Frequently Asked Questions

Rhetoric placements are guided by student academic information. See the Proficiency and Placement page for information (make sure you are looking at your specific entry year). See the Courses page (or the Transfer page if you are a Transfer student) for more information as well. You should also consult with your advisor about your placement. Rhetoric staff is also available to answer questions!

Here is a list of common error messages that students receive when they are trying to register and what they mean. These are the most common restrictions for Rhetoric courses:

• Closed Section– Contact Course Department – The class is full or not open for some reason (being held for students in a particular program or major). Try to add another section of the class or keep checking to see if a seat has opened up. We do not overenroll our classes. However, students move classes often so keep checking for open seats during the add/drop period! 
• Course Prerequisite and/or Test Score Error– Contact Course Department – You get this message when you don’t have an attribute required of the course or section. This is most likely happening for Rhetoric because you have an ESL-placement and need to take the EPT through the ESL Writing program. This might also be happening because you are trying to register for a LLC section but do not live in a residence hall. Finally, this might be happening because you are scheduled to take Rhet 105 in the spring and are trying to take the class in the fall. Again, contact your advisor or a Rhetoric staff member if you want to ask for an override. We ONLY give overrides for ESL-placed students if they have earned a 4 on the EPT. 

Here are other restrictions that are not common for Rhetoric courses:

• Class Restriction– Contact Course Department – The class is being held for students at a particular class standing (i.e., freshmen, sophomore, junior, or senior). Try to add another section of the class.
• College Restriction– Contact Course Department – The class is being held for students in a particular college.
• CORQ REQ– Some classes require that you also register for a co-requisite or attached course. If you get this error, look at the error message, and it will tell you the class and CRN you need to add. Type both CRN’s and try again.
• Departmental Approval Required– You get this message when a course is restricted by the department.
• Linked Course Required– Specific lecture sections must be “linked” to a lab or discussion section. The lecture and the discussion/lab must start with the same letter (A, B, etc.).
• Field of Study Restriction– Contact Course Department – This class is being held for students in a particular major or majors.
• Program Restriction– Contact Course Department – You will get this message when a course is restricted to a particular program or major.
• Time Conflict with (CRN #)– You will get this message when the time of the course you tried to add conflicts with another.

International students and English language learners are placed according to TOEFL and English Placement Test scores. Please consult with your advisor about your placement, including whether you need to take the English Placement Test through the ESL Writing program. Students who earn a "4" on the EPT are eligible to register for Rhetoric 105. 

Unfortunately, we do NOT over-enroll any sections of Rhetoric. This is to protect the integrity of the learning process. Please continue to check sections for open seats during the open enrollment period. Similarly, we do NOT authorize late add requests. In our experience, students who miss the early weeks of class do not end up passing the class. 

First, review the Rhetoric departmental absence policy indicated in your course syllabus. Next, familiarize yourself with the Classroom Attendance policy outlined in the Student Code of Conduct: Article 5, Part 1.

First, contact your instructor. Many conflicts can be resolved simply by asking. If conflicts cannot be solved directly, then contact the Associate Director of Rhetoric. If you are still dissatisfied, you may file for a review of capricious grading according to the Student Code of Conduct Article 3 Part 1 (still go through the Rhetoric Director). 

Academic Integrity cases are guided by the Student Code of conduct. First, familiarize yourself with the relevant sections of the student code: Article 1, Part 4. Then, contact your instructor. If the case has moved beyond that point, contact the Associate Director of Rhetoric about your case.

There are many places where you might submit your amazing work from Rhetoric classes for publication!

• First, consider our own Rhetoric Program Student Essay Contest! Ask your instructor for submission links and deadlines.

• Second, UIUC has an undergraduate research symposium every year where you can share your research.

• The English Department publishes a literary criticism journal that may be relevant: ReSearch: The Undergraduate Literary Criticism Journal at the University of Illinois.

• There are many places beyond UIUC that publish student essays, particularly from first-year composition! Consider Xchanges, Young Scholars in Writing, and Queen City Writers, for example. Here is a list of places to consider!