Title: Beyond A System Mandate:
1Beyond A System Mandate
- How Students and Faculty at CSUMB meet the GWAR
requirement - Joseph Eng
2Areas of Interest
- University Writing Program context and a brief
history of our GWAR work - How Students currently meet the requirement
- How Faculty help students (and themselves) meet
the requirement - Current Issues/wrinkles
- Questions from audience
31. Program context and a brief history of our
GWAR work1. a. The UWP at CSUMB
http//writing.csumb.edu/site/x5348.xml
41. b. Executive order and the earlier exam
logistics
- Executive order from the CSU Chancellor, dated
Feb. 28, 1997, mentioned, re. GWAR, in section C,
item 4., - Certification is an all-campus responsibility.
Certification may rely on evidence of writing
ability as demonstrated in written coursework,
essay examinations, or other measures of student
writing competence. Measures may be developed
which best fit individual campus needs.
5CSUMBs Earlier Exam Practice 1997-2004
- GWAR Timed Writing was done in a class setting
simply for expedience. - The exam consisted of two parts, including Part
1 Essay (50 minutes), students responded to a
paragraph presenting one perspective of a
complex issue, by answering the question what
might one other perspective be, and where do you
place your own perspective in relation to the
other perspectives? and - Part 2 Self-Reflection Essay (30 minutes),
students would respond to What would you have
done differently to improve your response, if you
had more time? - The essay exam was evaluated by faculty readers,
with a published criterion gauging students
ability to demonstrate focus, organization,
support, and proofreading. - A given essay involved two readers, with a third,
who was the UWP director or another faculty
reader to decide on a split reading. Students
who failed would enroll in a one-credit skills
course offered in an academic support center, and
were asked to retake the exam.
6Memo from Acting Dean of College of Undergrad
ProgramsJune 2004
- requesting full transition from Timed Exam to
Course-Based GWAR Assessment at CSUMB
72. How Students currently meet the requirement
- http//catalog.csumb.edu/site/x4351.xml
- (general EngCom information and courses at each
level) - http//catalog.csumb.edu/site/x8051.xml
- (for specific approved C level courses meeting
GWAR)
82. a. Specific EngCom outcomes and approved
courses
- ENGLISH-COMMUNICATION (ULR)
- The outcomes indicate the knowledge, skills, and
abilities in which students must demonstrate
competency. The criteria establish the means by
which those outcomes will be assessed. Finally,
the standards describe a satisfactory level for
student performance (the equivalent of passing
with a grade of C).
92. a. i. CSUMBs EngCom Outcomes
- OUTCOME Comprehension/Interpretation Ability to
use empathic and critical reading, listening,
viewing, and speaking skills to understand
information and ideas, to distinguish among
diverse genres of communication, to identify a
point of view and its explicit support and to
locate significant points of agreement and
disagreement among multiple perspectives. -
- OUTCOME Analysis/Evaluation Ability to use
empathic and critical thinking skills to
understand why different perspectives exist on a
given topic and to assess their merits. - OUTCOME Decision Making Ability to use
empathic and critical thinking skills to make
ethical and effective decisions. - OUTCOME Presentation Ability to use oral and
written communication ethically, effectively, and
competently.
102. a. ii. Outcomes at a glance EngCom A, B, and
C Courses
112. b. Independent Assessment
- http//writing.csumb.edu/site/x17018.xml
- What is Independent Assessment?
- Independent Assessment provides an alternative
path to taking courses. It requires that students
submit evidence of their work to a committee made
up of faculty who teach the English
Communications courses.
12- Who should apply?
- If you believe yourself to be an articulate
writer and speaker, with strong preparation from
previous institutions in both written and oral
communication, then you are encouraged to apply.
In addition to having the skills commonly
associated with good writing and speaking, you
also will need to have evidence of criteria
specific to the EngCom requirement, especially
rhetorical awareness and empathic and critical
listening."
13- What is the process?
