TCNJ

W R I T I N G E X E M P T I O N A N D P L A C E M E N T E X A M WRITING EXEMPTION AND PLACEMENT The College of New Jersey values the importance of writing in all disciplines and seeks to enable students to develop identities as confident writers who can communicate clearly and effectively to an array of audiences for a range of purposes. The College has, therefore, developed a writing- intensive curriculum in which all TCNJ students are required to take at least three writing-intensive courses during their tenure at The College. These include First Seminar (FSP) taken in the fall semester of the first year; a mid-level writing-intensive course in either the sophomore or junior year; and a senior-level writing- intensive capstone course in the major in the senior year. Note that some transfer students are exempted from the First Seminar. In addition, some entering students may also be required to take WRI 102: Academic Writing to help better prepare them for the demands of their writing-intensive requirements. What is WRI 102: Academic Writing? WRI 102 is a writing instruction course focused on academic argumentation and is designed to prepare students to successfully meet the demands of the writing-intensive curriculum at TCNJ. For more details, see http://writing.tcnj.edu/sample-page/wri-101-wri- 102-course-descriptions/ The score on the Writing Placement test will determine placement in WRI 102 for students who score below the following thresholds for SAT, ACT or AP scores: • SAT scores of at least 680 in Evidence -Based Reading and Writing; OR • An ACT composite score of 31 or higher; OR • An AP score of 4 or higher in English Literature or English Composition; OR • An AP score of 5 in US History or World History. Students scoring above these thresholds will be exempt from the WRI 102 course. How do I sign up to take the Writing Placement test? Each student will be placed into a Canvas Writing Placement space (canvas.tcnj.edu) and will be able to access the test there. Students will be notified through a course invitation email from notifications@instructure.com, alerting them that they now have access to the Canvas Writing Placement space. The test will be open from December 16, 2019 through January 13, 2020. Students will have two hours to complete the test, which consists of reading an essay and writing a response to the prompt. The test will automatically close after the allotted time. Academic Integrity Please review the TCNJ policy on Academic Integrity. The policy notes: "Plagiarism occurs when a student submits as their own the work of others. . . . This includes but is not limited to copying from a fellow student, copying from an internet source, and copying from a book or other published work." It is our assumption that you will write this test alone. If you receive help, you are violating the Academic Integrity policy, and we are obliged to bring this violation to an Academic Integrity officer. It is in your best interest to submit an essay that most accurately represents your writing ability, so that we can place you in the class that best suits your readiness for the writing tasks you can expect. How do I prepare for the test? The test involves reading a short article and writing in response to a prompt based on that article. Consult the following rubric for how essays are scored: http://writing.tcnj.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/175/2015/11/ SCORING-GUIDE-for-Placement-Testing.pdf All essays are scored holistically by at least two Writing faculty using this 6-point rubric. Essays scoring 4 or above will gain the student's exemption from WRI 102. Essays scoring 3 place the student into WRI 102, which is taken in the Spring semester. Essays scoring 2 or 1 indicate the need for additional assistance, as early as the Fall semester while taking the First Seminar (FSP). These students will be enrolled in a .5 unit writing studio course (WRI 101/Writing Studio) in which students work on the writing assigned in the FSP. Results will be emailed to students by January 20, 2019. For additional details on the Writing Placement Test, please visit http://writing.tcnj.edu/sample-page/wri-102-placement-exemptions/ or search for "WRI 102 Placement" from the TCNJ homepage (www.tcnj.edu). Please contact the Writing Program with any questions or concerns. The best method for reaching us is through email at writing@tcnj.edu or ringer@tcnj.edu. Special Note to Transfer Students You will be exempt from taking WRI 102 if, at your previous institution, you have taken a credit-bearing course (numbered 100 or above) in writing or composition which has been approved by TCNJ as equivalent to WRI 102 OR if you enter with an AA/AS degree from a New Jersey community college. If you did not take this course, you are required to take the Writing Placement test. Dual Enrollment Taking Writing courses at a college or university during high school will not exempt a student from Academic Writing. If you do not have the SAT, ACT, or AP scores listed above or the required score on the Writing Placement test, you will not be exempt from the course. Nina Ringer Director, Writing Program 9

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