Stanford University introduces its programs and history since they were founded by Leland and Jane Stanford in memory of their only child, Leland Stanford Jr.  From their reputation and campus introduction, Stanford University holds creative, outstanding, and demanding curriculums that promote entrepreneurialism. This proves Stanford University, “the Harvard of the 21st century” by Slate, to be the best university out there for those selective students who want to pursue an impressive education, capable of nurturing “a strong venture culture.”

                                         Analysis

Stanford University uses ethos and imagining ideal readers to persuade their readers. They write the website “Stanford University” on the Wikipedia page to convey they are the best university compared to other universities. To persuade their greatness to the reader, Stanford University provides facts that increase their reputation in the world of education.

As of ethos strategy, Stanford University provides evidence of when Frederick Terman, father of Silicon Valley, supported the local industry entrepreneurialism at Stanford during its time in financial crisis back in World War II (SU, Introduction). The support he made to the students and faculties led to the foundation of the greatest cradle of innovation called Silicon Valley. This story uses the ethos strategy by increasing the credibility of Stanford University.

“Stanford University” by daybreakwithray is licensed under Unsplash.

As of April 2021, Stanford has produced lots of notable people which includes “85 Nobel laureates, 29 Turing Award laureates, and eight Fields Medalists” (SU, Introduction). It shows the success of its students, alumni, faculty, and staff which causes people to believe that entering this school will make them notable as well. This makes the university trustworthy in an education matter.

Further from those successful ones, there are companies such as Google, Yahoo, LinkedIn, Instagram, Cisco, Snapchat, and Coursera which are built with a closer association to Stanford University (SU, Businesses and entrepreneurship). This implies that Stanford University has the resources and culture to help people succeed, which makes the university attractive to start-ups. These appeal to the readers which increases the authority and credibility of the school using ethos strategy.

“Stanford University” by Jeremy-Bezanger is licensed under Unsplash.

Moving on from science, Stanford has also built a reputation in athletics. According to Stanford University, “[They] have won 137 NCAA team championships, more than any other university, and were awarded the NACDA Directors’ Cup for 25 consecutive years, beginning in 1994–1995. In addition, by 2021, Stanford students and alumni had won at least 296 Olympic medals including 150 gold medals” (SU, Athletics). These victories show that Stanford is the right place for those who want to pursue athletics as a career. This fact persuades students who want a good experience in athletics because the school has good credibility in the sport.

Furthermore, Stanford used imagining ideal readers, who are likely to be convinced by the idea that Stanford University is a good fit for them, strategy to persuade their readers. In their overall argument, they have created an image that creative, hardworking, and outstanding are their ideal prospective student. However, in a paragraph sense, Stanford has proposed the type of student they are expecting.

According to Stanford, the six-year graduation rate is about 20% higher than the four-year graduation rate because of the university’s coterminal program which provides students with a master’s degree by extending 1-2 years from their undergraduate degree (SU, Student body). Most of Stanford’s undergraduates choose a coterminal degree that helps them get their master’s degree by increasing their graduation year by one. This idea puts an imaginary ideal reader of whom want to complete their master’s degree by using the coterminal degree program Stanford provides are most of their students.

When spanning our attention to the social group, Stanford has a “Groups span athletics and recreation, careers/pre-professional, community service, ethnic/cultural, fraternities and sororities, health and counseling, media and publications, the arts, political and social awareness, and religious and philosophical organizations” (SU, Student groups). Social groups at Stanford are vast, making it easy to find one interest among them. But what makes Stanford’s social group interesting from other universities/colleges?

“Stanford University” by Jeremy-Bezanger is licensed under Unsplash.

In contrast to other colleges, Stanford has a policy that any individual interested in a group must have an open opportunity to join the club (SU, Social group). A policy that abides with their motto “The wind of freedom blows” (SU, motto). Stanford, in contrast to other colleges, is a great place to join a group of one’s interest without the restriction from its group members. This provides an image of Stanford’s strong community and a collaborative environment culture which in turn provides their imagining ideal reader while writing this website.

As evidence for the freedom of social groups, Stanford is home to a set of student journalism publications like The Fountain Hopper which tells about the Brock Turner story that reports about the sexual attempt of a freshman man to a sophomore woman at Stanford University (SU, Student group). Stanford is a place where freedom of speech is not restricted. The use of this sentence is intended to provide an imaging ideal reader for students who want to be a journalist and have journalist experience in a university that respects their freedom of the press.

When all is said and done, Stanford University uses ethos and imagining ideal reader strategies to persuade its ideal prospective students that it is the best university out there. Stanford uses ethos to increase its credibility to be trustworthy in the further details it provides. Furthermore, they use imagining ideal readers to increase students who apply to the university.

