How will the portfolio scores be used?
The portfolio is one of the two assessment tools the English Department will be using to gauge how effective our B.A. in Literature program is--the other being an exit survey. Though you will submit the portfolio under your name, scores will be recorded without it, and those scores will be looked at ONLY by assessment personnel in aggregate with the scores of other portfolios and ONLY for this single purpose of program assessment. You can be confident that the information garnered from the portfolio will otherwise be kept confidential.
Will my grades be affected by the portfolio score?
No, the score on the portfolio will not affect any grades.
Can a less than passing score on the portfolio keep me from graduating?
No. Unlike the portfolio required by the B.S. Ed. program, the B.A. in Literature portfolio will not function as a test of your abilities that you must pass in order to complete the program. This portfolio is for assessment purposes only.
Does everyone have to do this? My sister graduated recently and she was not asked to submit a portfolio.
The portfolio requirement has only been developed recently as a part of the department's ongoing outcomes assessment effort. Consequently, the class of 2004 is the first incoming freshman class being asked to collect papers and submit a portfolio before graduation. Anyone (including transfer students) graduating in Spring 2004 or later must compile and submit a portfolio. Since the only original works required for the portfolio are a table of contents and an introduction, we hope that this task will be an opportunity rather than a burden. Ideally, compiling the portfolio should give you an occasion to reflect on your growth as a reader, thinker, and writer while at WCU.
To whom do I submit my portfolio?
The portfolio should be submitted to the chair of the Undergraduate Literature Committee. When you are ready to submit your work, please check with your advisor or the department office to find out who is chairing the ULC.
Do I get my portfolio back?
The portfolios will be available for retrieval the semester following graduation. This time lag will give the personnel responsible for evaluating the portfolios sufficient time to read the work and tabulate scores.
How will I know what scores I received?
If you are curious about how your portfolio was evaluated, you may make an appointment with the chair of the evaluation committee. Since committee membership will rotate among faculty, you will first have to contact the English Department office to get the name of the professor chairing the committee that year.
Can I appeal my score if I don't agree?
Because the portfolio is being used only for the purpose of program assessment, and its quality will affect neither grades nor eligibility for graduation, no process of appeal has been formulated. However, students may be interested to know that the score will reflect the careful, independent judgment of three department faculty.
What else do I need to know?
See The Portfolio for the B.A. in Literature
Please direct any further questions about the portfolio to the Department Chairperson, Dr. Cheryl Wanko (cwanko@wcupa.edu).
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