English 102
3/27/2013
Title: Formal Analysis of "Petition to Waive the Mathematics Requirement”
The purpose of this assignment is to evaluate the effectiveness of one argument on the topic of waiving the university mathematics requirement for undergraduate degree completion at ASU. The argument under consideration is: “Petition to Waive the University Mathematics Requirement.”
Adams, Gordon. “Petition to Waive the University Mathematics Requirement.”
Audience Description
1. Target Audience: The target audience for this argument is the University Standards Committee at Arizona State University.
2. Agenda: The purpose of the argument is to convince the Arizona State University Standards Committee to waive the mathematics requirement so that Adams may enter the ASU College of Law in the upcoming fall semester.
Audience Characteristics
1. Ideology: Since the Standards Committee is made up of professors who most likely come from a variety of political and/or religious backgrounds, the ideological outlook of this audience is undefined.
2. World Views: Professors, however, do share a common background rooted in their investment in higher education. They have a goal to uphold academic integrity and are committed to academic success for all students in their communities.
3. Education: Members of the University Standards Committee themselves have had formal training through their own higher education. In addition, most will also have had practical training through previous experience of being on the Standards Committee and having been presented with other petitions similar in nature to this one.
Argument Description
1. Tone: Throughout Adams’ letter he writes with a sense of pride. He talks about entering community college despite having only a ninth grade education; he describes earning a GED and placing in the top ten percent nationwide of those who took the GED test; and he goes on to mention that entering college is a “first” for his family...