Welcome to the official website for the Composition-Rhetoric Association (CRA) at the University of South Carolina.  The CRA is a student group devoted to the exciting, ever-expanding field of Composition and Rhetoric.  Our primary goal is to foster intellectual interaction between students and teachers working in composition studies, rhetorical theory and history, or writing center pedagogy.  In addition to being a major area of study at both the MA and PhD levels, many students in other areas of concentration opt to pursue a minor specialization in the field.  

Composition-Rhetoric Association Frequently Asked Questions (“CRA FAQs”):

Who can join CRA?  Anyone interested in any aspect of composition and/or rhetoric can join our ranks.  (Which, on some level, basically means that if you’re interested in textuality of some kind, you’re well within our purview.)  You don’t have to be a Composition and Rhetoric major or minor to contribute to our organization, and we’d love to call you our own.

What do we do?  Faculty Colloquia, end-of-semester parties, conference preparation workshops (for RSA, CCC, etc.).  As of right now we’re planning a graduate student conference with our colleagues at Clemson University, tentatively scheduled for February 2008.  We also enjoy regular reading groups, comprehensive/oral exam preparation workshops, and we’re contemplating joining RSA as an organizational member.  We’re interested in expanding our membership, updating the composition-rhetoric handbook, developing more classes for undergraduates in rhetorical theory and composition, and—perhaps most importantly—hearing from you.

If you’d like to join CRA, please contact Lisa Bailey, Chair of the New Member Outreach Sub-Committee, at baileyla@mailbox.sc.edu.