- Once you have signed up for EngCom Independent
Assessment, the EngCom Committee Chair will send
information via e-mail regarding timelines,
applications procedures, and criteria. - What evidence do you supply?
- You will have two important contacts with the
committee the Cover Letter and Portfolio
Worksheets, and the Portfolio itself.
14- The Cover Letter and Portfolio Worksheets serve
as the first formal contact with the Committee.
The Portfolio is your second contact with the
Committee. It provides evidence that you can
handle complex ideas in extended written and oral
communications and has three required components - Two samples of writing
- VHS-formatted videotape of a public speech or
similar oral communication.
15- How does the committee evaluate portfolios?
- Each portfolio is read/viewed by members of the
committee and rated "passing" or "needs more
work." Any piece that does not pass will be read
by two, or in some cases, three members of the
Committee. The Committee uses stated criteria
provided to students who apply for Independent
Assessment. Both criteria and standards have been
established by the Committee prior to the
evaluation of portfolios.
162. c. Student Support Services
- i. Academic Skills Achievement Program (An
academic support center) - http//asap.csumb.edu/
- ii. A developmental English course WRT 95,
Integrated Reading and Writing - http//writing.csumb.edu/site/Images/writing/wrt95
prospectus.pdf
173. How Faculty help students (and themselves)
meet the requirement
- 3. a. EngCom C Courses as Proseminars, Major
Learning Outcomes, and Capstones - BUSINESS 304 4 credits Ongoing approval from
Fall 2003 - COLLABORATIVE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 302 4
credits Ongoing approval from Fall 2007 - COMPUTER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 300 2 credits
AND CST 300L 2 creditsOngoing approval
from Spring 2000 - EARTH SYSTEMS SCIENCE AND POLICY 300 4
creditsOngoing approval from Fall 2001 - GLOBAL STUDIES 362 4 creditsOngoing approval
Spring 2003 through Spring 2008 - HUMAN COMMUNICATION 311 3 credits, open only to
Liberal Studies students.Ongoing approval from
Fall 2006 Practical Reasoning and Communication - HUMAN COMMUNICATION 312 4 creditsOngoing
approval from Fall 1995 Cooperative
Argumentation
183. b. EngCom C course information
- EngCom learning communities
- All faculty teaching EngCom courses
- Meet to certify courses proposed for the EngCom
curriculum - Meet to discuss pedagogy/assessment, if time
allows - Teaching and assessment coops
- UWP-lead workshops
- Prefall all-campus teaching workshops
194. Current Issues/wrinkles
- 4. a. EngCom needs in this distributed model,
involving department chairs cooperation - 4. b. English Communication course
recertification
204. b. i. An EngCom Exit Portfolio(being drafted)
- EngCom C
- Exit Portfolios will include the following
minimal submissions - One revised essay in comprehension and
interpretation. Example HCom 312 Critical and
Empathic Reading Response - One revised essay in analysis and evaluation.
Examples HCom 312 Personal Argument Analysis
Essay and Rhetorical Analysis of an Argument. - One revised essay demonstrating decision-making
abilities. Examples HCom 312 Researched
Argument Essay and Group Roundtable Findings
Essay. - One revised essay demonstrating presentation
skills. Examples HCom 312 Community Policy
Letter to a Public Body and Written Research
Proposal. - One Impromptu writing sample demonstrating
technical competency - One reflection essay (if not included in the
above)
21EngCom C Exit Portfolio (continued)
- 4 b. ii. A Shared Criteria and a Holistic Reading
Rubric (being piloted during Spring, 07 Coops) - 4 b. iii. An EngCom Instruction Guidebook
- 4 b. iv. An All-Campus Pre-Fall Teaching Workshop
(as a TLA-UWP coop)
22- 4. c. Independent Assessment
- Because of the current EngCom Assessment Coops,
UWP is interested in aligning the proposed EngCom
Exit Portfolio with the current requirements of
Independent Assessment. - 4. d. Capstone courses needing outcomes
235. Questions from audience
- End of powerpoint
- E-mail address joseph_eng_at_csumb.edu