The goals for Professor Osborne’s Communications Course are:
To help students learn to articulate their thoughts clearly and concisely through both verbal and written communication
To develop several polished writing samples that students can use for their internship and job applications
The course will focus both on the structure, as well as the nuts and bolts of writing, paying careful attention to the details of your verbal and written expression. Students will engage in a variety of independent and group exercises each week to learn and practice writing and speaking. Students will produce five briefs, focused on persuasive, descriptive, and analytical writing, and they will present their work orally to their peers.
The substantive focus of the course will be on social policy, with a particular emphasis on child and family policy. However, the skills that students learn in the course can be transferred easily to any subject matter.