                                      Response

When I was a child, I was optimistic about the future since friction in life was rare. But as I began to grow up, it became harder to believe the future is promising because of all the challenges I have to face. Nevertheless, I believe that even if there is a challenge coming my way, if I have the “audacity to hope”, I can see a light in the darkness.

Stanford University holds a similar value. The university stayed optimistic even at the time of its financial crisis period in 1893 when the founder, Leland Stanford, died. This demonstrates the fact that the university stayed firm despite its challenges.

“Stanford University” by Allen Gong is licensed under Unsplash.

They did that by supporting the local industry to be entrepreneurs. Now, they have become a great place for innovation that changed the game for the whole world. Google, for instance, was a research project created and funded by Stanford University. Now, Google gives us information from any place on the earth as long as we are connected to the internet or not banned by the government.

As a student, I am enthralled by a university that has a culture of hope in the things they do. A belief in a good and bright future is the value I want to see from a university that I could possibly attend. So, if given the chance to attend this great university, I would not turn a blind eye to make this decision, I would join Stanford University.

                                 Works Cited

“Stanford University.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 8 Mar. 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_University.

Summary

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is a private, non-profit university located in Daytona Beach, Florida. The university is known for its aviation and aerospace engineering programs. Their website seems to be directed towards students who are driven, curious, and planning to pursue careers in aviation or engineering. ERAU uses the “emotional tone” APATSARC strategy and “imagining ideal readers” as their larger rhetorical strategy.

Analysis

The APATSARC strategy that Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University uses the most on their website is emotional tone, and they imagine ideal readers as their larger rhetorical strategy. On their website, ERAU takes a very welcoming and confident approach towards their readers. They show many pictures, articles, and videos of the accomplishments made by their faculty members or students. Bold headlines like “’Gregory, Lyrintzis Named ‘Among the Best Minds in Aerospace’” (Pinholster), or “Reaching the Red Planet: Eagles Build Instruments for Mars- Bound Satellites” (Cavaliere) were placed on the home page of their website. By displaying these headlines on their home page, readers can tell that if they were to attend ERAU, they’d be part of a very proud and successful community. They also present many impressive pictures of students doing things like lab work, testing model airplanes, building robots, and competing.   

Although ERAU used emotional tone as their argumentative strategy, they don’t necessarily present their university in a heartfelt manner. There weren’t any sentimental  articles or pictures on their website. Instead, ERAU structured their website to create feelings of inspiration and welcome in their readers. Their “Values, Mission, and Vision” page is emblematic of this. While analyzing ERAU’s mission statement for emotional undertones, small words and phrases began to stand out. Some apparent ones were “…in a culturally diverse community that supports the unique needs of each individual”, “Embry-Riddle will be the source for innovation and excellence…”, and “We will be the unquestioned global leader…” (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University). To a student who might be interested in applying to ERAU, the website presents the university as welcoming, diverse, innovative, and community-oriented. It displays students as proud Eagles (ERAU’s spirit animal), the faculty as upbeat and helpful, and the campus as spacious and lively. As a result, students feel urged to apply.     

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University imagines ideal readers as their larger rhetorical strategy. When analyzing their website in a more general sense, it becomes clear that they’re targeting a specific kind of student. Namely, students pursuing degrees in aviation or aerospace engineering. Even though ERAU offers other programs such as biology, astronomy, business, and art, aviation and engineering programs are their main focuses, as stated on their “Values, Mission, and Vision” page. It reads “ Our mission is to teach the science, practice, and business of aviation and aerospace engineering” (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University). These programs are also the ones most represented in their articles and pictures. On their home page, they proudly state that Embry-Riddle has 9 top ten spots in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2022 rankings. They placed fifth in best aerospace engineering programs, as well as most innovative schools nationwide. 

In connection to aviation and engineering students, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has another kind of ideal reader: students who believe in collaboration, ethicality, and innovation. They make it clear that they want curious, determined, problem-solving students. This also connects to ERAU’s specialty in aviation and aerospace engineering programs. The skills they want their students to have are ones that are important in those fields. 

To summarise, Embry- Riddle Aeronautical University uses the APATSARC element “emotional tone”, and the larger rhetorical strategy “imagining ideal readers” to attract and persuade their ideal students to apply. Through analyzing ERAU’s website, the congruence of the two strategies becomes noticeable. They use emotional tone by displaying  inspirational phrases, pictures, rankings, and headlines that represent the school’s overall success to grasp the attention of their ideal student: aviation and aerospace engineering students.

