Libraries, Archives, Labs, Studios, Centers

The Clemson University Libraries (including the Architecture and Arts Library) are constantly monitored and updated with recommendations from graduate faculty and students in the RCID program.

The Multimedia-Authoring, Teaching and Research Facility (MATRF) is for new media research, and the Usability Testing Facility is for information design research. And KDM Digital is our site for podcasting interviews and lectures. Additionally throughout the academic year, there are The Multimodal User Group Workshops in MATRF for both faculty and graduate students.

There is the Center for Electronic and Digital Publishing (CEDP); the Clemson University Digital Press (CUDP). There are the Digital Arts Production program and lab for visual rhetorics. And the forthcoming Center for Visual Arts, newly approved by the Board, summer, 2006.

There is the Pearce Center for Professional Communication, with studios for research. There is the nationally recognized Communication Across the Curriculum (CAC) Program. There are the Communication Studies Labs. There is the Art Mac Lab as well as art studios. New Pedagogical and Research spaces/places are being designed and built in Lee Hall and Daniel Hall.

And there is the Brooks Center for Performing Arts, as well as the Martin Inn and Madren Conference Center.

Colloquia and Workshops

Students as well as faculty are encouraged to attend and participate in at least one or more of the available colloquia throughout the academic year. The RCID program supplements seminar and research work with a set of standing, informal colloquia that bring RCID faculty and students together under six rubrics:

Criticism-Theory (Chair, Lee Morrissey)
Body (Chairs, Judy Melton and Diane Perpich)
Place-Space (Chair, Elisa Sparks)
Serious Gaming (Chairs, Jan Holmevik and Cynthia Haynes)
Intercultural Communications and Multicultural Rhetorics (Collective, contact: Xiaoli Li)
Open Topics (Ad Hoc, Rotating Chairs)

Each of the six colloquia has as its primary purpose the building of scholarly communities within RCID, in the bringing together of disciplinary/ interdisciplinary departments in the college in order to create transdisciplinary communities. Additionally, the purpose is to introduce students to faculty in informal discussion groups outside of formal seminars for the sake of additional learning experiences and for selection of exam and dissertation committee members.

In practice, each colloquium meets as a reading group. Every attempt is made by the members of each colloquium to include all suggestions of articles/chapters/books as well as other media (film, video, audio, etc.) by all colleagues (both faculty and students who actively participate on a regular basis). Additionally the members

monitor the library holdings for needed works in all media and report them to the Director of RCID; and

establish special topic seminars and propose, at least, two each year—based on the general rubric of the colloquium—to the RCID Director for the AC.

The proposed seminars, ideally, are to come out of the readings and discussions. These special cognate seminars, however, will remain transdisciplinary, not exclusively disciplinary.

Study Abroad

The Office of International Affairs and RCID have a Collaborative relationship with "The Media and Communications Division" of the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland. Students, enrolling for seminars and workshops during a three-week period in the summer at EGS, June, will be able to study with major international film directors, philosophers, artists, literati/digirati, and performance artists, and earn 6 hours of work. In the case of EGS as well as other possible institutions abroad, the number of credit hours do not count toward the RCID requirement of 5 cognate seminars, but will count as seminars in the RCID degree and, hence, will be acknowledged in writing, or in a certificate, by the Dean/Director at EGS in Switzerland and the Director of RCID at Clemson. Students should contact Victor Vitanza for information.

Scholarly Journal

PRE/TEXT: A Journal of Rhetorical Theory (established, 1980) is published and edited by Victor J. Vitanza, at Clemson University. Students and faculty in RCID participate in the overall production of this transdisciplinary journal. (www.pre-text.com)

Conferences

The RCID faculty prepare students professionally in all seminars and studios. All assignments (in whatever medium) are to be produced and revised for presentations at conferences and eventually for publication. Faculty place students in research forums and on panels at such conferences as CCCC, RSA, and NCA. The RCID program with the generous help of the College financially supports students attending conferences and symposia.

Society for a Third Sophistic

As the RCID students determined, every hard-working student as well as faculty member in RCID should have a regular monthly social event to attend. Hence, the Society, formed in 2006, meets for the most part every second-Friday at someone's house to break bread together and to enjoy each other's company. The Society also publishes a monthly newsletter.