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Since the late 1970's demonstration of writing proficiency at the
upper-division level has been a requirement for graduation from
Humboldt State University and its eighteen sister institutions in
The California State University (CSU) system. This page provides
information on all aspects of the Graduation Writing Requirement
(GWR), particularly the Graduation Writing Proficiency Examination
(GWPE), which fulfills this requirement at HSU. Please note that
the information presented here supersedes that found in some earlier
publications, including the University's General Catalogue.
Because of a noticeable decline in student writing skills, the CSU
Chancellor in 1975 appointed a Task Force on Student Writing Skills
to investigate the problem and recommend appropriate solutions.
The major portion of the Task Force's recommendations, reviewed
by the Educational Policies Committee and supported by the CSU Academic
Senate, was accepted by the Board of Trustees in 1976. One of the
central aspects of this policy required the demonstration of writing
proficiency at the upper-division level as a requirement for graduation
from every campus within the CSU system. The resolution approved
by the Board of Trustees at its May, 1976, meeting required that
students demonstrate adequate writing skills prior to graduation.
Mandatory catalogue copy has since stated that "All students
subject to degree requirements of 1977-78 and subsequent general
catalogues must demonstrate competency in writing skills as a requirement
for graduation." Unlike the other major provision of the policy,
the English Placement Test (EPT), the Graduation Writing Requirement,
it was ultimately decided, would not be based on a statewide examination.
Instead, it was left to the individual nineteen campuses to devise
their own means of fulfilling this requirement, and no state funds
were provided for its implementation. Certification by whatever
means used (examination, course work, etc.) must, the Trustees decreed,
be self-supporting.
In the spring of 1979, a committee of HSU faculty was formed to
determine the means by which HSU would fulfill the Trustees' mandate.
Following consideration of various alternatives, it was determined
that the most efficient, reliable, fair, economical, and accurate
method of testing writing skills--as opposed to content, mechanics,
and so on--would be the implementation of a special writing examination.
After discussion of cost and effectiveness, the Committee agreed
that the required examination should consist of two forty-five minute
essays. Accordingly, the first such examination was administered
Fall Quarter, 1979, and has been given every term since. The exact
nature and character of this examination, eligibility requirements,
and questions relating to the examination and the GWR are dealt
with in the remainder of this booklet. In addition, a selection
of sample essays representing the various possible scores is included.
With the exception of those students working toward a teaching credential
who are enrolled under a pre 1985-86 catalogue and have fulfilled
the English 310 requirement, all students graduating from HSU with
a baccalaureate degree under 1977-78 and subsequent general catalogues
must take the GWPE. Students become eligible to take the GWPE upon
completion of at least sixty semester units (i.e., having attained
junior standing) and English 100 (or an equivalent college-level
composition course with a grade of "C" or better). Normally,
the examination should be taken during the junior year.
The HSU GWPE consists of two forty-five minute essays, one a response
to a personal experience question, the other a response to an analytical
question. The personal experience essay question presents a situation
of general experience or knowledge stated in a brief passage or
quotation. You are then asked to: (1) Select a specific instance
of this situation from your personal experience or knowledge and
describe it in some detail. (2) Following the description, you are
asked to explain or evaluate in some way what has been described.
(3) You are then asked to comment on, explain, or discuss in some
way (usually how the experience described affected you) the subject
treated in 1 and 2. Writing this essay requires the rapid choice
of a specific topic and the ability to describe the experience chosen
in a clear and straightforward manner. A full and direct response
to the question posed is also necessary; marginal responses or broad
generalizations which avoid the specific questions are unacceptable.
Essentially, this essay topic requires you to move in a clear and
organized manner from the description of a specific personal experience
to a more abstract evaluation of the meaning and significance of
that experience. The ability to write a personal experience question
is important because it performs functions such as communicating
personal experience to others, relating the self to the environment,
and conveying individual thoughts to an audience.
The analytical question requires that you read and respond to some
specific material, usually one or two short statements or quotations.
For example, with two statements or quotations the analytical essay
question is essentially a comparison/contrast topic. You are first
required to evaluate the two items, pointing out how they are the
same (comparison) and how they are different (contrast). Then you
must make a judgment or evaluation regarding the relative validity,
preferability, etc., of the two statements or quotations. Finally,
take a position on the subject and support the evaluation or judgment
made on the basis of your own observation and experience. The analytical
essay thus typically requires the ability to read and evaluate the
passages provided, compare and contrast them, and construct an argument
based upon the analysis performed. Here, again, it is necessary
to concentrate on the main question and avoid a personal reaction
to some aspect of the topic. The ability to write an analytical
essay is important because this form demands careful reading of
the statements or quotations in order to discern similarities and
differences of thought, plus the ability to construct a coherent
essay which demonstrates an understanding of the passages.
Each essay is read and scored on a scale
of one to six by at least two trained readers from the HSU faculty
(i.e., at least four different readers for the complete examination).
Prior to the reading the first page of the booklet bearing the student's
name and other information is removed and the booklet is assigned
a numerical code. The readers thus cannot know whose examination
they are reading. No marks are made on the papers by the readers,
and the readings are "blind". That is, scores are covered
with an opaque label so that each reader does not know, and hence
cannot be influenced by, the score assigned by another reader. If
the scores assigned by the two readers are more than one number
apart (e.g., a three and a four are acceptable, but not a two and
a four) the paper is given to a third reader for a resolution of
the discrepancy. The final score is the total of the scores assigned
by the individual readers for each of the two essays. Since each
reader assigns a score of from one to six, the maximum score attainable
is twenty-four (six plus six for the first essay, and six plus six
for the second). The minimum passing score for students who are
United States citizens or permanent residents is 14, while ten is
the minimum passing score for foreign students attending HSU on
a student visa whose native language is not English. (Foreign students
whose native language is English must achieve a score of 14 or better
to pass.)
Registration forms for the GWPE are available at the HSU Testing
Center in House 71, Little Apartments. After filling out the form,
take it to the cashier's office in the Student & Business Services
Building to pay the required fee. Return the registration form,
now stamped "PAID," to the Testing Center before the announced
deadline (usually three weeks prior to the examination date).
The GWPE is given on the HSU campus three times a year--once in
the fall semester and twice in the spring semester. A Friday examination
is also given for those students who for religious or other legitimate
reasons are unable to take the Saturday examination. The date of
each examination is announced in various campus publications or
may be obtained by contacting the HSU Testing Center or Academic
Support in 210 Siemens Hall.
The GWPE essays are written in booklets distributed at the examination,
so you need not bring paper. You will, however, need to bring a
ballpoint pen, the admission portion of the registration form sent
to you by the Testing Center, and a piece of identification--such
as your HSU student card or driver license--bearing your photograph
and signature. Please note that you cannot be admitted to the
examination without proper identification.
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