Response 

If all barriers were uplifted, I would definitely apply to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. They have awesome programs, faculty members, research opportunities, and campus resources. If I were an interested student looking through their website, I would feel welcomed, and I’d consider applying. Their mission statement page shows that they’re confident in the community they’ve created and the discoveries made by their students. That’s something anyone would be interested in being a part of.  

One thing that really stood out to me is the different hands-on opportunities that ERAU provides to students. They have a variety of labs, research projects, and competitions. The number of resources and equipment they invest in shows how much they value discovery. Another reason why I would apply to Embry-Riddle is that they have really nice weather throughout most of the year. Their Daytona campus is 2 miles away from Daytona Beach, which means that they receive more than 230 sunny days in a year on average. Although tropical weather is bound to bring in heavy rainstorms and hurricanes, it’s still a risk worth taking. Lastly, I would attend ERAU because of its value for community and involvement. They have plenty of clubs and social events, which I think is really cool. All in all, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Univerity seems like a pretty decent school, and I’d go if there weren’t any obstacles. 

Works Cited

Cavaliere, Mike. “Reaching the Red Planet: Eagles Build Instruments for Mars-Bound Satellites”, 13, Dec. 2021, https://news.erau.edu/headlines/eagles-build-instruments-for-mars-bound-satellites

Pinholster, Ginger. “Gregory, Lyrintzis Named ‘Among the Best Minds in Aerospace”, 01, Feb. 2022, https://news.erau.edu/headlines/gregory-lyrintzis-named-among-the-best-minds-in-aerospace

“Values, Mission, and Vision”, https://erau.edu/leadership/president/values-mission-and-vision

Emily Perales                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Engl 1102+ Section 298 –Professor, Weaver                                                                                                                                       Assignment: Major Project 3: Summary, Analysis, and Response essay                                                                                                           Due: 3/9/22 
email address: eperales2@student.gsu.edu 

Summary:  

Founded in 1902, Fort Hays State is a public university located in Kansas, United States. FHSU is a large regional public university whose education and staff are dedicated to teaching and mentoring students with programs and resources. FHSU is looking for students who show to do good in school. 95% of students at FHSU secure jobs or higher education opportunities, which is an example of logos, since they use logical reasoning.  FHSU website also uses “Imagining Ideal Readers,” because based on their requirements they imagine students who demonstrate academic success applying to their school. 

Analysis:  

Fort Hays State University strives to have students who achieve academic success. They are looking for students who have proven themselves to be dedicated workers in school and who will continue to do so. The requirements prospective students need to have is a GPA of 2.25 or higher and a minimum ACT test score of 21 or higher and an SAT score of 1080 or higher. And their cost of attendance for Kansas residents is $5,443.80. FHSU website has a lot of great ways and strategies to persuade prospective students to attend their university. One of the ways they persuade students to go to their school is by using the APATSARC strategy, Logos. For example, in their website it states that “A remarkable 95% of FHSU students secure jobs or higher education opportunities after they graduate” (FHSU- About page,2022). Which is a great piece of evidence that uses logical reasoning to persuade students that there is a good chance that they will get a decent job opportunity once they graduate from FHSU.

Fort Hays State University also used logos when they stated that “$59 million in financial aid is awarded is awarded annually”(FHSU- Academics page, 2022). Which is a way of convincing prospective students that they will most likely get financial assistance. One of the requirements on the website is, “Have a cumulative GPA of 2.25 or higher on a scale of 4.00″ (FHSU- Admissions page, 2022). Which means that students who visit the FHSU website and have a 2.25 GPA or higher are more likely to be persuaded to apply. Another strategy Fort Hays State University uses “Imagining ideal readers” to persuade prospective students because when they wrote about the requirements, they knew that the prospective students reading them were either going to be affected or persuaded by the requirements needed. 

FHSU also states that “Fort Hays State University is proud to offer an immersive, advanced education to hard-working individuals who wish to grow their opportunities for tomorrow” (FHSU-Academics home page, 2022). FHSU was thinking about prospective students who know that they do good academically and show effort that they do work hard in school. And a student who has the ideal required ACT/SAT scores, which can be used to help them with scholarship awards, are likely to be persuaded as well. Since students can get scholarships that can help them financially just because they do well on their test scores. On the other hand, students who do not meet that GPA requirement are most likely to be affected when applying to FHSU because they will be upset that they have a disadvantage when it comes to applying.  

