Rationale and Goals for
Ball State University's
Writing Competency Program
Rationale:
The
Writing Competency Program is a university-wide program which oversees all
aspects of the Writing Competency Requirement, one of the Foundation
Requirements of Ball State University's Undergraduate Core Curriculum. The
Program is administered by faculty members from the Department of English in
conjunction with the Office of Academic Assessment and Institutional Research.
Because the Program has a university-wide mission, it actively seeks the
participation of faculty and staff members from all university departments and
offices.
The
Writing Competency Program is a two-part program comprised of ENG 392 (Writing
Competency Exam) and ENG 393 (Writing Competency Course). Each of these
courses satisfies the Writing Competency requirement for students pursuing
bachelor's degrees at Ball State University.
Both
ENG 392 and ENG 393 are designed to be completed by students who have earned at
least 60 but not more than 90 credit hours toward graduation. It is
assumed that at this point in their university education students will have
completed a sufficient number of Core Curriculum courses to be able to
demonstrate the intellectual, social, and communication abilities outlined by
the UCC goals. Thus, the Writing Competency Requirement should not be
considered simply an "exit" requirement necessary for graduation; rather, it
should be considered an integrated element of the Core Curriculum, one which
encourages students at a particular moment in their university education to
reflect on and articulate the ways their education experiences resonate in their
lives and possibly affect the multiple community groups they encounter.
Students may attempt ENG 392 twice, but if they remain unsuccessful, they have
the opportunity to satisfy the requirement by taking ENG 393. Students may
also receive credit for the Writing Competency requirement by passing ENG 393
without attempting ENG 392.
Goals:
ENG
392:
●
gives Junior-level students an opportunity to
demonstrate their ability to
communicate ideas in writing at a level acceptable for college graduates.
ENG 392 uses a timed-writing sample for this purpose.
●
asks students to articulate connections between
their knowledge and talents
and the social and cultural communities they inhabit.
●
respectfully acknowledges discipline-specific
approaches to knowledge sharing
and writing conventions.
●
is designed to identify students who, by taking
ENG 392, are unable to
demonstrate the ability to communicate in writing at a level acceptable for
college students.
●
seeks to operate as an integrated element of the
University Core Curriculum.
ENG
393:
●
gives Junior-level students an opportunity to
demonstrate their ability to
communicate ideas in writing at a level acceptable for college graduates
through the creation of a writing portfolio. The portfolio is comprised of
writing samples that emphasize and showcase a range of the writer's abilities,
including, but not limited to, the analytical, persuasive, and reflective.
●
asks students to articulate connections between
their knowledge and talents
and the social and cultural communities they inhabit.
●
respectfully acknowledges, encourages, and expects
discipline-specific
approaches to knowledge sharing and writing conventions.
●
offers students small-group writing instruction
and individualized attention.
●
gives students an alternative to the timed-writing
exam (ENG 392) to satisfy
the Writing Competency requirement.
●
is designed to assist students who, by taking ENG
392, are unable to
demonstrate the ability communicate in writing at a level acceptable for
college students.
●
seeks to operate as an integrated element of the
University Core Curriculum.
Frequently Asked Questions
General:
What is the Writing Competency
Program?
Who is in charge of the Program?
When should I complete the
Requirement?
For
On-Campus Students:
How do I sign up for
the Writing Competency Exam?
How often is the Writing Competency Exam offered to on-campus students?
Which
prompt should I sign up for? What’s available?
Which Subject Cluster does my
major belong to?
What if I have a disability
documented with the Office of Disabled Student Development?
How do I prepare for the
exam?
If I cannot attend the exam
session I’ve registered for, what should I do?
Can I obtain an “excused
absence” if my exam time conflicts with another class?
After registering, can I
change my exam date or subject cluster?
What if I can’t find my exam number after I
take the exam?
How is the exam graded?
How do I get my score?
Can I get my score online?
Can I get a copy of my exam or talk to someone
about my exam?
How many times may I take the exam?
Besides the exam, are there other ways to
satisfy the Writing Competency requirement for graduation?
How do I sign up for ENG 393?
I am a transfer student. Do I still
need to complete the Writing Competency Requirement?
For
Off-Campus Students:
I am enrolled through Ball State’s Extended
Education program. How do I satisfy my Writing Competency requirement?
How often is the Writing Competency Exam
offered to off-campus students?
- What is the Writing
Competency Program? This program oversees the Writing Competency
Requirement which is one of the Foundation Requirements of Ball State’s
Undergraduate Core Curriculum. Both ENG 392 (Writing Competency Exam) and
ENG 393 (Writing Competency Course) satisfy this graduation requirement for
students pursuing bachelor’s degrees at Ball State University. The goal of
both the exam and course is for students to demonstrate the written and
communication abilities outlined by the UCC goals. The UCC goals may be
found at
http://www.bsu.edu/web/uccollege/universitycore/.
- Who is in
charge of the Program? The program is monitored by the Office of
Academic Assessment and Institutional Research. The two primary
administrators are faculty members in the English Department. Their contact
information is listed below.
