June 2008 WPE Registration Period has Ended.

June 2008 WPE Schedule

April 28, 2008 (M): Preview of topics.
May 5, 2008 (M) thru June 3, 2008 at 5 p.m. (T): Registration Period.
June 7, 2008 (Saturday): 10:00 a.m. Reading Set A Timed-Essay Exam.
June 7, 2008 (Saturday): 2:00 p.m. Reading Set B Timed-Essay Exam.
June 9, 2008 (M): Portfolios due by 4:00 p.m. in the WP Office (CC 2/2100).
June 9, 2008 (M): 10:00 A.M. Reading Set C Timed-Essay Exam.
June 19, 2008 (Th): Results of the timed essay exams emailed to students and posted on WISER. E-mails will be sent to the address given at registration.
June 20, 2008 (F): Resutls of portfolio submissions emailed to students and posted on WISER. E-mails will be sent to the address given at registration.
June 20, 2008 (F): thru June 27, 2008 (F): Counseling for students who must retake the WPE and for those who want to appeal.
June 30, 2008 (M): Appeals due in WPO CC 2/2100 by 4:00 p.m.
July 2, 2008 (W): Appeal results emailed to students and posted on WISER. E-mails will be sent to the address given at registration.

The Schedule for the next WPE (Oct. 2008):

September 9th (T): Preview of topics.
September 15th (M) –October 20th (M) at 5:00 p.m.: Registration Period.
October 24th (Th): Portfolios due by 4:00 p.m. in the WP Office (CC/2/2100).
October 30th (Th): Results emailed to students and posted on WISER. E-mails will be sent to the address given at registration.
October 31th (F): Counseling period for students with retake results & whose who want to appeal.
November 7th (F): Appeals due by 4:00 p.m. at WP Office (CC/2/2100).
November 11th (T): Appeals results e-mailed to students and posted on WISER. E-mails sent to the address given at registration.

Please note: The requirements for the Portfolio were recently revised. Please click on the Portfolio Requirements (also on left menu) to read the current policies. In order to prepare for the WPE, you should understand the criteria that will be used to assess your writing. If you are not familiar with the grading criteria, please read Elements of Writing Proficiency (left menu) for details.

:: Writing Proficiency

Can I Appeal the Evaluation of my Essay?

You have the right to appeal the result of the WPE to an Appeals Committee. The committee consists of faculty who were not involved in the original grading of your essay. Students may appeal the evaluation of either the timed-essay exam or the portfolio. You will find the appeal deadline on your information sheet. When you have your conference with a counselor in the Writing Proficiency Office (WPO), your right to appeal will be explained to you. You must submit an appeal in writing to the Director of Writing Assessment, WPO by a date to be specified during your conference. You can mail or bring your appeal to the WPO (CC/2/2100).

In your conference with a counselor from the WPO, we will identify the issues that the faculty readers raised about your essay. We will discuss the criteria that the faculty used to assess your essay, and the areas in the essay that the faculty readers want you to improve. If the faculty readers have determined you need to improve your ability in a specific area, and you believe that you have demonstrated proficiency in that area, you may appeal their judgment.

After you understand the specific issues, you will need to write a letter that addresses the issues raised in the reader's report and make a clear, strong case for new readers to evaluate whether or not your essay or portfolio has demonstrated the proficiency criteria and should be judged a "pass." Three faculty members have already evaluated the exam or portfolio as a "retake"; the new faculty readers will not simply nullify their decision. You need to understand the criteria for proficiency, the issues raised by the readers, and then you need to make a persuasive argument about your case to win an appeal.

Please note that issues outside of the criteria listed in the Elements of Writing Proficiency, such as your GPA, the number of credits you have, or any other external factor are not relevant to your appeal. Your appeal must focus on the particular issues raised in the faculty readers' report evaluating your performance, and you must demonstrate the criteria are used in your essay.

Of course, you are expected to produce the appeal letter in an independent manner, just as you have done in producing your essay. If it is determined that you have not written your appeal letter independently, the appeal will also be graded as "void."