December 2004 -- revised by K. Matthews, R. Hayden, I. Ramirez-Soto, R. Ybarra, M. Stone

Archived Communication Portfolio Competency Statement

WRITING PORTFOLIO

(new requirements Spring 2005)

RATIONALE: Success in advanced-level college work and in high-level positions in the work world requires the ability to communicate complex ideas. To perform effectively at this level, students must be able to comprehend, integrate, and synthesize sources into coherent presentations which adequately represent major strands of thinking in the relevant field. They must also be able to evaluate alternative perspectives and make a convincing case for their own interpretations of issues, problems, and situations.

The Writing Portfolio requires students to select the best work they have completed in demonstration of Level II and III competencies. In addition, it asks for a reflective essay in which students will both assess the products in their portfolio and reflect on the development of their writing skills throughout the course of their college careers.

The Writing Portfolio will provide evidence of students' communicative competence, which should prove useful both in job searches and applications to graduate school. Students will be able to submit their portfolios as convincing evidence of their skills as critical readers, writers, and thinkers.

COMPETENCY: Can show competence across a range of different kinds of writing called for in Level II and III competencies, including analytical and professional writing, and demonstrate the ability to integrate, evaluate, and synthesize material from a variety of sources.

CRITERIA:

1. Compile a portfolio that contains three written products completed in demonstration of Level II and III competencies or a comparable context outside of CPCS. The portfolio must be accompanied by a table of contents and a reflective essay. 

2. The first product in your portfolio must be an analytical paper which integrates information from a variety of sources to develop an argument about a particular topic.

3. The second product in your portfolio must be an example of professional writing, preferably from a field related to your CPCS major.

4. The third product must be any one of the following: an additional analytical or professional paper, a personal narrative, or a set of newspaper articles or op-eds.

STANDARDS:

1.   When your portfolio products are ready for submission, assemble them inside a manila file folder with the table of contents on top, followed by the reflective essay, then the analytical paper, then the professional paper, then the third product. In the table of contents, identify the title and category of each paper using the categories listed in Criteria 2, 3, and 4, as well as the context in which each paper was written, including, if applicable, the course or competency and the instructor's name.

 
The reflective essay must

a.   Discuss areas of growth in your writing skills, as illustrated by the papers in your portfolio, and areas that still need work.

b.   Discuss each paper in your portfolio in terms of why you have chosen it for portfolio submission. In your discussion, you should consider the elements of writing described in Standard 2, below, such as structure, organization, and development of ideas.

Make five photocopies (preferably double-sided and stapled) of your portfolio and place them inside a manila folder. Make sure your name and email address are clearly marked on the outside of the folder. Bring the completed portfolio to the Student Services office (Wheatley, Fourth Floor) for submission.

2.   a. In the analytical paper for Criterion 2, you must make use of published sources to support your written argument. Do not simply re-state what the published authors have said; use the sources to make your own point.

b. The analytical paper must have an identifiable thesis statement, which clearly indicates the overall purpose and focus of the paper, and an identifiable structure, which includes an introduction, a main body, and a conclusion. The paper must show logical development of ideas both within paragraphs and over the course of the essay as a whole. Sentence structure, punctuation, grammar, and other points of usage must be in general conformity with the conventions of formal American English.

c. The analytical paper must use an appropriate number and variety of sources to meet the objectives of the competency for which it was written. Source materials must be effectively integrated into the text with proper acknowledgement of ideas and information as well as direct quotations. Documentation of sources must conform to one of the standard systems used in academic writing, such as APA or MLA format.

3.   a. Professional writing includes case studies, grant proposals, research proposals, strategic plans, curricula, training materials, legal memoranda, treatments and scripts for media productions, and website or multimedia writing. The professional writing submitted for Criterion 3 must have substance, an identifiable structure, and an appropriate length for the type of writing. Each product must demonstrate focus and clarity of language. Documentation of sources must conform to one of the standard systems used in professional writing, such as APA format or legal citation format. Consult the “Writing at CPCS” handbook for further discussion of the various categories of professional writing.

4.   a. If the third product is a personal narrative or a set of newspaper articles or op-eds, then its scope and structure must comply with the appropriate description in the "Writing at CPCS" handbook, and the product must be approved for submission by the Writing Portfolio Evaluation Team.

b. Under limited circumstances, other types of writing may be accepted with the approval of the Portfolio Evaluation Team, so long as they demonstrate scope, structure, and depth that is in keeping with the expectations of writing for Level II and III competencies.

EXAMPLES OF DEMONSTRATION:

1. To demonstrate Criterion 2, the analytical paper, a student submits an essay written to demonstrate a Level II or III competency such as Making Arguments, Economic Distribution, Community Portraits, Historical Change, Critical Readings, or Debating Policy Issues. (Note: These are examples of competencies in which students might generate analytical papers, but this is not meant to be an exhaustive list.) For example, a student has written an analytical paper on the role of the federal government in dealing with the problem of the underground job market that exploits recent Asian immigrants.

2. To demonstrate Criterion 3, professional writing, a student submits a product written to demonstrate a Level II or III competency such as Delivery of Services, Advocacy in Formal Legal Proceedings, or Working on a Gerontological Social Issue. (Note: These are examples of competencies in which students might generate professional writing, but this is not meant to be an exhaustive list.) For example, a student has written a case study of a client he or she has been counseling during the client's recovery from substance addiction, supported by references to relevant theories of counseling and recovery.

3. To demonstrate the Writing Portfolio based partially on prior learning, a student submits up to two products written for real world purposes or for courses taken prior to enrollment at CPCS: for example, an analytical paper on the problem of juvenile incarceration, written for a Sociology course; or a report that the student wrote based on research done while working in the housing department of a city or town; or an analytical paper on immigration into the United States from 1880-1920, written for an American History course.