Fort Hays State University also has a section in their website called “Success Stories,” that shows their graduates stories and their experiences at FHSU. For example, they interviewed a girl named Remington that graduated in 2019 and they asked her “Why FHSU?” (FHSU, Success stories page). and she responds with “Not only were the professors caring, but other students and staff welcomed me as well, Fort Hays now feels like a family to me”(Remington – FHSU, Success stories page, 2018). This is an example of how their website uses a graduated student’s experience, to show prospective students that Fort Hays State University is a welcoming University that cares about their students and staff. They also asked her “What advice would you give the class of 2023?”(FHSU, Success stories page, 2018) and she responded with “Some of my best college memories came from taking classes and joining organizations that I did not initially consider”. College is a time for exploration.”(Remington – FHSU, Success stories page, 2018). The university’s website does an excellent job at persuading prospective students to apply to FHSU because this shows students how if they join the schools’ organizations, they can make the best memories of their college experience at Fort Hays State University.  

Response:   

I would go to Fort hays State University if it were in Georgia and if money were not an issue. I like how the University feels so welcoming through their website. FHSU has many resources to make students’ college experience easier and memorable. In addition, I meet one of their requirements, which is a 2.25 grade point average or higher. I think being in an environment where people care about your well-being is really important to me because I work better and do better. One of the most important values in my life is my well-being because I’m someone who has always struggled with stress and anxiety. So, the fact that FHSU has a Health and wellness services program to help students with their problems is what caught my attention for example FHSU states that, “We offer therapy services to help with a wide range of mental health concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, college transition, drug and alcohol use, grief, and relationship issues”( FHSU- Health and Wellness services page, 2022) Which I thought was nice, because not a lot of universities offer that kind of help, they don’t think about the challenges students have to go through.  

This just shows that FHSU not only cares about their student’s education but their well-being as well. I feel like my well-being is really important for me because feeling good about myself can help me have more motivation, especially in my academic performance. I think the key to living a good life is to just be happy and healthy. Being a university/college student can be stressful, so the fact that Fort Hays State University offers help for things I struggle with, such as stress and anxiety, persuaded me to want to go there. Therefore, I would go to Fort Hays State University if it were in Georgia and if money were not an issue because it is wonderful place for students to learn. And because FHSU also prioritized their students’ well-being which is one of my most important values in life.   

 Citations: 

“About FHSU – Fort Hays State University.” Fort Hays State University,  

 www.fhsu.edu/about , Accessed 8 Mar. 2022.  

” Health and wellness services – Fort hays state University.”  https://www.fhsu.edu/health-and-wellness/

“Academic FHSU- Fort Hays State University.”  https://www.fhsu.edu/academic/

“Admissions FHSU- Fort Hays State University.” https://www.fhsu.edu/admissions/admissions-application/ 

Jaslyn Hamilton 

Weaver 

English 1102 

8 March 2022 

 
 Summary 

Georgia Southern University is a public university in South Georgia that has three different campuses. GS University is a school that looks for diversity in students, not only in gender and race, but also in income. A student should go there especially if they have a STEM related major. A student should attend this school if they are looking to go to school in a less busy city, but also somewhere where they can follow their passion.” (GSU Home Page 1) Georgia Southern is large enough to provide endless opportunities, but personal enough to feel like home.” 

 Analysis 

When first going on this website it was very interesting, the structure and Kairos are two rhetorical strategies that can easily first be seen. When seeing how the website was formatted, it shows great structure and seeing the motto of the Georgia Southern website itself shows Kairos, because of how the author of the website chose to put it right at the beginning. “To belong. To shine. To dig in and make a difference. Georgia Southern is large enough to provide endless opportunities, but personal enough to feel like home.” (GSU Home Page 1) This is the motto of Georgia Southern University which goes hand in hand with the values that the university has which is “People, Purpose, Action: Growing ourselves to grow others.” The mission that they have is centered around their learners and making an environment that prepares them to think, lead, teach, and serve. Also known as GS, Georgia Southern, like the name entails, is in South Georgia. GS has three different campuses, located in Statesboro, Savannah, and Hinesville, with more than 27,000 students and 140 different degree programs. Georgia Southern’s main campus is in Statesboro and was established on December 1, 1906. GS has many different values for their university including collaboration, academic excellence, discovery, innovation, integrity, openness, inclusion, and sustainability. The mascot for GS is the eagle and they are NCAA Division I athletics.  

On the website itself, it was easy to navigate and find all this information out, because of the structure. The structure, when first going on the website, starts out showing the name of the University, the motto, and having a button to click for the admissions to apply for the school. The homepage of this website looks more as if it is sent in place for people who are interested in or applying for the school. The homepage has more information about admissions, majors, and different interests on why the reader on the website should choose GS as the university they should attend. Also on the home landing page, they make sure to prioritize the “apply” button at the top, by putting it in a distinct color. GS then, in my opinion, puts what they would think would be the most important to a new student looking at their website, in order from greatest to least, with labels of information about the school. Under each of these labels there are distinct categories that specify and make it easier for someone going on to the website to find what they are looking for. These various categories going from the top to the bottom are also in order from most to least appealing to a new student that might be thinking of applying. 

