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Writing Program Student Policies

Credit for Writing Courses

Course credit for transfer students  

Comparable Credit

Credit by Examination - on the basis of examination (CLEP, DANTES, AP, SAT/ACT)

Special Credit Portfolio for W131 - on the basis of a portfolio of student writing

Ethics and Writing

Ethics and Plagiarism

Complaints and Questions

Contesting Grades and Other Student Complaints

Introductory Writing Student Complaint Form

Credit for Writing Courses

Requirements for writing classes are established by schools and degree programs at IUPUI, not by the Writing Program. Students should complete their writing requirement within their first two years (60 credit hours) at IUPUI. Transfer students should take care of their writing course requirements as soon as they transfer. In no case should students wait until their senior year or until applying for graduation to determine whether they have fulfilled their writing requirement.

Transfer Credit

Transfer students who fulfilled all or part of the composition requirement at their previous university will not necessarily have fulfilled it at IUPUI. Occasionally courses transfer as undistributed credit. The following policies will help you determine what steps to take depending on your situation:

Credit for W131

• Transfer students who do not have transfer credit for W131 but took what they think is a comparable course at their previous university can seek comparable credit.

• Transfer students with fewer than 30 credit hours who fulfilled the composition requirement at their previous university through SAT or ACT scores or a placement test do not receive transfer credit for W131 and must take a first-semester course at IUPUI. They should use the Guided Self-placement process to determine which first-semester course would be best for them.

• Transfer students with 30 credit hours or more who satisfied the composition requirement at their previous institution through SAT or ACT scores or a placement test may apply for special credit for W131 by submitting a portfolio to the Writing Program office in CA 423.

• Transfer students whose comparable credit petitions are denied should visit the Guided Self-placement website to determine the first-year course that is best for them.

• Students who receive transfer credit for W131 should consult their advisor to determine the second writing course required by their degree program.

Credit for W132, W231, or Honors W150

• Requirements for W132, W150, and W231 are determined by each school or degree program at IUPUI, not by the Writing Program, so students with questions about writing course requirements beyond W131/W140 should talk to their advisor. 

• The Writing Program cannot waive writing course requirements.

• Advanced transfer students who took a second-level writing course at their previous university that seems comparable to W132, W150, or W231 but which did not transfer as one of those courses may petition the Writing Program for comparable credit.

• The Writing Program cannot give special credit for a second-level writing course based on a student’s advanced standing, a special credit portfolio, or overall experience writing numerous research papers.

• Students are not granted exemption from W132 or W231 on the basis of any exam, including the Dantes Exam.

Comparable Credit

If you have taken a writing course at another university and it transferred as an undistributed English credit-not as credit for the course you expected it to-you should complete a comparable credit form, attach a bulletin description and a syllabus, and submit it to the Writing Program secretary in CA 423. You will be notified by email of the decision within six weeks.

Please note that grades of C- or lower do not fulfill IUPUI requirements.

If you receive notification that your petition was approved, you are responsible for confirming that the credit is recorded on your academic records. Do not wait until your senior year or until applying for graduation to determine whether you have fulfilled your writing requirement. Please call the Writing Program office at 274-3824 if you have questions.

Credit by Examination (AP, Clep, Dantes)

W131

• Students who receive a score of 4 or 5 on the AP exam in English Language and Composition will receive credit for W131 Elementary Composition I when the score is received by the IUPUI admissions office. These students do not need to take W131. (English L115 credit is awarded for scores of 4 or 5 on the AP English Literature and Composition exam.)
• IUPUI does not give credit for W131 on the basis of the Dantes, CLEP exams, or SAT/ACT scores.

W132 and W132

• Students are not granted exemption from Elementary Composition II (W132) or Professional Writing Skills (W231) on the basis of any exam, including the Dantes Exam.
• Be sure to consult your advisor to determine which writing courses are required for your degree program.

Special Credit Portfolio for W131

The special credit portfolio option is open only to students who transfer with 30 credits or more who fulfilled the composition requirement at their previous university through SAT or ACT scores or a placement test.  Students should be aware that credit is not always awarded.  Please note that the special credit portfolio option is not available for W132 or W231.

Procedures for submitting a portfolio and criteria for evaluation

Special credit portfolios are evaluated by Writing Program administrators. The range of work included in the portfolio should demonstrate that you have already attained the goals of W131, Elementary Composition I.  The portfolio should include three pieces of writing which, on the whole, demonstrate your ability to:

• Complete a researched writing assignment. Your writing may draw on articles, books, interviews, or other data.
• Complete different kinds of writing tasks. The three pieces in the portfolio should show some variation; don’t submit three book reviews, for instance, or three personal essays.
• Analyze source material (readings, statistics, interviews, etc.).
• Organize and focus an essay that grapples with an issue of some complexity.
• Engage in a reasoned argument.
• Use the conventions of Standard Academic English, including the use of in-text citations and bibliographies.
• Explain your writing processes (see below.)

Each piece of writing must be accompanied by a statement that explains:

• When the piece was written.
• What context it was produced in (e.g., for work or a course assignment; if produced for a course, describe the assignment).
• The process you used to write the piece.
• What qualities in the piece you wish us to notice.

In addition, include a cover letter for the portfolio that describes the writing experiences you have had and makes a general argument about why you should receive credit for English W131. The letter should also include the number of semesters you have been enrolled at IUPUI, the number of credit hours you have earned, the name of the school at IUPUI you are seeking a degree in, your student ID number, email address, mailing address, and phone. If you have questions about assembling your portfolio, please call the Writing Program office at 274-3824.

You can submit your portfolio to:

Julie Freeman, Associate Director of Writing
Department of English, IUPUI
423 Cavanaugh Hall
425 University Boulevard
Indianapolis IN 46202
(317) 274-0092; jfreema@iupui.edu 

Your portfolio will be evaluated as soon as possible, usually within two weeks. If you receive notification that your portfolio earned you credit for W131, you are responsible for confirming that the credit is recorded on your academic records.  

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