Program Coordinator:
Dr. Anna Priebe; RB 349, 285-0023
Outreach Administrator:
Dr. Steve Chalk; RB 240, 285-8585
-
When should I complete the Requirement? For each student, there is
a very specific “window” of time. At the time of enrollment for the Exam or
Course, students must have completed at least 60 credit hours, but not more
than 90 credit hours, and they must have passed ENG 104. If you are
registered for a section of ENG 393 (Writing Competency Course), you may not
sign up to take ENG 392 (The Writing Competency Exam) during the concurrent
grading period.
For On-campus
Students:
-
How do I sign
up for the Writing Competency Exam? Sign-up dates for upcoming
exams are posted online at
http://www.bsu.edu/web/assessment/writingcomp_signup.htm. They are
also advertised in the Daily News and around campus on fliers.
To sign up, students need to go in person to the Office of Academic
Assessment (WQ 200). This system allows students to obtain more
information, ask questions, and clarify details.
-
How often is the Writing Competency Exam offered to on-campus
students? In the Fall and Spring semesters, the exam cycle is
offered twice: usually September and November, and February and
March/April.
During Summer Semester it is offered once: usually in May.
-
Which prompt should I sign up for? What’s available?
During Fall and Spring semesters, each exam cycle provides six (6)
subject clusters, designed to accommodate students from all major fields
and concentrations. The subject clusters include: Business, Education,
General (for all fields), Liberal and Fine Arts, Science and Technology,
and Social Studies. Students may sign up for either the exam subject
cluster appropriate to their major field of studies (see explanation of
clusters below) or the General.
-
Which Subject Cluster does my major belong to?
Majors are clustered as follows:
Business: recommended for all Business majors
Education: recommended for all Education majors
General: recommended for all majors
Liberal and Fine Arts: recommended for Art, English, Foreign
Language, Music, and Theater Majors
Science and Technology: recommended for Architecture, Computer
Studies, Consumer Sciences, Health Sciences, Industrial Technology,
Math, Natural Sciences, Physical Sciences Majors (etc.)
Social Studies: recommended for Criminal Justice, History,
Journalism, Natural Sciences, Psychological Sciences, Psychology,
Sociology, Telecommunications, and Political Science Majors
- How do I prepare for the exam? For each
exam session in the Fall and Spring, a Help Session is offered on the
Wednesday afternoon immediately prior to the Writing Competency exam
week. In addition, students may practice by attempting earlier exam
prompts (available at http://www.bsu.edu/web/assessment/writingcomp_sample.htm).
The Writing Center in Robert Bell (RB 291) and the Writing Desk in the
Learning Center (NQ 300) offer consultation on written drafts.
-
What if I can’t find my exam number after I
take the exam? Students may bring a picture ID to the Office of
Academic Assessment (WQ 200) or the Writing Competency Program Office (RB
247) to find out their exam number. WQ 200 is staffed during business
hours. Office hours in RB 247 are posted outside that office.
-
How is the exam graded? Trained readers,
all of whom have taught courses at Ball State, score the exams on a
3-point scale: “2” and “3” scores pass, while “1” scores do not. The
specific grading rubric, including criteria for successful exams, is
available on-line at http://www.bsu.edu/web/assessment/writingcomp_scoring.htm
-
How do I get my score? Students need to
check their scores themselves. Scores are posted outside RB 247, WQ
200, and are available at all Advising Resource Centers. Scores may not
be given over the phone or by email.
-
Can I get my score online? No. On or
after the posting date, students must personally check their own scores
at one of the many sites on campus where they are posted. At the exam
session, each student receives a letter outlining the specific posting
times and locations.
-
Can I get a copy of my exam or talk to someone
about my exam? Of course. Students may request a copy of their
exam by visiting the Advising Resource Center for their major. After they receive their exam, they can contact the Writing Competency Office at
(765) 285-8272 to set up an appointment with a Writing competency staff
member to review the exam.
-
Besides the exam, are there other ways to
satisfy the Writing Competency requirement for graduation? Yes.
Students may satisfy the requirement by signing up for ENG 393, a
seven-week-long (five weeks during the summer terms), portfolio-based
writing course. Those enrolled write and revise four original
assignments, three of which are submitted for formal evaluation.
Successfully passing all three portfolio entries results in Writing
Competency credit. Students may enroll in ENG 393 at any point after
reaching 60 credit hours. Prior enrollment in the exam is not
required.
-
How do I sign up for ENG 393? Students
need to contact Ms. Jama Gibson at (765) 285-8583 in order to receive
permission to register for that class. Once they receive permission,
students sign up for the course in the normal fashion. Students may
contact one of the program administrators if they’d like more
information.
For Off-campus
Students:
-
How often is the Writing Competency Exam
offered to off-campus students? An off-campus section of ENG 392
will be offered each exam cycle during the regular academic year (not
including summer) to accommodate distance education students. To
be qualified to take ENG 392 as a distance education student, you must
be a BGS or BSN major and live more than 60 miles from the Ball State
campus. All BGS and BSN distance education students living within the 60
mile radius will be required to take the exam on campus. Make sure
to sign up during the scheduled sign-up period for a particular exam.
Distance education students may arrange for a qualified proctor in their
community to supervise their exam.
