Eastern Connecticut State University

Department of

English

Text Only Version

English Major Exit Portfolio Requirement

Kenneth McNeil

(860) 465-4578

Webb Hall 230

Dear English Majors:

Beginning with those students matriculating on or after Fall 2002, the English Department began to require each English major to turn in a writing portfolio as a graduation requirement. This portfolio must consist of the following six items:

One paper from ENG 203, Writing for English Majors
One paper from any survey course (ENG 212, 213, 214, 215, or 356)
Two papers from different 300-level English courses of the student’s choice
The final seminar paper completed at the end of ENG 461-462, Senior Seminar
A reflective essay on the student’s academic experience as an English major

The department chair will report the names of those students who have completed the portfolio to the Registrar. The Registrar then records “ENG 075” on the transcript.

The following semester, portfolios will be read by department members to determine what students are learning from the sequence of courses in the English major. The exit portfolio is not returned to the student. The results of the portfolio assessment will not affect a student’s GPA or course grades in any way. The purpose of this requirement is to comply with a legislative mandate that all state universities assess the learning outcomes of their students.

Students should print off clean copies of their papers for their portfolios. Should you have any questions regarding a missing paper or the like, please contact the chair of the department to discuss options.

Final papers and not drafts or responses are expected. Exit portfolios are due to the Chair as soon as you have all the papers completed. See guidelines for writing the reflective letter on the following pages. They are also available on-line and are also available in the “Guide for English Majors,” which you can pick up in the department office, Webb Hall 225. In the meantime, remember to save papers that you write for classes and be prepared to submit a portfolio before you graduate.

Sincerely,

Kenneth McNeil, Ph.D.

Professor and Chair

English Department