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Department of English

Bachelor of Arts in English Upper Division Portfolio

General Description of the Upper Division Portfolio

The portfolio is a selection of the student's writing produced in the upper division coursework. The student may begin selecting the portfolio's contents during the first semester of the junior year. After compiling work in conference with instructors, the student may submit individual portfolio items any time before the appropriate deadline.

IMPORTANT NOTE: THE COLLEGE OF LIBERAL AND FINE ARTS WILL NOT CLEAR STUDENTS FOR GRADUATION UNTIL THE GRADUATING STUDENT SURVEY AND THE PORTFOLIO HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED.

The Portfolio Deadlines
If the student is graduating in December, the completed portfolio must be submitted by November 15.

If the student is graduating in May or in August, the completed portfolio must be submitted by April 15.

Submission Requirements
Each student must submit materials for the portfolio in MS WORD files saved on a 3.5 disk. A cover sheet accompanying the disk should contain:

1. The student's name;
2. The title(s) of the submission(s);
3. The category(ies) of the submission(s);
4. The course name(s) and number(s) in which the submission(s) was (were) written;
5. The name(s) of the instructor(s) of the course(s).

The disk and cover sheet should be turned in to the Department Secretary.

NOTE: THE STUDENT'S NAME SHOULD NOT APPEAR ON THE TABLE OF CONTENTS OR ON ANY PORTFOLIO ITEMS.

Introductory Material
The introductory material will include the following:

1. A table of contents for the portfolio: the portfolio's table of contents must be saved in a separate, clearly titled file.

2. A statement indicating that you have completed the B.A. survey (this must be saved in a separate, clearly titled file).

The Body of the Portfolio
The body of the portfolio must include:

1. Two submissions from Category One;
2. One submission from Category Two;
3. One submission from Category Three.

In addition, one submission must have been written in an upper division American literature class, and another submission must have been written in an upper division British literature class.

The categories for submission are:

1. Two shorter (3-5 pages in length) papers from coursework (uses literary concepts and terminology to respond to and/or analyze a literary work's content and form with or without the use of background research; appropriate use of citation and documentation formats may be evident if necessary)

2. A literary research paper (presents a narrowed research topic, uses relevant research materials including traditional print and electronic sources, offers a synthesized presentation of material in an expository form, follows common standards of grammar, punctuation, and usage, and uses appropriate citation and documentation formats)

3. A self-analysis of your reading experiences in American and British literature (focuses on your reading experiences in American and British literature as an ASU English major, describes their impact on you)

Guiding Principles
The portfolio requirement is based on the following general principles:

1. Portfolios address the goals of the department. Students select materials that show they have accomplished these goals.

2. Portfolios rely upon student initiative and responsibility. In consultation with instructors, students select and present the portfolio's contents.

3. Portfolios are flexible. They must meet certain requirements, but they are designed so that students can address the goals in a variety of ways.

English Department Goals
Graduates of the Angelo State University B.A. in English program should:

1. Know how to interpret and analyze a literary text. They should be able to apply literary concepts and terminology in their interpretations and analyses.

2. Know the process and goal of literary research. They should know how to present a narrowed research topic, use relevant research materials including traditional print and electronic sources, offer a synthesized presentation of material in an expository form, follow common standards of grammar, punctuation, and usage, and use appropriate citation and documentation formats.

3. Be able to thoughtfully describe their reading experiences in American and British literature. They should be able to relate the personal impact of their reading experiences.

Instructors' Roles in the Portfolio Development Process
While compiling the portfolio's contents is the student's responsibility, instructors should be sources of clarification during the process. Instructors expect to see student progress during each academic term and can therefore help assemble the portfolio.

Confidentiality
Once submitted to the Department of English, the portfolio and its contents become the property of the Department of English and will not be distributed beyond the faculty assessing departmental effectiveness. Further, the portfolio and its contents will not be returned to students who submit the portfolios.

The content of each portfolio will be archived by the Department of English and reviewed only by faculty assessing the department's effectiveness. All portfolio materials will remain in locked files to protect the integrity and privacy of those materials.