UNIVERSITY
POLICY ON WRITTEN ENGLISH PROFICIENCY
ACADEMIC
SENATE POLICY #S01-14
(Formerly F87-14); revised by F93-14
The following revised Committee Charge and Committee
Composition were approved by the Academic Senate at its meetings of February 20,
2001 and November 6, 2001:
EDUCATIONAL
PHILOSOPHY
The development of student writing skills is both central to
the mission of the University and dependent on the full and active
participation of faculty from all segments of the academic community. Although major responsibility for teaching
English composition has historically resided within the English Department, the
University's written English requirements apply to students, spanning a broad
spectrum of academic majors and interests.
The University Committee on Written English Proficiency
(CWEP) was established to encourage and support broad and effective faculty
participation in the teaching and assessment of student writing. Towards these
ends, the committee sponsors a wide array of services and activities in support
of curricula and programs that foster the teaching, learning and assessment of
written English; these services, activities and programs should be sensitive to
the needs of a multi-cultural diverse student population. Furthermore, the committee
endorses the principle that test development, procedures and instruments should
reflect thoughtful and humanistic consideration of all people, be sensitive to
the multi-cultural and ethnic diversity of our students, and to the extent
possible be valid, reliable and free of bias.
This document describes the formal University Program in
Written English Proficiency and highlights the special role and responsibility
of instructors of undergraduate and graduate composition courses.
CWEP has the responsibility for promoting all-university participation in encouraging writing proficiency of undergraduate and graduate students at San Francisco State University. For this reason, it is important that no modifications to existing policy on undergraduate written English proficiency and/or to existing procedures in the implementation of undergraduate and graduate written English proficiency be made without prior consultation with CWEP. Similarly, any recommendations that CWEP may make for substantive policy changes must be submitted to the appropriate standing academic committees (e.g., EPC, APC, CRAC, GEC) and to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and/or his/her designee. Recommendation for routine procedural modifications must be submitted to the chair of the Academic Senate.
Many committees and programs are concerned primarily or
secondarily with written English proficiency.
It will be important for CWEP to maintain formal consultation (i.e.,
sharing of agendas and notices and other methods of communication) with such
committees and programs (e.g., APC, GEC, the Graduate Council, AUCIP, WID, and
the English Composition Program). Other
committee chairs considering issues that are likely to be go before CWEP shall
consult with the chair of CWEP whenever relevant issues arise and/or shall
forward copies of meeting agendas and minutes to CWEP on a regular basis. Chairs may request a liaison to attend the
meetings, when needed, or ask to meet with the entire committee.
The specific functions of CWEP include:
§
Workshops focusing on
such topics as grading, holistic evaluation, pedagogical strategies, and other
competency areas to enhance the overall quality of instruction in courses
having a substantial written English component;
§
Workshops for
instructors interested in improving the quality of student writing across
curriculum;
§
Workshops on cultural
and linguistic diversity;
§
Development and
distribution of guidelines and materials to assist faculty members in enhancing
both the content and pedagogy of written communication in English.
components,
including assessment procedures, upon written request from program
faculty. Copies of CWEP’s written
recommendations will be submitted to the appropriate department chair, college
dean and Dean of Undergraduate Studies and/or Dean of the Graduate Division;
Recommendations for
substantive policy changes must be submitted to the appropriate standing academic
policy committees (e.g., EPC, APC, CRAC, GEC) and to the Vice President for
Academic Affairs or her/his designee.
Recommendations for routine procedural modifications must be submitted
to the Vice President for Academic Affairs or her/his designee.
UNDERGRADUATE
WRITTEN ENGLISH POLICY
Lower Division
All newly admitted undergraduate students who are subject to
the 48-unit General Education Program requirements must complete the
appropriate written English course and test requirements listed below.
1. Undergraduate
Entry Level Placement Tests (EPT and ESLPT):
All newly admitted undergraduate students must take the
California State University English Placement TEST (CSU-EPT) during their first
semester of attendance at SFSU, except those with an approved EPT test or
course exemption. The results of the EPT will not affect admissions
eligibility. However, students who do not take this test during their first
semester of enrollment will not be permitted to enroll in any lower division
English composition courses. Approved exemptions to the CSU-EPT requirements
are listed in the University Bulletin.
In addition to taking the CSU-EPT, all non-native speakers
of English who wish to enroll in ESL courses must also take the SFSU-ESLPT
(English-as-a-Second Language Placement Test) before the end of their second
semester of instruction. Non-native speakers may consult the ESL Program
Coordinator or the Testing Office for the SFSU-ESLPT schedule. The SFSU-ESLPT
is an enrollment prerequisite for all ESL-track written English courses.
2. Developmental
Written English Instruction:
Both
native and non-native speakers of English who do not pass the CSU-EPT and/or
the SFSU-ESLPT may be eligible for one or more of the developmental options
listed below. Enrollment in these courses will depend on students' scores on
these tests as well as the recommendations of the ESL Coordinator and/or the
Coordinator of Writing Skills Program.