When students are thinking of applying to GS they want to know as much as possible about the school and they want to have all the questions they have answered. GS website caters to appealing to a new student, it is set-up to show a student of interest what the school has to offer. The website does this by using many different rhetorical strategies, one of them being Kairos. The GS website does a lot of thinking within the text and strategic placement, for example putting a specific link in a place where a student is guaranteed to see it. In the world right now, we are going through a global pandemic, which concerns many people, especially a fresh high school graduate that might be moving away from home to go to GS. On the home landing page, in a bright color that can be very easily seen and is near the top of the page, the website has a link to their plan of action against the global pandemic. They put this there, because they know this specific topic would be of urgency for someone to know. They were strategic in choosing what to put from left to right, knowing that in general most people read from left to right and being a new person would click the first tab, which is the “about” tab. Under this tab they make sure to mention their high rankings in categories that might be important to someone reviewing the website and thinking of applying.  

Response 

From writing this paper and learning about Georgia Southern, it is apparent to me that they prioritize new students. This raises the question: would I go to this school? So, just from what I know from researching on the website and trying to dissect what I have read, I would say yes this would be a college I would go to. I also feel like in my first year going there, I would be a priority for the school as would all the other first-year students. Excluding all the structural barriers, Georgia Southern would be a college I would go to, because of all the things that I read about that can be different interests for me. One of the words that I related to the most from the in-class value list was the word “trust.” When reading this website, the word trust did come to my head, especially when reading the motto of Georgia Southern. Part of the vision says “Growing ourselves to grow others” (GSU Missions and Values 9) and the word that correlates with that the most to me is the word trust. Not only if I chose to go to this university, am I putting trust in them to think that they have my best interest in mind and at heart, but they are also putting their trust into me. When the university chooses to accept me and enroll me in their school, they trust me to make their school a better place. So, in a nutshell, Georgia Southern would want me to help their school grow while they are helping me grow when I am enrolled there which requires them putting trust into me and me doing the same back to them. 

University Associates & Staff, Georgia Southern University, 8 March 2022, https://www.georgiasouthern.edu/

Chloe Richey  

24 March 2022 

Professor Weaver  

English Comp 1102.  

Richey Major Project 3 

Summary: 

The University of Tennessee is in Knoxville, Tennessee, which is known as the Big Orange country. The University of Tennessee is a college that is filled with engaging different people from different backgrounds of students doing what they would like to major in. In addition, a college where is full of enthusiasm for having a fun college experience. UTK would also like a student who would have an amusement of a diversified community coming together and being involved in different activities.   

Analysis: 

The University of Tennessee uses the APATSARC strategy of structure and the Large Rhetorical strategy of Imagining Ideal Readers. The structure of the University of Tennessee website played a huge factor in distinguishing what type of student they are looking for. At the very top of the visiting page, you would see six subtopics split up including “About UTK, Academics, Admissions, Diversity, Outreach, Research” (University of Tennessee, Visiting Homepage). Diversity has its part of the webpage. This part of the structure can catch the eye of people of color by emphasizing how it’s important at UTK. When looking into the diversity subtopic of the website, you would witness different bullet points of plans and partnerships with diversity. The ending of the page presents various activities for people of color and sexuality. Some of them are visiting a black historical museum and producing quilts with the pride center. Because of that structure of having an event with people of different sexualities being up under of the diversity subtopic, indicates that diversity does not only involve race but also sexual orientation tying together as one.   

When first visiting the website, you would see a slideshow with a different race of people such as white, black, Hispanic, etc. During the slideshow, the people laugh and smile like they are getting along with one another. Suggesting that diversity does exist at the university, showing that all races can attend the school and get the same treatment. As you scroll down on the visiting page, the pictures would start moving and you would see the scenery of Tennessee downtown at sunset. At the bottom of the picture in white bold lettering, it states “We are Tennessee volunteers. We light the way for others” (University of Tennessee, Visiting Homepage). This indicates that just because a university has a motto of focusing on grades does not mean the University of Tennessee would go by that same motto. Because of the bold lettering of “volunteering” (University of Tennessee, Visiting Homepage), as an activity, it must be a big element that students must have. Scrolling down more of the visiting page, you would see more diverse pictures and students doing different activities such as kayaking, volunteering, and being part of the festival. Encouraging that students can do more than just focus on studies, but also have the enjoyment of being in college.   

