UNIVERSITY
POLICY ON WRITTEN ENGLISH PROFICIENCY
REVISED Academic Senate Policy #S03-14
Incorporates both revisions to the JEPET guidelines 03/11/04 and the
“Undergraduate Written English Policy” section of S03-14-A 04/15/0, formally
S01-14)
(Formerly Academic
Senate Policy #F02-214)
OVERVIEW
This document describes the
formal University program in written English proficiency. It also highlights
the special role and responsibility of instructors of undergraduate and
graduate composition courses as well as the charge and the membership of the University Committee
on Written English Proficiency.
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.
UNIVERSITY
POLICY ON WRITTEN ENGLISH PROFICIENCY
S03-14-B (Replaces the “Undergraduate Written English Policy”
section of S03-14-A, formally S01-14)
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 51: Introduction to College Writing I,
concurrently with English 121: Effective College Reading II. Students should
take these courses in their first semester of enrollment at SFSU. These
one-semester courses assist students in developing reading/writing abilities to
the level required for entry into English 114.
All entering freshmen who are native speakers of English and who score
141 or below on the CSU-EPT must
take. English 48: Introduction to College
Writing I concurrently with English 118: Effective College Reading II in their
first semester of enrollment at SFSU. They must take English 51: Introduction
to College Writing I, concurrently with English 121: Effective College Reading
II in their second semester. This two-semester sequence of courses assists students in
developing reading/writing abilities to the level
required for entry into English 114.
Units and
grades earned in writing courses numbered below 100 DO NOT count toward meeting graduation requirements. Successful
completion of the developmental
English sequence by those students needing
it is an enrollment
pre-requisite for English 114 and 214.
B.
Non-native speakers of English:
Students who are non-native speakers of English and
who choose to take the ESL Program courses must take the ESL Placement Test to
qualify for entry into ESL courses equivalent to English 114 (English 209: ESL:
Composition I) and 214 (310: ESL Composition: II). Students who elect to fulfill their English
requirements in the ESL Program may also be advised to take English 212: ESL
Advanced Grammar for Writing, based on their ESLPT scores. EPT scores are not used in qualifying or
placing students in the ESL Program.
Transfer and international students whose ESLPT
scores fall below the qualifying scores for English 209 are required to take
two concurrent courses: English 204: ESL Reading and Study Skills, and English
208: ESL Grammar for Writing I.
First-time freshmen who are permanent residents or citizens, and who
have attended high school in the
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 score
of 3,4, or 5 on either the Language and Composition or Composition and
Literature examinations of the College Board Advanced Placement Program;
b.
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 Program composition courses. Taking the SFSU-ESLPT is also an
enrollment prerequisite for all ESL Program 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. 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;
b.
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
the University Committee on Written English Proficiency.
Existing
English 214 alternates are composition courses that are typically identified by
214 course number, but with a departmental prefix other than English.
Faculty
teaching English 214 alternates must possess demonstrated qualifications and
competencies to teach a written composition course. The appointing department
chair and college dean, in consultation with the Dean of the
The Dean
of Undergraduate Studies will serve as a liaison with department chairs and
college 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 A, B, C, No Credit or Credit/No Credit, at
the student's option.
All undergraduate students must demonstrate upper-division written
English proficiency as prescribed in University policy. To meet this
requirement, students must take the Junior English
Proficiency Test (JEPET) after completing 48 semester units of course work, and
before completing 80 semester units. If
a student has not taken JEPET before s/he completes 80 units, s/he will lose
registration priority, beginning the following semester, until s/he has taken
JEPET.
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 pass JEPET will have satisfactorily
completed the upper-division written English proficiency requirement. Those who fail JEPET must successfully complete English 414, a course that offers
students extensive practice in expository writing. Students who do not pass JEPET must take
English 414 the semester immediately after they take JEPET. If a student has not taken English 414, or an
appropriate ESL course, during the semester immediately after s/he has taken
and failed JEPET, the student will lose his/her registration priority,
beginning the following semester, until s/he has enrolled in ENG 414. The
successful completion of English 414 satisfies the upper-division requirement
for those who do not pass JEPET. 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.
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 (emphasis in the original text). 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 (emphasis
in the original text), 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 Studies.
UNIVERSITY COMMITTEE ON WRITTEN
ENGLISH PROFICIENCY (CWEP)
CHARGE
Many committees and programs at SFSU participate in
activities designed to support the written proficiency of our students. CWEP,
however, deliberates on the way in which the campus as a whole pursues the
writing proficiency of its students, and serves as a "clearing house"
for these all-University literacy efforts. CWEP is also responsible for
promoting the participation of all SFSU faculty in achieving this goal.
Since CWEP proposes reviews and provides recommendations regarding policy and
procedures on writing proficiency, it is important that it maintain
communication and consult as appropriate with standing academic and
administrative committees, departments, programs, colleges, and the Academic
Affairs Cabinet and Council of Academic Deans. Similarly, when any of the
aforementioned bodies is considering modifications to practice or policy
affecting the written proficiency of students it will be expected to consult
with CWEP in a timely fashion prior to approval.
The
Dean of Undergraduate Studies and/or the Dean of the Graduate Studies (or their
designees to CWEP), as appropriate, will be responsible for ensuring that this
consultation takes place, most especially when it affects implementation of
campus-wide writing-proficiency policies. Proposed changes to such policies
should be developed with broad consultation as described above, before
submission to the Academic Senate.
The specific functions of CWEP include:
1. Recommend substantive and/or procedural changes in the
implementation of the undergraduate written English proficiency requirements to
the Dean of Undergraduate Studies and to official policy-making bodies in
accordance with established university policies and procedures and practices;
2. Recommend substantive
and/or procedural changes in the implementation of the graduate written English
proficiency requirements to the Dean of the Graduate Studies and to official
policy-making bodies in accordance with established University policies,
procedures and practices;
3. Serve as consultant on
undergraduate and graduate written English proficiency to appropriate standing
academic policy committees (e.g., APC, CRAC, EPC, GEC) and to the Vice
President for Academic Affairs or his/her designee;
4. Serve as consultant in
the implementation of undergraduate and graduate written English proficiency to
he Dean of Undergraduate Studies, the Dean of the Graduate Studies and the Vice President for Academic
Affairs or his/her designee;
5. Serve as a
subject-matter resource and liaison to faculty members and/or
department/program chairs who seek assistance in developing writing components
in their programs. The committee, on its own or jointly, may sponsor and
consult on the following kinds of
activities to strengthen, enhance, and improve student writing proficiency
across the curriculum in both undergraduate and graduate programs:
6. Evaluate proposals and
make suggestions for improvement of disciplinary writing 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 the Dean of Undergraduate Studies
and/or the Dean of the Graduate Studies;
7. Submit an annual
report to the Academic Senate summarizing committee activities.
Recommendations for substantive policy changes shall 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 shall be submitted to
the Vice President for Academic Affairs or her/his designee.
CWEP will consist of the following
members:
Voting Members:
·
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;
·
One faculty
member from areas other than the English Department who has expertise in
literacy issues, elected at large by the university faculty;
·
The Coordinator
of the
Non-Voting
Members:
·
The Dean of
Undergraduate Studies or designee,
·
The Dean of
Graduate Studies or designee,
·
One member of the
Academic Affairs staff to be appointed by the Vice President for Academic
Affairs and to serve as staff to the committee,
Each of the six elected faculty members will serve for staggered
three-year terms. The Associated Students members may stand for
re-election or re-appointment for one successive term only. The committee will elect one of its members
as Chair for a one-year term.
***UNANIMOUSLY
APPROVED by the Academic Senate at its meeting on April 15, 2004***