English Composition Courses for the GEP Written Communication Requirement

UW-Stevens Point requires all students to fulfill the Written Communication requirement for the General Education Program. For most students this means a 6-credit, two semester sequence of courses, English 101 and English 202. For other students assessed as advanced writers (see below), one 3-credit accelerated English composition class, English 150, fulfills the requirement. Transfer students to UW-Stevens Point sometimes may have all or part of the Written Communication requirement fulfilled with classes they took at a previous institution. Likewise, entering first-year students who have passed the appropriate CAPP course or scored high enough on the test of an appropriate AP course taken while in high school may also meet a portion or all of the Written Communication requirement before entering UW-Stevens Point. The office of Registration and Records (101 SSC) makes this determination.

Assessment and Placement Procedures

In 2017, UWSP administration required that the previous method of placement, a writing sample, be replaced with a test-based placement method; therefore, students are now placed into first-year English courses based on ACT score. Students with an ACT English score of 24 or above will be placed into English 150. For those students, that one course (3 credits) will satisfy UWSP’s General Education requirement for Written Communication. All other students will take English 101 in their first year and English 202 in their second year (6 credits) to satisfy UWSP’s General Education requirement for Written Communication.

Test-out Procedures

Students who transferred or placed out of English 101 and who also believe that they already possess writing skills in excess of those they would acquire in English 202 or 150, have the option of taking a test-out. The test costs $20, takes one to two hours to complete, and may be taken during fall and spring semesters during normal business hours in the English Office (486 CCC). A positive evaluation fulfills the 202 or 150 requirement. Be sure to contact the Director of Composition or the English Department ADA in advance to set up a time and to receive useful information about the test.

English 101. Freshman English

Critical reading, logical thinking, and effective writing. Write frequently in and out of class, using specific rhetorical strategies for a variety of purposes and audiences.

English 202. Sophomore English

Analytical reading and writing and the methods of inquiry common to various academic disciplines. Write frequently in and out of class, using suitable sources of information and appropriate documentation methods.

English 150. Advanced Freshman English
Research and writing using appropriate rhetorical strategies for students with potential for accelerated reading, writing, and research. Prerequisite: Satisfactory test scores.

 

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