The University of Tennessee uses a large rhetorical strategy of imagining ideal readers to reach students who would have a beneficial outcome at the college. The readers and viewers that the university is trying to target are students from divergent backgrounds. One of them is people of color of people who struggle with financial problems. There are stereotypes of people of color, mainly black people not being someone who just sells drugs or ends up in a jail cell. On the other hand, the University of Tennessee uses that opportunity to prove those stereotypes wrong by sharing the Kojak Wells story. According to the website of the University of Tennessee, it states “Kojak Wells, the first in his family, to graduate from college, went from the stock room to a Fortune 500 company” (the University of Tennessee, Invest in your future”). Kojak Wells is a young black man who has his own family and was struggling financially. So, he decided to attend the University of Tennessee, majoring in finance, and later graduated. Because of his story being on the university website, many young black men and women would acknowledge it as you can accomplish goals too just like Kojak, who is the same race as you.   

Furthermore, women could be a target of the list of ideal readers. Since we are in a time where the world is full of girl power and feminism, the University of Tennessee makes it clear about women can also be more than just people who are responsible for house chores and babies being born. On the University of Tennessee website, there are many pictures of women being in front with different occupations like nursing and majoring in mathematics. Especially, when it comes to so-called “men’s work” like shoveling or doing hard handy work. The university shows that women could be a part of so-called “men’s work” by illustrating a picture of a young woman shoveling with men next to her. Overall, showing that no matter what race, sexuality, nor gender all students are welcomed and unified to be in projects together. 

Response 

If there were no financial problems or traveling issues, would you attend the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee? The answer to that question is yes, I would attend the University of Tennessee. A life value that I commit to every day is an inspiration. Inspiration to me is someone or something influencing you to not think so little of yourself but bigger than you ever thought about yourself. As a person of color, inspiration plays a huge factor in it. They are many ugly and hateful voices that like to make POC (people of color) people think less of what they truly are. When I read the Kojak Wells story, inspiration influenced my way of thinking because a guy who is black like me was able to walk across that stage and prove so many people wrong. At the University of Tennessee, it is shown that students with the same skin color as me can become anything that wants to as long, they put their mind to it. Making a difference is another value that I reflect on every day. My mom is a nurse at Grady Hospital and every day she makes a difference by helping the patients and doctors. As a result, I consider it to be giving back to the community. For me now, I haven’t participated in volunteering in my life, and attending the University of Tennessee would bring me a good opportunity to be involved in a community with a diverse community. 

-Drew Beamer, Unsplash

Citation  

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Website. 23 March, 2022. www.utk.edu/. 

Keith Slettedahl       

Professor Weaver 

English 1102-322 

5 March 2022 

Pacific Oaks College Website: Summary/Analysis/Response (SAR) Project 

Summary 

         Made evident on the school’s website, Pacific Oaks College seeks a compassionate, inclusive, culturally diverse student body concerned with making a difference in the world. Featuring programs focused around education and human development, Pacific Oaks places an overall emphasis on the importance of community, social justice, and cultural intelligence, and it utilizes the small rhetorical strategy of Purpose and the large rhetorical strategy of Kairos to support its altruistic assertions.  

Analysis 

         Throughout its website, Pacific Oaks College uses the small rhetorical strategy of Purpose to persuade prospective students to attend their school. The page lists the school’s four core values as respect, diversity, social justice, and inclusion, and these themes are carried over into all areas of the site to great effect.  

         One purpose in presenting the school’s information in this way is that it establishes that Pacific Oak’s educational goals are not necessarily geared toward the attainment of individual achievement and worldly success, but rather, they are focused on the power of community and service to others. The site makes this evident when speaking to the bachelor’s and master’s programs offered at Pacific Oaks. Though aspects of career growth are certainly addressed, the text is front-loaded with altruistic concerns, and the bulk of the emphasis is placed on how these degrees will enable one to “serve diverse communities in the fields of human development, education, and related family studies” (POC “Mission Statement”). The site also repeatedly emphasizes the idea that community is what provides the foundation of the Pacific Oaks College educational experience and aims to convey to the reader that he or she can be a part of this powerful community that can positively impact one’s education (POC “Community”). The implication is that through service one is fulfilled, through working together the students are made stronger, and that one will benefit by tapping into the school’s community and “we” first mentality. 

         Placing great significance on the principles of diversity and inclusion, another purpose found in the website’s rhetorical approach is to let the prospective student know that he or she, regardless of cultural background, is important, valued, and welcomed at Pacific Oaks College. As part of its “Diversity and Inclusion Statement,” the website states, “We encourage everyone to bring their full authentic selves to our community,” and goes on to promise support and advocacy for all its students “regardless of race, ethnicity, culture, nationality, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, or ability (POC “Mission and Values Statements”). Even when mentioning the many benefits of living in Southern California (the school is in Pasadena, CA), just as much attention is given to the area’s remarkable diversity of cultures as to its beaches and nightlife. Throughout the site, the principles of respect and acceptance of others are mentioned repeatedly, and this effectively creates a welcoming atmosphere. Pacific Oaks wants the reader to know that not only is diversity valued at their school, but it is also viewed as the essential component in preparing students to “thrive personally and professionally in a global society” (POC “Mission and Values Statements”). 

