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.

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News and announcements

Six faculty honored with 2026 Regents Award for Faculty Excellence

Thursday, February 19, 2026
Congratulations to Carol Severino!

Scholarly Teaching Program

Friday, January 16, 2026
The Center for Teaching is pleased to share that two members of your department, Elizabeth Crawford and Spencer Jones, have been accepted into the Scholarly Teaching Program.

Wishing Associate Professor Takis Poulakos a happy retirement.

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Certificate in Artificial Intelligence

Wednesday, January 7, 2026
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Events

The Nonlinear Writer: How English Majors Build Careers Across Media, Sports, and Live Culture with Jason Torres

Wednesday, March 25, 2026 7:00pm to 8:00pm
English-Philosophy Building
How to Be an Influencer: Talk with Jason Torres
Launching and Sustaining a Writing-Enriched Curriculum in the Age of AI promotional image

Launching and Sustaining a Writing-Enriched Curriculum in the Age of AI

Friday, April 3, 2026 10:00am to 11:30am
University Capitol Centre
In this interactive session, Lindsey Harding, University of Georgia, describes how she transitioned a 25-year-old writing-in-the-disciplines program to a writing-enriched curriculum program, now in its third year with eight departments.
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Art & Write Night

Friday, April 3, 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...

Generative AI in Student Learning promotional image

Generative AI in Student Learning

Wednesday, April 15, 2026 9:30am to 11:00am
University Capitol Centre

How are students and faculty navigating the world of generative AI and its implications?

Join OTLT to discover what we’re learning about students’ use of generative AI and hear from faculty members about how they're creating AI guidance for their courses. Register to attend this AI research event, which will take place on Wednesday, April 15, at 9:30 a.m. in University Capitol Centre 2520D. We’ll offer light refreshments starting at 9:15 a.m.

During the event, we’ll:

Present data on students’...

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