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OBU—Oklahoma Baptist University
Dr. Charles Swadley
Dr. Charles Swadley

Dr. Charles Swadley

Associate Professor of English and Spanish

Biography

Dr. Charles Swadley holds degrees in Spanish, ESL, and Composition-Rhetoric, a variety of fields reflecting his abiding interest in language. At OBU he divides his teaching responsibilities between two departments. He is interested in classical rhetoric and has presented conference papers on the writings of Isocrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Dr. Swadley also studies contemporary composition theory and pedagogy and enjoys teaching writing. His interests in Spanish include short fiction and poetry, as well as popular novels and Spanish-language films. He has traveled to Mexico and Argentina.

Education

  • B.A., University of North Texas
  • M.A., University of North Texas
  • Ph.D., University of Oklahoma
  • Dissertation: Remembering Memory: Reconfiguring the Fourth Canon of Classical Rhetoric

Courses Taught

  • ENGL 1153: English Composition: Exposition & Argument
  • ENGL 1163: English Composition and Classical Literature
  • ENGL 2703: Advanced Writing: Composition
  • ENGL 2743: Advanced Writing: Technical
  • ENGL 4223: Introduction to Linguistics
  • ENGL 4243: Modern Grammar
  • SPAN 1313 / 1323: Beginning Spanish Language and Culture I / II
  • SPAN 2313 / 2323: Intermediate Spanish Language and Culture I / II
  • SPAN 2703: Spanish Conversation Skills
  • SPAN 2753: Readings in Literature and Culture

Publications and Presentations

  • “Wisdom as Successful Living: Reviving Isocrates and the Liberal Arts Tradition”
    Baylor Symposium on Faith and Culture, Waco TX, October 2011
  • “Why Johnny Can’t Remember: The ‘Literacy’ Crisis in Classical Greece and Its Significance Today”
    Invited Speaker, Second Biennial Symposium of the Institute for Writing, Rhetoric and Technology
    Norman OK, November 2010

  • “Teacher Response and Classical Rhetoric: A Remix”
    Conference on College Composition and Communication, Louisville KY, March 2010

  • “Student-Teacher Conferences: A Platonic Perspective”
    Federation Rhetoric Conference, Denton TX, February 2010

  • “Friendly Persuasion: Philia in Aristotle’s Civic Rhetoric”
    Baylor Symposium on Faith and Culture, Waco TX, October 2007

  • “Aptitude and Aspiration: Isocratic Paideia and the Problem of Physis”
    American Society for the History of Rhetoric, Pittsburgh PA, May 2005

  • “Fernández Retamar’s Cuban Caliban”
    American Comparative Literature Association, State College PA, March 2005