Editorial: Writing Proficiency Portfolio

USCA recently decided to discontinue the Writing Proficiency Portfolio (WPP) for students graduating after spring 2023. 

As stated on the USCA website, the WPP required students to further develop and apply skills and competencies from the composition sequence to other university writing contexts. It consisted of three course-related papers, including researched writing, to exemplify the student’s best writing in the English language. Additionally, students were required to submit a reflective cover essay to explain the student’s rationales for the portfolio selections.  

We as Pacer Times agree that the WPP was challenging to complete on top of our other classes. This is because we would have to read over all the essays we’ve written and retouch the ones we would like to submit. With the other assignments and studying for exams, it was stressful.  

For years, the school offered a class, ENGL A201, that would replace the WPP if students did not want to turn it in. However, this class did not count towards students’ degree, just the credit for the WPP.  

Now, students who are graduating fall 2023, and after, no longer need to stress about this, and we can focus more on what we came to college to do… To get our degrees.