English Placement, 3/13/08

Information Item- English Placement

BOR adopted a new English Composition Placement Policy (301.17) at its November 2007 meeting.  Its purpose is to save students from having to take yet another placement exam when they arrive on campus. The BOR policy dictates most of the placements.  The only issue on which we have leeway is the advanced English composition course, ENEX 200. 

The following recommendations come from a working group put together by the Provost.

  1. Field test the following placement grid for 2008-2009 and make adjustments as warranted for the following year.

Decision

Rule

MUS Writing

Assessment

Score

SAT or ACT

Writing

Sub-score

SAT

Writing

Section

Combined

Eng/Writing

ACT

Course

Placement

Score in any of these

Ranges

5.5-6

11-12

700-800

32-36

Direct Placement into ENEX 200

3.5-5

7-10

440-690

18-31

Direct Placement into ENEX 101

2.5-3

5-6

390-430

16-17

Take WTS 100D or take exam to challenge placement

Score below any of these

cut-offs

Below 2.5

Below 5

Below 390

Below 16

Direct placement into WTS 100D


  1. Allow students placed into ENEX 200 to opt for ENEX 101 instead.
  1. Retain the "W" designation on ENEX 200 as an incentive for students to opt for it rather than 101, thereby satisfying their composition and lower division writing course requirements simultaneously.
  1. Alter General Education requirements so that either ENEX 101 or ENEX 200 will satisfy the English composition requirement.
  1. Place "blocks" on cyberbear so that students cannot enroll directly into ENEX 101 or 200 without having the requisite test scores.
  1. Limit summer placement testing to those wishing to challenge their placement into WTS 100D; investigate use of web-based exams for this purpose.
  1. As in the past, exempt students with an AP score of 3-5 from the English composition requirement.