Why Iowa?

Writing and communication have been at the center of the University of Iowa’s educational mission for a century. Rhetoric is an essential part.

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Why is rhetoric required?

It’s simple: writing and speaking well is essential for any career path you choose. Excellent writing and speaking skills—what universities call “rhetoric”—will set you apart from your peers in the job market and help you succeed.

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Employers say the top skill they need is communication. They want you to know how to present your ideas clearly and persuasively. We'll prepare you to do just that so you can succeed in the classroom and workplace.

News and announcements

University of Iowa AAC&U AI Team

Monday, November 3, 2025

2025 CLAS Faculty Awards

Wednesday, September 24, 2025

Professional Development Program

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

Good news for Carol Severino

Sunday, June 22, 2025

Events

Art & Write Night promotional image

Art & Write Night

Friday, December 5, 2025 6:00pm to 8:00pm
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History

Join the long, rich, historical tradition of artists creating in our spaces.

Professional, aspiring, and amateur artists alike, make our museum your muse. The return of this popular program series welcomes guests into the Museum of Natural History's magical gallery spaces after-hours to work on sketching or writing projects with other campus and community artists.

Tell a friend, grab a notebook, and join us on the first Friday of each month. We'll provide a new inspo prompt for each session and...

Enriching the Curriculum with Writing and AI Literacy promotional image

Enriching the Curriculum with Writing and AI Literacy

Thursday, January 8, 2026 10:00am to 12:00pm
University Capitol Centre
Stacey Sheriff, Chair of the Writing Department at Colby College, describes the key components of writing across the curriculum programs, pedagogies, and principles and what is changing (or not) in response to AI.
Still Here: Helping Students Develop Strong Writing Skills Despite (and maybe even with the help of) Generative AI Tools promotional image

Still Here: Helping Students Develop Strong Writing Skills Despite (and maybe even with the help of) Generative AI Tools

Thursday, January 8, 2026 1:00pm to 3:00pm
University Capitol Centre
In this session, Deirdre Egan, Associate Director of the UI Writing Center and Eva Latterner, Assistant Director of the Center for Teaching, focus on how to teach with writing in the age of AI.
Art & Write Night promotional image

Art & Write Night

Friday, February 6, 2026 6:00pm to 8:00pm
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History

Join the long, rich, historical tradition of artists creating in our spaces.

Professional, aspiring, and amateur artists alike, make our museum your muse. The return of this popular program series welcomes guests into the Museum of Natural History's magical gallery spaces after-hours to work on sketching or writing projects with other campus and community artists.

Tell a friend, grab a notebook, and join us on the first Friday of each month. We'll provide a new inspo prompt for each session and...

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