          The final small rhetorical purpose found on the Pacific Oaks website conveys the message that the prospective student is not only valued and important, but also capable of making a real difference in the world. The website reveals that the school’s original goal was to provide a “progressive education that can help the world heal” (POC “History and Impact”), and in its mission statement, declares that Pacific Oaks “prepares students to be culturally intelligent agents of change” (POC). Concepts of “making a difference” and “changing the world” are alluded to all throughout the site, and this strategy effectively connects the reader to a greater purpose and implies that this purpose can be realized by attending Pacific Oaks College. 

         In addition to the use of the small rhetorical strategy of Purpose, and coming at a time of profound world-wide political, cultural, and social division, Pacific Oaks skillfully uses the large rhetorical strategy of Kairos (the timeliness of a rhetorical act) by placing a significant emphasis on the school’s values of inclusion, cultural intelligence, and social justice. The website heavily emphasizes the school’s rich social justice heritage and involvement with social justice movements during a time when the awareness of and concern about such issues has never been higher and presents to the potential student an educational means to make a difference through numerous social work programs. Also, with the current burgeoning global awareness of the importance of cultural sensitivity, Pacific Oaks effectively accentuates their progressive approach to teaching and learning by referencing their “anti-bias curriculum and culturally-centered academic programs” (POC “Social Justice and Diversity”), and stating, “everyone in our classrooms is both student and teacher. Students relate subjects to their own personal experiences” (POC “About”). These examples illustrate to the reader that Pacific Oaks is forward thinking, in touch with the cultural concerns of today, and that ultimately, one’s own unique life experience will be valued and considered at their school. Furthermore, the website addresses what is perhaps the most important and polarizing issues of our time: sexual orientation and gender identity. Plainly, Pacific Oaks declares that “there is a light in each person that is to be honored in everyone,” and that all are welcome at their school “regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression (POC “Mission and Values Statement”). Whether or not the timeliness in the addressing of these issues was intentional or coincidental is unclear. Either way, Pacific Oaks College persuasively presents a picture of a progressive institution with its finger placed firmly on the pulse of today’s cultural and societal concerns.  

Response 

         Would I go to this college? In a word, yes. I randomly picked Pasadena’s Pacific Oaks College from a list of Southern California schools because, having lived in or near Pasadena for most of my life, I was surprised and intrigued by the fact that I was unaware of its existence. I’m glad I did because I learned a lot about the school and found many reasons why I would consider attending. For one, as I mentioned, it is in my hometown. Georgia is fine and all, but home is home. (Sigh). But I digress. More important than location, however, is the fact that the school’s overall ethos resonates deeply with me, particularly the spiritual-leaning Quaker values of community, equality, and peace that the school was founded on. In fact, the main reason I went back to college at my advanced age was to study psychology with the primary goal being that I could maybe serve humanity in some small way, so Pacific Oak’s offering of degrees in various Psychology and Human Development programs, as well as the school’s emphasis on making a difference, is right up my alley.  

          From the list of values in our free writing inventory I chose “spirituality,” “compassion,” and “making a difference.” When trying to pick one to tie into this paper, I realized that the three are inseparable, and in fact, you cannot have one without a combination of all three. Going further, I thought about what the word “education” means to me and found that, I could not separate that word from the list either. Is there really a true education without spirituality, compassion, and making a difference? Transversely, is true compassion possible without some form of education? I found it quite interesting that in Cathy Davidson’s “The New Education” talk, she addressed studies done at Google that proved that the most valued skills found in their employees were not technological in nature, but rather, how nice they were and how well they were able to communicate and collaborate with others (Cathy Davidson). This rings true with me, and as is clearly seen in the school’s dedication to inclusion and community, with Pacific Oaks College as well. In my opinion, any type of education that does not address our inherent interdependence is doomed to fail. Now, more than ever, education needs to be addressed from a more holistic perspective, and Pacific Oaks seems devoted to doing just that.  

