Rate My Professor Rodney Dick

Dr. Rodney Dick is a Professor of English at the University of Mount Union, where he teaches in the Department of Literature and Communication Arts. He holds a Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition and an M.A. in English from the University of Louisville, as well as a B.A. in English and History from Gonzaga University. Originally from Billings, Montana, Dr. Dick pursued a career in higher education inspired by the strong relationships he developed with his college professors. He emphasizes that effective writing stems from diligent effort rather than innate talent. The English program at Mount Union uniquely focuses on studying people through literature, examining humanity's greatest successes and failures via their stories.

Dr. Dick's academic interests lie in professional writing and rhetoric, particularly the ways in which technology and interfaces shape writing processes. He integrates these topics into courses such as his First-Year Seminar "Is Technology Making Us Stupid?" and professional writing classes. His expertise includes professional writing, technical writing for businesses, rhetoric, the history of writing, publishing, editing, visual rhetoric, and document design. In administrative capacities, he serves as Director of Retention and Director of the Digital, Written, and Oral Communication Studio, having previously chaired the Department of English. Key publications comprise the chapter "The Writing Major as Shared Commitment" in Developments in Undergraduate Writing Majors and the article "Does Interface Matter? A Study of Web Authoring and Editing by Inexperienced Web Writers" (2006). Dr. Dick has delivered presentations including a LINC Luncheon on texting and a keynote at the East Central Writing Centers Association conference hosted at Mount Union in 2006. He was recognized at Mount Union's annual employee recognition ceremony in 2023.