A. Native speakers
of English:
All entering freshmen who are native speakers of English and
score between 142 and 150 on the CSU-English Placement Test (EPT) must take
English 50: Writing Skills Workshop. This courses focuses on the development of
college-level sentence, paragraph, and essay writing abilities.
Students who are native speakers of English and who score
141 or below on the CSU-EPT are encouraged to take English 49: Intensive
Learning English and English 50: Writing Skills Workshop. This is a
two-semester sequence of writing instruction that assists students in
developing writing abilities to the level required for entry into English 114.
B. Non-native
speakers of English:
Students who are non-native speakers of English, and who
score below 142 on the CSU-EPT may also take the SFSU-ESLPT, to qualify for
entry into ESL courses equivalent to English 114 and 214.
Those whose scores on the SFSU-ESLPT are in the lowest
quartile are encouraged to take English 201 and 202, a two-semester sequence of
composition coursework for ESL students.
Units and grades
earned in writing courses numbered below 100 DO NOT count toward meeting graduation requirements. Successful
completion of English 49 and 50 by those students needing them is an enrollment
pre-requisite for English 114 and 214.
3. English 114:
Students should
take English 114, a foundation course in college-level composition skills,
prior to completing 30 units of courses work. Only those students who can
demonstrate one of the following are exempt:
a) A "passed for
credit" score on the CSU English Equivalency Examination (EEE);
b) A score of 3,4, or
5 on either the Language and Composition or Composition and Literature
examinations of the College Board Advanced Placement Program;
c) Completion
of an equivalent college-level course elsewhere of 3 semester- or 4
quarter-units with a grade of credit (CR) or C- or better.
Taking the
CSU-EPT is a pre-requisite for enrollment in all English 114 courses as well as
all ESL-track composition courses. Taking the SFSU-ESLPT is also an enrollment
prerequisite for all ESL-track written composition courses.
Students who are
non-native speakers of English may enroll in English 209 as an English 114
substitute, only if they receive a qualifying score on the SFSU-ESLPT exam and
the approval of the ESL Coordinator.
Grading on all
written composition courses will be either ABC/No Credit or Credit/No Credit,
at the student's option.
4. English 214:
English
214 is a GE Basic Subjects foundation course in composition, logic, style,
rhetoric and literature. Students normally take English 214 after completing 24
semester units and prior to completing 60 semester units, unless they have one
of the following exemptions:
a) "Passed for
credit" score on the CSU English Equivalency Examination (EEE);
b) A score of 3,4, or
5 on either the Language and Composition or Composition and Literature
examinations of the College Board Advanced Placement Program;
c) Completion
of an equivalent college-level courses elsewhere of 3 semester- or 4
quarter-units with a grade of credit (CR) or C- or better.
For native
speakers of English, successful completion of English 114 or its equivalent is
a pre-requisite for enrollment in all 214 courses. Students who are non-native
speakers of English may enroll in English 310, as an English 214 substitute,
only if they receive a qualifying score on the SFSU-ESLPT examination and the
approval of the ESL Coordinator.
5. Alternate 214
Courses:
The
existing alternate 214 courses are like English 214, fundamental writing
courses in which a subject matter area (e.g., music) serves primarily as a
vehicle for the teaching/learning of writing and composition skills rather than
discipline-specific content. The design and pedagogy of 214 alternates should
focus primarily on writing and composition skills. In order to achieve this
goal, all active alternate English 214 courses shall be periodically reviewed
by CWEP.
Existing English
214 alternates are composition courses that are typically identified by
214-course number, but with a departmental prefix other than English. The
approved alternatives to English 214 are the following:
AAS 214 EDUC
214 HUM
214 SPCH
214
AIS 214 ENG
310 LARA
214 THA
214
BLS 214 GEOG
214 MUS
214 WOMS
214
BUS 214 HIST
214 NEXA
214 WCL
214
Faculty teaching
English 214 alternates must possess demonstrated qualifications and
competencies to teach a written composition course. The appointing department
chair and school dean, in consultation with the Dean of the School of
Humanities and the Chair of the English Department, are responsible for the
assessment of these qualifications before the person is assigned to teach any
written composition courses.
The Dean of
Undergraduate Studies will serve as a liaison with department chairs and school
deans to ensure that goal, and, if necessary, to resolve conflicts
For native
speakers of English, successful completion of English 114, or its equivalent,
is a prerequisite for enrollment in all English 214 alternate course sections.
Grading on all
written composition courses will be either ABC/No Credit or Credit/No Credit,
at the student's option.
Upper Division
All undergraduate students must demonstrate upper-division
written English proficiency as prescribed in University policy. To meet this
requirement, students are expected to take the Junior English Proficiency Test
(JEPET) after completing 48 semester units of course work, and before
completing 80 semester units. To be eligible to take this examination, students
are required to have passed English 114 and 214, or their equivalents. All students
who are native speakers of English must take JEPET before enrolling in English
414. Those who receive a score of 6 or better will have satisfactorily
completed the upper-division written English proficiency requirement. Those who
receive a total score of less than 6 on the JEPET must either re-take the test
or successfully complete English 414. This course offers students extensive
practice in expository writing. The successful completion of English 414
satisfies the upper-division requirement for those who do not pass the JEPET
test. Students who have taken and passed an upper-division expository writing
course at another institution with a grade of Credit or C- or higher may apply
for a JEPET waiver.
