Course Feedback:
Students consistently detailed my enthusiasm, accessibility, and course organization.
With over ten years of teaching experience, I’ve a record of evaluations demonstrating student satisfaction (a 4+ out of 5).
Ten Testimonials From Previous Students
“The course itself really gets individuals comfortable with speaking there mind on an issue”
“Very well prepared for classes. Shows enthusiasm when teaching. Enjoys teaching his lectures. Puts great effort into the class materials”
“This instructor is the most responsive and attentive instructor there is. Open communication is always available and he can be reached with simple questions or elaborate ones within 2 hours, often times within a few minutes. His attention to being present for students is unparalleled”
“The instructor cares for his students and those that show a effort to learn. The course materials were great to develop communication skills I'm presenting, critical thinking and analysing, and researching a topic. Absolutely an invaluable course and instructor”
“The instructor had a lot of energy while teaching, I was never bored while in class and he explained assignments and concepts very well. In addition, notes were very straight forward”
“Professor Tschirhart always made an effort to understand and provide help for his students. He also made the course more interesting by using charismatic language and prompting discussion”
“I liked that Dr. Tschirhart provided a large amount of detail in what goes into a proper argument. I also liked that he was there to answer questions when need be”
“Professor is fun to listen to and very well spoken. Topics are interesting enough for a communications class”
“Dr. T is young and extremely articulate. He made me want to improve in my critical thinking and articulation skills”
“Professor Tschirhart was an amazing teacher, and throughout the transition from in person to online he made sure to keep in contact with all of his students both with our course materials and mental well beings. The transition was clean and I never felt out of the loop with this class and of all my classes this is the one I look back on most fondly. Both him and the teaching assistant are passionate about the subject and they have a knack for helping their students understand some of the most difficult concepts with clever tricks and tips. 10/10 would recommend this class.”
These were taken from
Spring 2020 Student Course Evaluations
For additional qualitative comments or a full quantitative report of the previous ten years
teaching evaluations and grade point averages please send me an email request.
Three years of teaching experience in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. I designed and taught in-person and online courses related to critical thinking, persuasion, and digital media.
Dr. Tschirhart received his Ph. D. in Communication Studies from the University of Missouri where he taught university courses for five years.
While at Mizzou, Dr. Tschirhart taught Public Speaking, Argumentation and Advocacy, and Communication Studies.
Dr. Tschirhart was a semi-finalist at the 2010 collegiate National Forensic Association’s Lincoln-Douglass Debate Tournament.
While pursuing his M.A. degree, he coached the CMU Debate team to a second place finish at the NFA-LD national tournament.
List of Courses Taught
Critical Thinking in Public Argument: Seven Sections at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
This basic course fulfills the “Critical Thinking” general education requirement for all undergraduates and offers an exploration of public arguments with a critical lens. Students will learn the skills to construct strong arguments and develop the analytic skills necessary to evaluate public argument. This class will ask students to analyze the evidence and reasoning used in public arguments and encourage them to become critical consumers of information. This course is taught in online and in-person versions.
Survey of Communication Studies: Two Sections at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
This basic course provides a survey of the contexts, principles, and values of human communication to both majors and non-majors. The class is divided into three areas intended to overview areas of communication scholarship beginning with the history and foundations of the discipline, followed by a survey of rhetorical approaches to public argument, and finally an overview of interpersonal theories of communication.
Digital Persuasion and Design: Three Sections at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
This online course challenges students to understand how media technologies are conceptually, visually, and functionally curated for particular clients and audiences in new media environments and technological interfaces. This course teaches students a number of rhetorical operations integral to structuring ethical and effective user-centered designs.
Principles of Persuasion: Five Sections at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
This course introduces students to theories of persuasion and argumentation. In addition to studying the structure and uses of persuasion and argument in various spheres and contexts of communication, students will have an opportunity to apply and practice course skills through various debates, deliberations, and persuasive papers.
Rhetorical Criticism: Three Sections at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the development of rhetorical approaches to studying human communication. The course opens with a general introduction to critical reading and a brief history of the development of rhetorical studies. Following this introduction, the course is set up to offer a weekly focus on various approaches to rhetorical analysis and criticism.
The Rhetorical Tradition: Five Sections at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the foundations of rhetorical theory. Students will be engaged in an overview of how rhetoric was taught and practiced in different historical societies and develop an understanding and appreciation of the evolution of rhetoric as a disciplinary pillar of communication studies. Instead of merely observing the rhetorical canon over time, the course tasks students with becoming stewards of the tradition.
Famous Speeches: One Section at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
This class will ask students to understand and analyze a broad range of public speech texts and performances. The course seeks to complicate students understanding of famous speeches by widening its focus beyond the most “classic” speech texts to better understand how a range of forms of public address contribute to American history and influence or create social change
Public Speaking: Twelve sections at the University of Missouri
An undergraduate course averaging 25 students per semester, with chapters related to; outlining, various types of speeches, group communication, and methods of persuasion.
Survey of Communication Studies: Two Sections at the University of Missouri
This large undergraduate lecture course of 120 students included writing intensive lab sessions of 20 students led by teaching assistants. I led undergraduate writing labs with a focus on understanding, critiquing, and applying theories of communication to contemporary situations and key historical contexts.
Argumentation and Advocacy: Two Sections at the University of Missouri
An undergraduate course averaging 25 students per semester, with chapters related to: argumentation theory, public argumentation, deliberation, and debate. Students presented individual persuasive speeches, worked together in groups to develop a multi-media campaign, and regularly engaged in multi-person collaborative deliberations and debates.
Introduction to Communication: Four sections at Central Michigan University
A pre-requisite undergraduate course averaging 33 students per semester, with chapters related to: public speaking, small group communication, interpersonal conflict, and nonverbal communication.
Speech and Debate Team (Coach): Two years at Central Michigan University
Coached and mentored a team of 15 – 30 students through several competitive speech and forensic events including debate, informative speaking, persuasive speaking, rhetorical criticism, and dramatic interpretation. I am proud to have coached a student who earned second place at the National Forensics Association’s Lincoln-Douglas national debate tournament