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Faculty Senate to consider new writing proficiency requirement

UA Faculty Senate members today will consider a proposal that would add one more hurdle to university graduation requirements - a writing proficiency examination.

The Writing At Mid Career Assessment - dubbed the WRIMCAT - would require all University of Arizona students to demonstrate competency in writing during the final semester of their sophomore year.

Students can display their capabilities in one of three ways - a graded portfolio, a timed writing test or a workshop, said Randall Richardson, UA vice president for undergraduate education.

"The basic idea of WRIMCAT is to have a mid-career writing assessment program that has multiple formats for succeeding," said Richardson, who is also a member of the WRIMCAT development committee. "It affirms the importance of writing as a university expectation."

Faculty senators were first presented with this plan at their Oct. 4 meeting, and could vote on it today.

Faculty Chairman Jerrold Hogle said he is unsure whether the plan will be approved.

"They (senators) raised a lot of questions," Hogle said. "A lot depends on what those answers are."

Many UA academic departments currently require an Upper Division Writing Proficiency Examination to be taken before graduation, but Richardson said the UDWPE is insufficient because students do not have to pass it in order to graduate.

If approved by the Senate, the WRIMCAT must receive funding before it can replace the UDWPE requirements.

Richardson said most faculty members are in favor of a change.

"Most faculty seem to think the UDWPE is flawed," he said. "(But) it wouldn't be fair to say there weren't issues raised."

At the Oct. 4 meeting, some senators questioned aspects of the plan, and seemed opposed to a $65 fee that would be charged for the writing workshop.

"We're trying to find a solution to that," Richardson said, noting that the committee may decide to make the course one-credit - payable by tuition dollars.

Hogle said although faculty members raised questions, he thinks a WRIMCAT-like test is vital.

"It's very important to have an overall writing assessment," Hogle said. "People who will employ our graduates will expect that."

He added that even if the WRIMCAT is not approved, the UDWPE may eventually be phased out.

"If it's not passed, some kind of work will go on to form something like this," he said. "I don't think we want to give up on some kind of writing assessment."

Associated Students President Cisco Aguilar - a member of the Faculty Senate - said the WRIMCAT is an improvement, but students are concerned about the fee.

He added that it is important that a writing-proficiency test be given at mid-career.

"It gives students a better advantage," he said. "If they know from the beginning...they can be better prepared."

Richardson said he is unsure how students will react.

"If it's viewed as just a hurdle, it's hard to see how they would view this positively," he said. "What we're trying to achieve is that it's not viewed the same way the UDWPE is."

Hogle said the university is looking toward changing its requirements, regardless of whether the WRIMCAT is approved.

"If it's not passed, work will go on to form something like this," he said. "I don't think we want to give up on some kind of writing assessment."