A. Competency Requirements:

1. English Writing Skills:

The faculty of the University of Montana-Missoula requires that all graduates of the University possess the ability to write with clarity of thought and precision of language. Specifically, a graduate's writing will demonstrate:
- Voice that is consistent and appropriate to the audience and purpose
- Correct diction and sentence structure
- Sound judgments unified by a clear message
- Logical linkage of judgments and evidence
- Correct spelling and punctuation
(n.b., insert criteria for writing proficiency in place of above?)

To ensure that all graduates have acquired the writing skills outlined above, students must satisfy the following requirements in this order:
a. English (ENEX 101 or its equivalent)
b. One writing course (either lower- or upper-division)
c. The Writing Proficiency assessment (to be taken between 45-90 credits)
d. The upper-division writing requirement in the major.

ENEX 101. Students may be exempted from ENEX 101 by transferring credit for an equivalent of ENEX 101. The writing skills of all other students entering The University of Montana-Missoula will be assessed through the Admission Writing Proficiency and Placement Examination. From this assessment, students will be placed in one of the following: ENEX 100, ENEX 101 or will be exempted from ENEX 101.

One writing course. Students, unless exempted, must pass either a lower- or upper-division writing course before attempting the Writing Proficiency assessment. Students are exempted from this requirement by transferring more than 27 semester credits at the time of their initial registration at the University.
The following courses are designated as writing courses for 2001-2002. Students are cautioned that approved courses may change from year to year. To be used for General Education, a course must be listed as approved in the catalog and in the Class Schedule for the year a student registers for it.
African American Studies 478
Anthropology 340H, 359, 450
Art 203, 303H, 367H, 368H, 384H, 386H, 389H 403L
Asian Studies 340H
Biology 405, 418, 419
Business Administration 445, 446, 448
Chemistry 334
Communication Studies 330
Computer Science 415E
Curriculum and Instruction 187, 317, 352E
Dance 334, 494
Drama 320, 321
Economics 350, 440
English 120L, 121L, 222L, 223L, 224L, 225L, 301, 320, 321, 322, 323, 324, 325
Environmental Studies 302, 367, 440
Foreign Languages and Literatures 310L, 311L, 312L, 330H, 331H, 365E, 431L
Forestry 220, 340, 342, 489E
French 301, 311L, 312L, 408
German 301, 302, 303H, 304H, 311L, 312L
Geography 305S
Health and Human Performance 410, 450, 499
Health Sciences 440E
History 107H, 108H, 300, 383H, 385, 400, 437, 470, 471, 478,
Japanese 311L, 312L, 431L
Journalism 270, 280, 331, 333, 340, 350, 351, 489
Liberal Studies 151L, 152L, 321H, 322H, 323, 325E, 350E, 351L, 355L, 356
Management 348, 444
Marketing 461
Mathematical Sciences 406
Microbiology 418, 419, 420, 421
Music 325H, 420, 421, 422, 423, 424, 425
Native American Studies 200, 202L, 367H, 368H, 494
Pharmacy 412
Philosophy 443E, 453, 455, 461, 463
Political Science 324H, 328H, 329H, 335, 341, 343, 350E, 352, 353E, 354, 355, 366, 370, 387, 433E, 461, 463S, 471, 472
Psychology 320
Radio-Television 494
Recreation Management 482
Religious Studies 252L, 260H, 276
Russian 301
Social Work 310
Sociology 456, 466, 485
Spanish 301, 311L, 312L, 408
Wildlife Biology 470

Writing Proficiency Assessment. All students (including transfer students) who have completed ENEX 101 (or its equivalent or have been exempted), a writing course (or its equivalent or have been exempted), and have completed at least 45 semester credits must take the Writing Proficiency assessment. Students must pass the Writing Proficiency Assessment in order to graduate. The assessment is designed to be a "gating exam" to ensure that the student is prepared for the writing required in upper-division major courses. Students must attempt the writing proficiency assessment prior to completing the upper-division writing requirement in their major.

Keep in mind the following:

- Students must take the assessment after 45 but no later than 90 credits;
- Transfer students must take the assessment during their first semester at UM-M;
- Transfer students may take the assessment concurrently with either their writing course or the writing requirement(s) in their major
.
The assessment consists of a two-hour proctored examination written in response to a text released two weeks prior to the examination date. The assessment is offered 7 times annually. For more information on the assessment and copies of the text see www.umt.edu/ucoll/assessment.

Upper-division writing course. Students must meet the approved upper-division writing requirements specified in their major. The writing courses offered in each major vary-some students may be required to take only one upper-division writing class offered by their major department; students in a different major may be required to take a group of courses that provide an integrated series of writing expectations; students in yet another major may be required to write a senior thesis. Students must check the writing requirements in their respective majors.

Refer to the previous list of writing courses to determine which are designated as upper-division writing courses for 2002-2002. Students are cautioned that approved courses may change from year to year. To be used for General Education, a course must be listed as approved in the catalog and in the Class Schedule for the year a student registers for it.

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Issues brought up during ASCRC discussion:
1. Only 10 departments offer lower-division writing. Should be expand offerings within these departments, encourage other departments to do lower division writing? How should we proceed?
2. If our goal is to assist students in their writing of English, should W credit be given in courses where students are writing in languages other than English?
3. Should we require two semesters of ENEX?
4. Should we change the requirements to note the number of writing credits, rather than the number of writing courses?