As described in the WSU
Undergraduate Catalog, the Department has instituted a portfolio requirement
for English majors. The portfolio
provides a tool to measure the joint successes of students and faculty.
The portfolio is a selection of
the students’ work in the major: papers, projects, presentations, creative
writing, etc. After compiling work in conference with the academic advisor,
students prepare and submit the portfolio during the term in which they enroll
in English 490 (preferably, the last semester of full-time coursework). Students
cannot graduate without this course or the final product, the portfolio.
Students submit two copies of the portfolio: a hard copy and a computer disk. The introductory material will include the following materials: (1) A brief curriculum vita (résumé); (2) a table of contents for the portfolio; and (3) an introductory statement of about five pages. This is a critical assessment of the items included in the portfolio and how they relate to the department's goals. The body of the portfolio will include (1) a substantial research project with appropriate documentation, and (2) a paper analyzing a substantial literary work from a defined critical perspective. The contents of the portfolio must also include two or more projects from coursework or a substantial independent project.
For more information on the portfolio requirement, see the chair of the department’s Assessment Committee, who coordinates the project, or consult the departmental brochure, “The Graduation Portfolio in English.” Additional information about the portfolio requirement, including excerpts from selected student portfolios, can be viewed on the department’s website.
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