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UNR English 101 Credit-by-Exam Instructions for Students

CBE Home Page
Instructions for 098 Instructors
Evaluation Criteria
Portfolio Checklist
Core Writing Home Page

Print these CBE instructions as an Adobe PDF file

APPLICATION DATES & PROCEDURES, Spring 2012

  1. Pick up an Application for Credit by Special Exam from Admissions and Records located in the Student Services Center. (NOTE: To be eligible, you must be degree-seeking and have a cumulative GPA above 2.0.)

    Spring 2012:         Credit-By-Exam forms are available at Admissions & Records as of  March 1, 2012.

  2. Acquire the mandatory signatures in the following order:
    • A signature from your advisor or the Advising Center in line [a] (NOTE: If you are undeclared, your advisor and dean are in the College of Liberal Arts in the Ansari Business Building);
    • The Chair of the English Department for line [b]; (NOTE: DO NOT EMAIL THE CHAIR. To obtain this signature, please bring the form to the Core Writing Program office (FH 131). You will leave the form, and signatures will be obtained once each day. You may pick up your form the following morning); and finally,
    • The dean of the college for your major for line [c] (NOTE: DO NOT EMAIL THE DEAN. Take the form to your dean's office for signature); and finally,
    • Signature line [d] is not required for submission. The final signature space, "Instructor's Signature," is where Joe Hunt, the Coordinator of English 098, signs (after scores are calculated).

    NOTE: You should get these signatures as soon as possible. Many people have limited office hours at this time of year, and you may not be able to get the signatures if you wait too long.

  3. After you have collected signatures A, B, and C, take the form to the Cashier and pay the $25 exam fee. (NOTE: The cashier may not accept payment unless the form has these three signatures.)

  4. After you have collected the signatures, paid the $25 fee, and gotten the cashier’s “Paid” stamp on the form, make a copy of the form.

    See "Portfolio Instructions" for all materials due to your instructor.

    Deadline for Spring 2012: April 23, 2012

PORTFOLIO OVERVIEW

  1. The credit-by-exam consists of a portfolio of your writing. In addition to the inclusion of writing from your English 098 course, your portfolio will contain new pieces written on your own.

  2. Your portfolio is due to your English 098 instructor. Your instructor will then submit the portfolio to the English 098 coordinator.

    Spring 2012: Your portfolio is due to your instructor no later than April 23, 2012.

  3. Make one copy of each part of the exam and purchase 2 two-pocket folders. Place your original materials in one two-pocket folder and the copy in the other folder and turn the two folders in to your teacher. Each folder should contain one copy of your original application form. Please use a heavy black marker to write your name, your instructor's full name, and "ENG 101 CBE" on the front of each folder. You must submit two (2) folders with identical material to your instructor. REMEMBER to make yourself a copy if you want one. You cannot get your portfolio back from Core Writing AND you cannot obtain a copy once it is turned in.

PORTFOLIO INSTRUCTIONS

Your credit by exam will consist of four parts.

Part One

Compose a single-spaced cover letter, approximately 1-2 pages in length, in which you answer all of the following questions in detail:

  1. Evaluate and describe yourself as a student in your English 098 class. What are your strengths as a student? Do you meet the requirements set forth by your teacher?--with assignment instructions and deadlines, for example. (Even attendance.) Do you work well in groups? Do you put forth honest effort?
  2. Describe [what could be termed] your "writing goals" this semester. How does your portfolio illustrate successful attainment of these goals? Which writing goals did you meet less successfully? How might you go about meeting them in the future?
  3. Describe your writing style--what you perceive to be its strengths and weaknesses. What have you done in revision, to solve any issues mentioned by your instructor or peers in conference or workshops? What are you proud of?
  4. Describe the assignment for the essay in Part Two of this portfolio. Why did you choose this as your best piece of writing?
  5. Describe why the essay you wrote for Part Three is a strong piece of writing.

Place a copy of this cover letter in the left-hand pocket of each folder.