Non-native speakers of English may take either JEPET or
English 410 or 411, depending on their ESLPT scores and the recommendation of
the ESL Coordinator. Non-native speakers and bilingual students who elect to
take JEPET and do not pass may take English 410 or 411 only with the approval
of the ESL Coordinator.
Grading on all upper-division written composition courses
will be either ABC/No Credit or Credit/No Credit, at the student's option.
EXCEPTION TO
THE UNDERGRADUATE WRITTEN ENGLISH POLICY
Students who were enrolled at San Francisco State University,
or at another California State University campus, or at a California community
college BEFORE FALL, 1981, and who have maintained
continuous attendance subsequent to their initial enrollment, are not subject
to these written English requirements.
These students will be held to the written English requirements as
stated in the SFSU Bulletin in effect when they began their first term
of continuous attendance.
GRADUATE
WRITTEN ENGLISH PROFICIENCY POLICY
All students in programs of graduate study at SFSU must
demonstrate entry-level and exit-level writing proficiency in accordance with
the "Guidelines to Establish English Writing Proficiency for Graduate
Students."
1. Entry-level
Writing Proficiency
All newly
admitted graduate students shall demonstrate entry-level writing proficiency in
English at a level consistent with the expectation for advanced work in their
chosen fields of postgraduate study.
To assess the
entry-level writing proficiency of newly admitted graduate students,
departments shall employ one of the following evaluation options:
a) Require students
to take the SFSU Graduate Essay Test (GET);
b) Require students
to submit scores on an acceptable and nationally recognized graduate-level
examination that requires an expository writing sample;
c) Require students
to submit to the Department Chair and/or Graduate Coordinator or Committee
Chair expository writing completed in one of the department's required courses
during the first term of enrollment for evaluation of entry-level writing
proficiency;
d) Require students
to take a graduate-level writing examination calling for expository prose
administered and proctored by the department/program to which the student has
been admitted;
e) Require students
to submit for departmental review a portfolio of expository essays other
expository writings, or equivalent written creative work.
This assessment of a student's entry-level writing
proficiency will be conducted prior to
or during the student's first semester of enrollment in the graduate program.
Students who pass an approved examination or successful completion of the
assessment processes stipulated above will have satisfied the graduate
entry-level writing proficiency requirement.
Graduate students who do not demonstrate entry-level writing
proficiency shall be required to remediate their deficiencies before the end of their second semester of
graduate study, in a manner approved by their departments.
2. Assessment of
Exit-level Writing Proficiency
Graduate students
shall demonstrate exit-level writing proficiency by one or more of the
following methods:
a) Writing an
acceptable Master's thesis;
b) Writing a
substantial paper in a culminating course or seminar;
c) Successfully
completing a comprehensive written examination administered by their
department/program;
d) Successfully
completing a discipline-based project, creative work, or other activity that
requires extensive writing.
Departments that cannot certify the completion of the
exit-level graduate writing proficiency requirement, either before approving
the Graduate Approved Program, or by exercising one of the
culminating-experience options described above, shall submit a reasonable
alternate plan to the Dean of the Graduate Division.
The Written English Proficiency Committee will serve as a
resource and liaison to the Graduate Council, the Dean of the Graduate
Division, and schools, departments and programs in responding to concerns or
issues related to the entry- and exit-level graduate writing proficiency
requirements.
CWEP will consist of the following members:
1.
Three faculty members
from the English Department, including one designated
Member from the composition program faculty and one
designated member from the ESL program faculty, elected by the English
Department according to its established procedures;
2. Two faculty members from areas other than the English Department elected at-large by the university faculty;
3.
One faculty member
from an area other than the English Department who has experience teaching
composition, elected at large by the university faculty;
4.
One undergraduate and
one graduate student selected by the Associated Students;
5.
One tenured English
Department faculty member invited by CWEP from one of the major feeder
community colleges and who will serve as the community college liaison to CWEP;
6.
One faculty member
from the Learning Assistance Center, to be appointed by the Dean of
Undergraduate Studies;
7.
The Dean of
Undergraduate Studies or his/her designee, to serve ex officio;
8.
The Dean of the
Graduate Division or his/her designee, to serve ex officio;
9.
One member of
the Academic Affairs and to serve as staff to the committee ex officio;
10.
The ESL coordinator
(or designee), to serve ex officio;
11.
The GET coordinator
(or designee), to serve ex officio;
12.
The JEPET coordinator
(or designee), to serve ex officio;
13.
The LAC coordinator
(or designee), to serve ex officio;
14.
The Reading
coordinator (or designee), to serve ex officio.