:: Writing Proficiency
Writing Proficiency Assessments at Peer Institutions
Comparison of Peer (and other) Institutions in relation to Writing Proficiency Requirements
UMass Boston has ten Peer Institutions: three, Old Dominion, CUNY Brooklyn, and CUNY Queens, have Writing Proficiency Evaluations that are required for graduation; seven of ten require from one to three writing intensive classes as a graduation requirement. Five other institutions are listed, which are not “officially” peers, but have Junior or Upper Division Writing Proficiency Assessments. All are large public (one is urban) schools.
- University of Illinois at Chicago: http://www.uic.edu/depts/engl/writing/.Writing-in-the-Disciplines: As part of the major, students must successfully complete at least one course that requires extensive writing. This course should be taken before the beginning of the student's last semester. A required Writing-in-the-Discipline course is included in each major of the curriculum.
- Old Dominion University: Passing the Exit Examination of Writing Proficiency (EEWP) is a University graduation requirement that has been in place since 1980. Writing Proficiency Exit Exam, three hour timed-essay format: http://www.odu.edu/ao/ira/assessment/schev/writing.shtml . Writing Center that supports Writing Proficiency Exit Exam: http://web.odu.edu/al/wts/wts.htm.
- Georgia State University: Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) Program, which has peer tutors attached to WAC courses: http://wac.gsu.edu/content/faculty/consultants.shtml .
- University of Memphis: Writing Center listed on Home Page with no specific information. Gen. Ed. requires one Writing Intensive [W] (3 hours) upper division course designated as Writing Intensive and approved by advisor.
- University of Missouri at St. Louis: http://www.umsl.edu/services/cad/writing.html; Writing Intensive course required: students must also complete English 210 Advanced Expository Writing, or its equivalent, with a grade of C- or above.
- Cleveland State University: in addition to 101 and 102, three courses in Writing Across the Curriculum (Writing). For transfer students: Juniors (60-89 credit hours) must complete two courses; seniors (at least 90 credit hours) must complete one course.
- Portland State University: one course Writing Intensive, generally, in a student's major.
- CUNY Brooklyn: Writing Proficiency Exam that applies to all CUNY institutions: http://portal.cuny.edu/cms/id/cuny/documents/informationpage/002159.htm.
- CUNY Queens: Writing Proficiency Exam that applies to all CUNY institutions. Writing Center administered out of the WAC Program: http://qcpages.qc.cuny.edu/qcwsw/.
- George Mason University: WAC program requires one Writing Intensive course to graduate: http://cas.gmu.edu/wac/program/program.html; it is connected to a University Writing Center: http://writingcenter.gmu.edu/.
Other institutions that have portfolio or writing assessments:
- Washington State University: Junior Year Writing Portfolio Assessment: http://www.wsu.edu/~bcondon/wsuwp.html; Writing Center support Writing Programs and Assessment: http://www.wsu.edu/~wprogram/.
- SUNY Stony Brook: University Writing Requirement, Writing Portfolio exit exam from Lower-Division: http://ws.cc.stonybrook.edu/writrhet/philosophy/portfolio.html#1; University Writing Center is connected to University Program in Writing: http://naples.cc.stonybrook.edu/CAS/writingcenter1.nsf.
- University of Houston Downtown: Writing Proficiency Exam, exit exam from Lower-Division 60-75 credits http://www.uhd.edu/admissions/testing/WPE/aboutWPE.html; writing center runs workshops: http://www.uhd.edu/student/cib/news/news46.html.
- University of California-Davis: http://writingprogram.ucdavis.edu/compexam/. Timed essay examination that is an upper-division graduation requirement, which can also be fulfilled by coursework depending upon College requirements.
- The California State University System: All twenty-seven schools require a Writing Proficiency Exam for graduation: http://www.calstate.edu/AcadAff/GWAR_review_2002.shtml.
- University of California, San Diego: The Muir College Writing Program is a sequence of courses in critical thinking and the writing of expository prose: http://muir.ucsd.edu/muir-writing/ .
- Southeastern Missouri State University: Writing Assessment Program requires an exit exam from First year English, plus Junior Writing Proficiency Exam or Portfolio assessment: http://ustudies.semo.edu/wop/wap/index.htm. University Writing Center with online paper draft submission: http://ustudies.semo.edu/writing/about.asp.
- Hampden-Sidney College: Rhetoric Proficiency Exam is a Graduation requirement; Writing Center counsels students who need to retake the exam:http://www.hsc.edu/academics/rhetoric/proficiency.html .
- Tarleton State University: Writing Proficiency Exam is a Graduation requirement, Writing Center supports students, http://www.tarleton.edu/~testing/wpe.htm.
- Carlton College: Carleton College has had a long-standing writing requirement. Follow this link for the details: http://webapps.acs.carleton.edu/campus/dos/academic_regs/?policy_id=21557 . The Writing Requirement is met by a Writing Portfolio: http://apps.carleton.edu/campus/writingprogram/carletonwritingprogram/ . The Portfolio Requirements are: http://apps.carleton.edu/campus/writingprogram/carletonwritingprogram/portfolio_requirements/.