Works Cited 

Pacific Oaks College Website. 2022. https://www.pacificoaks.edu/locations/pasadena/ 

Cathy Davidson: “The New Education” 3.1.18. YouTube, uploaded by Santa Cruz Arts, 

       Lectures, and Entertainment, 11 May 2020, Cathy Davidson: “The New Education” 3.1.18 

Ranup Katwal

3/9/2022

Professor Weaver

English 1102-322

Summary

RMIT is a college for technology, design, and enterprise, being a top 250 university worldwide, their ideal student is someone who wants to make a “difference.”, and is passionate about learning. with more than 20+ different courses with more branches, RMIT seems promising for someone looking to get higher education. 

Strategies “purpose” form APATSARC, and imagining ideal readers from “Large Rhetorical Strategy” is used throughout the website.

Analysis

The website shows a few things, but the most attractive among them is “RMIT is a global university of technology, design, and enterprise” (RMIT – Home Page) this shows the purpose of the website, which is to look for ideal students and persons who are interested in what they have to offer. it also lists that it’s “top 250 universities worldwide” (RMIT – Home Page), and with over “97,000 students from 230+ different countries” (RMIT – Home Page), this uses the strategy “Imagining ideal readers”, readers don’t have to be overly experienced to understand the information provided by the website. A little below courses are listed well-designed user interfaces, this also uses one of the strategies listed above because it’s simple to look at and understand what each user interface is for, this helps looks for “ideal” students, who are looking for specific occupations they might be interested in learning about. The website also offers a “Kickstart 2022 with a range of student benefits” (RMIT – Home Page), “with dedicated social programs and more”(RMIT – Home Page), strategy purpose is being used here to convince you that their support team/new year student experience is good.

One of the things to notice is that the website overall doesn’t use that many words, no matter what button is clicked the information provided is simple and easy to read, so it can be said that the whole website is based around “imagining ideal readers” which is focused on just readers and not advanced readers meaning anyone can read the information without much thinking, also means that more people get persuaded since the website reaches out to any reader, not just advanced, this is also the use of strategy purpose. When clicking the study button,  a small text that talks about how the university offers “study online now and on-campus later” (RMIT – Study with us), narrows down to purpose, what does the author want? You and your money.

The university promises “experience you’ll never forget”(RMIT – Student Life), “help you make friends” (RMIT – Student Life), “feel at home” (RMIT – Student Life), “skills and knowledge to make you employable anywhere in the world”(RMIT – study experience), “practical training”, “courses delivered by experts at the top of their fields” (RMIT), and much more, what more can you ask for?  This seems like a place where a student can accumulate a lot of knowledge in the field they’re pursuing (purpose is used because it persuades the readers/convinces them that the university offers a lot to help them succeed/exceed their academic goals), not only locally but the website also convinces you globally, under the tab global opportunities, it talks about how “Studying overseas is an enriching and rewarding experience” (RMIT) although true, but what do they want? Your money, and for you to apply to their university. The university also claims how it can help build “global networks and boost career opportunities” (RMIT) and help land that dream job.

While browsing the website it states that the university is offering 10% off on tuition fees to anyone who isn’t able to come to “Australia due to border restrictions” (RMIT – Study with us), a coincidence? I think not, also uses strategy purpose, that’s because although they can transfer to college where they live the website convinces them to stay at their college because the tuition fees are reduced by 10%, 10% of $10 maybe $1 but 10% of $20,000 is  $2,000, and that’s a lot. RMIT also has study support to help students with “Peer mentoring” (RMIT – study-support), “One-on-one consultations” (RMIT – study-support), “24/7 study help with your assignments and course work” (RMIT study-support), and many more, this is obviously trying to get you to apply, strategy purpose is also being used here because their main purpose stays the same and that’s to get as many students as possible. The university also helps with health/mental health and emergency crisis, also convinces their university to be the best option.

Response

Would I go to this college? YES!!  I’d totally go there because, they offer so much, it almost feels like too good to be true, although I say I’d go, it would be unrealistic since it costs a lot of money and is so far away. Had that not been the problem, had I a big sum of money, and distance reduced I’d totally go.

On my values inventory, I chose confidence, and curiosity, which looking back fits my response perfectly because I’m confident that I’d go to the university if it weren’t for the fact, big distance, and lack of money. As for curiosity although I don’t talk often, I’m quite curious, I’d be more than happy to experience if that university lives up to its name. The university offers just too much for it to be perfect. One of the things I’m extremely curious about is “24/7 study help with your assignments” (RMIT), if you think about it there’s no way that their service is that good right? Imagine you wake up at 3-4 am and go to the help section, there isn’t a 100% guaranteed that someone’s there to help is there. This sounds way too good to be true, so if I were to go to this university, I’d probably be curious and test if their service is as good as they claim it to be.

Works Cited

RMIT. “Study Support.” RMIT University, https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/support-services/study-support.

https://www.rmit.edu.au/