Karen P. Peirce, associate director of the Center for Writers, published a chapter, titled “Employing Ethos to Cross the Borders of Difference: Teaching Civil Discourse,” in the edited collection "Crossing Borders/Drawing Boundaries: The Rhetoric of Lines across America."

"The chapter focuses on the teaching of academic writing with the aim of helping students achieve mutual understanding, rather than the predominant emphasis on helping students achieve persuasion and the winning of arguments," Peirce explained. "Ethos, which is usually defined as credibility, is often taught to students as a tool for achieving persuasion, but in this chapter, I explore a different definition of ethos that emphasizes openness and the asking of questions."

Peirce suggests by teaching this type of ethos in writing courses, public discourse may become more "civil than we often see in contemporary current events."

The book is available for purchase from Utah State University Press in advance of its January 2016 release date. Details and more information can be found at http://upcolorado.com/utah-state-university-press/item/2788-crossing-borders-drawing-boundaries.

Peirce earned a bachelor's degree from Rollins College, master's degree at Carnegie Mellon University and doctorate from the University of Arizona.

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