Part Two

Include a well-revised, polished essay (3-5 pages) that exhibits your best writing. This essay must be clearly written and thesis-driven. You may use an essay that you have written for ENG 098, but are not required to. If you consult with your instructor, please include any preceding brainstorming strategies or drafts. If you don't have drafts, please explain why in your cover letter. If possible, include the assignment's instructions (or rubric).

Place a copy of this essay in the left-hand pocket of each folder, behind the cover letter.

(NOTE: As you decide which essay to submit, keep in mind the evaluation criteria that will be used to assess your portfolio.)

Part Three

Write a 3-5 page essay addressing the following prompt. You must demonstrate your entire writing process for this essay; therefore, include all of your brainstorming strategies as well as all revised and edited drafts. (Clearly label each item and draft; for example "Draft one," "Draft two," "Final draft," "Brainstorming," etc.)

Prompt:

Advertisements are texts combining visual and written cues targeted at specific audiences in order to achieve a specific purpose. They often sell or promote a product by presenting and/or manipulating their audience's cultural assumptions, values, and stereotypes.

Analyze and critique one advertisement (from the five listed/linked below), identifying and discussing how the ad presents and/or manipulates its audience's cultural assumptions, values, and stereotypes--to sell a product. Assume your audience is a group of English 098, 101, and 102 instructors and professors, and assume that these readers have seen the advertisement. In other words, do not waste time summarizing the advertisement's details; analyze and critique them. Naturally, you must support your interpretations and opinions by referring to specific details from the advertisement. Feel free (but not obligated) to draw from your own personal experience in order to further support your interpretations/opinions. Your essay should be written in an organized manner.

Throughout your analysis and critique of the advertisement, consider addressing some of the bulleted questions below. These questions are offered as starting points, and you may include any other pertinent points of analysis and/or critique you think of as you write and think about the ad. These questions are not presented in an order from which to organize your essay. Create an essay structure based on the outcomes of your analysis and critique:

    • What is the advertisement’s purpose/intent?
    • Who is the target audience of the advertisement?
    • What ways may the advertisement be effective and/or ineffective?
    • How may the advertisement work on a subliminal level?
    • How may the target audience respond to the advertisement?
    • What values are elicited in the advertisement?
    • Whose values may the ad support or go against?
    • Are there any stereotypes in the advertisement?
    • How are stereotypes used to achieve the ad’s purpose?
    • How do stereotypes appeal to the intended audience?
    • How is the advertisement composed on the page and how does this affect interpretation(s) of the ad?

Choose ONLY ONE of the following ads to work with:

Ads for Spring 2012:

NOTE: Once you click on one of the links and the image opens in your browser, we suggest that you download it to your computer to better view the image. Please consult your browser Help system to learn how to download images.

Click here for a sample essay. The sample essay is borderline for passing because--while its format, structure, and content is correct--there are several typos and grammatical errors.

Place a copy of this essay in the right-hand pocket of each folder.

Part Four

Complete the portfolio checklist. Click here to access the checklist.

  1. Print out the checklist.

  2. Initial and sign the form to be sure that no parts of your portfolio are missing.

  3. Place a copy of this checklist on top of everything on the left-hand pocket of each folder. It may serve as a table of contents to orient your readers.

OVERVIEW OF PORTFOLIO EVALUATION

The entire portfolio will be scored based on the evaluation criteria available on this web site. Click here to review the evaluation criteria.

In order to pass the exam and receive credit for English 101, you must pass English 098, meet the evaluation criteria for a passing portfolio (receive a score of 3 or 4), and exactly follow the portfolio directions. The final grade is either an S for satisfactorily passing, or U for unsatisfactory, neither of which affect your GPA.

Two readers will score your portfolio, and the average of their scores will determine your overall grade. If it is a borderline portfolio, the English 098 coordinator will become the third reader to break the "tie." All scores will be available on December 12, 2011 in the Core Writing Program office located in the Frandsen Humanities building, room 131. Your score is confidential and you must bring your student I.D. in order to pick up your letter. The Core Writing Program administrative assistant, Michelle Beaty, will have the letters in sealed envelopes for each student.

NOTE: Failure to include the proper number of copies or to follow any of these instructions will result in immediate failure of the exam.
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