Students who complete one of the Program for Writing and Rhetoric’s courses with a designated community-writing and/or service-learning component can earn a micro-credential in Applied Public Writing by submitting a short reflective essay and a sample of their community writing work. In doing so, they will gain rhetorical and genre knowledge, experience writing in various public-facing genres, and valuable professional writing skills that can be applied to many different careers.
Students who have completed the requirements for the micro-credential in Applied Public Writing will have demonstrated deep and impactful work with organizations and individuals outside of the academic setting. These professional writing skills can be applied to many different careers.
These students will have practiced:
- Public writing for real-world audiences, including with diverse communities.
- Conducting library and community research.
- Analyzing various and overlapping audiences.
- Negotiating ethical considerations.
- Writing in professional communication genres.
Eligibility
CU Boulder Students (including nondegree/ACCESS)
Delivery Mode
Credit Status
Noncredit
Academic Level
Undergraduate
Time to Completion
Months
Fee
No
Requirements
To earn the micro-credential, students must complete one of the Program for Writing and Rhetoric’s (PWR’s) designated community-engaged or service-learning courses that features a brief (1-2 hour) module focused on foundations of service-learning; a (900-1200 word) short reflective essay; and submit a sample of their community writing work to the PWR’s Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Committee.
Criteria
In addition to the satisfying the CCHE guidelines for required writing courses, learners must also demonstrate:
- Rhetorical strategies for writing with and for diverse communities: These strategies should include awareness of historical and contemporary power relations between community partners, local communities, various stakeholders and targeted audience members.
- Added value to community partners: Projects conducted in community-engaged or service-learning writing classes must offer some tangible and demonstrable benefit for the community partners.
- Ecological awareness: In the broadest sense, communities work rhizomatically with other communities; this badge indicates that learners are aware of some of the multiple connections between their own communities, the community partner and a wider context that may include material environments.
- Reflective composition: Learners must demonstrate that they understand the relationship of writers, audiences, purposes, and contexts as they collaborate with community partners to create knowledge and meaning and they must articulate those relationships and how their exploration will improve rhetorical awareness overall.
Skills
- Community engagement
- Critical thinking
- Experience writing in various public-facing genres
- Information literacy
- Professional development
- Reflection
- Research
- Service learning
- Writing