YOUR GRADUATION AND IMPORTANT
INFORMATION CONCERNING THE
ENGLISH COMPETENCY EXAMINATION
JACKSONVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY1. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE EXAMINATION?
THE ENGLISH COMPETENCY EXAMINATION (ECE), A BASIC WRITING SKILLS TEST, IS ADMINISTERED BY THE JACKSONVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY ENGLISH DEPARTMENT TO INSURE THAT ANY STUDENT WHO GRADUATES FROM THIS UNIVERSITY HAS BOTH ATTAINED AND MAINTAINED WRITING SKILLS AT LEAST ADEQUATE TO THE DEMANDS OF SOCIETY AT LARGE. A PASSING GRADE ON THE ECE REASSURES THE STUDENT, THE UNIVERSITY, AND THE STUDENT’S FUTURE EMPLOYER THAT AN IMPORTANT REQUIREMENT OF UNIVERSITY EDUCATION, THE ACQUISITION OF LITERACY, HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY FULFILLED. JACKSONVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY IS RESPONDING TO THE REQUESTS OF MANY EMPLOYERS AND IS FOLLOWING THE PRACTICE OF MANY INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING. IN GEORGIA, FOR EXAMPLE, ALL COLLEGE STUDENTS MUST NOW TAKE AND PASS A REGENTS’ EXAMINATION THAT ASSESSES SIMILAR SKILLS.2. ARE THERE ANY EXCEPTIONS?
REGARDLESS OF MAJOR OR PROGRAM, ALL UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS MUST PASS THE EXAMINATION IN ORDER TO RECEIVE A DEGREE. THE ONLY EXCEPTIONS ALLOWED ARE THE FOLLOWING: STUDENTS WHO HAVE PASSED EITHER THE GEORGIA REGENTS’ EXAM OR THE FLORIDA CLAST, BOTH OF WHICH INCLUDE A COMPARABLE ESSAY TEST, MAY EXEMPT THE ECE. THESE STUDENTS SHOULD CONTACT THE OFFICE OF ADMISSIONS AND RECORDS. NO OTHER SUBSTITUTIONS FOR THE ECE HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY THE ENGLISH COMPETENCY EXAM COMMITTEE.3. WHEN IS A STUDENT ELIGIBLE TO TAKE THE EXAM?
THOSE STUDENTS WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED EH 101 AND EH 102 AND HAVE EARNED 60 SEMESTER HOURS ARE ELIGIBLE. A WISE STUDENT WILL NOT POSTPONE TAKING THE EXAMINATION. STUDENTS MUST PASS THE ECE BEFORE FILING AN APPLICATION FOR GRADUATION; THEREFORE, THEY MUST TAKE (AND PASS) THE EXAM NO LATER THAN THE SEMESTER PRIOR TO THE ONE IN WHICH THEY PLAN TO GRADUATE.4. ARE THERE ANY WORKSHOPS?
WORKSHOPS ARE HELD THE WEEK BEFORE THE ECE EXAMS DURING THE FALL AND SPRING SEMESTERS. THE SCHEDULED DATES, TIMES, AND PLACE IS PRINTED IN THE SCHEDULE BOOKLETS UNDER “ENGLISH COMPETENCY EXAM.” AN ENGLISH INSTRUCTOR HOLDS THESE WORKSHOPS TO OFFER DETAILS AND A BRIEF REVIEW ON TIMED ESSAY WRITING. WHILE ATTENDANCE AT ONE OF THESE WORKSHOPS WILL CERTAINLY NOT GUARANTEE A “PASS,” IT SHOULD FAMILIARIZE YOU WITH WHAT TO EXPECT ON THE EXAMINATION. THE WORKSHOPS ARE OPTIONAL, AND YOU DON’T HAVE TO PREREGISTER TO ATTEND.5. WHAT IS THE NATURE OF THE EXAMINATION?
A. LENGTH: BE PREPARED TO WRITE A 400-500 WORD ESSAY. THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF ESSAY REQUIRED IS AN EXPOSITORY OR ARGUMENT ESSAY.
B. TOPICS: YOU WILL BE GIVEN TWO TOPICS, AND YOU MUST CHOOSE ONE. HERE ARE SOME SAMPLE TOPICS:
1. DISCUSS THE FIGURE IN HISTORY WHOM YOU ADMIRE THE MOST.
2. MOTHERS WITH GROWING CHILDREN CAN PURSUE A CAREER OUTSIDE THE HOME WITHOUT DAMAGE TO THE FAMILY. AGREE OR DISAGREE.
C. TIME LIMIT: YOU HAVE A MAXIMUM OF ONE AND ONE-HALF HOURS.
D. PURPOSE STATEMENT OR THESIS SENTENCE, AND/OR OUTLINE: NO SEPARATE PLANNING SHEET CONTAINING A PURPOSE STATEMENT OR THESIS SENTENCE AND/OR OUTLINE IS REQUIRED, SINCE ONLY THE ESSAY TEXT WILL BE GRADED. HOWEVER, MANY GOOD WRITERS ORGANIZE THEIR THOUGHTS BEFORE WRITING; THEREFORE, IT MAY BE USEFUL TO MAKE A SCRATCH OUTLINE OR CLUSTER BEFORE BEGINNING.
E. MATERIALS FOR WRITING: YOU SHOULD USE BLUE OR BLACK INK AND A BLUE BOOK (AVAILABLE AT THE BOOKSTORE), WHICH YOU ARE TO BRING WITH YOU. DISTANCE LEARNING STUDENTS WILL TAKE THE EXAM THROUGH BLACKBOARD PER INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE DIRECTOR AT THE TIME OF REGISTRATION. YOU MAY BRING AND USE A DICTIONARY OR AN ELECTRONIC SPELLER; NO OTHER AIDS OR MATERIALS ARE ALLOWED. STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS SHOULD CONTACT MS. SUSAN SELLERS(782-5512), WHO DIRECTS THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE EXAM. A PHOTO ID CARD (JSU STUDENT ID OR DRIVER’S LICENSE) IS ALSO REQUIRED OF EACH STUDENT SEATED FOR THE EXAM.F. STUDENT NUMBER: IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY THAT YOU WRITE ONLY YOUR STUDENT NUMBER, NOT YOUR NAME, ON THE FRONT OF THE BLUE BOOK. USE OF YOUR STUDENT NUMBER ASSURES COMPLETE OBJECTIVITY IN THE GRADING OF YOUR ESSAY SINCE NO TEACHER WILL KNOW WHOSE PAPER HE IS GRADING AND ACCURATE CREDITING OF THE EXAMINATION TO YOUR PERMANENT RECORD, AN ACCURACY ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT IN THE CASE OF SIMILAR OR DUPLICATE NAMES.
G. GRADING: EACH ESSAY WILL BE GRADED BY TWO OR (IN CASE OF DISAGREEMENT) BY THREE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT FACULTY MEMBERS ON THE BASIS OF THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:
1. ORGANIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE TOPIC
2. GRAMMATICAL/MECHANICAL ACCURACY
THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT MAKES EVERY EFFORT TO GIVE EACH ESSAY A FAIR AND IMPARTIAL READING. THE GRADES A STUDENT MADE IN PREVIOUS ENGLISH CLASSES WILL NOT BE KNOWN TO THE GRADERS AND WILL HAVE NO EFFECT ON THE EVALUATION. FAILURE MAY SIMPLY INDICATE THAT A STUDENT HAS NOT MAINTAINED THE REQUIRED WRITING SKILLS SHE OR HE ONCE HAD.6. WHEN AND HOW WILL STUDENTS FIND OUT IF THEY PASSED?
STUDENTS WHO FAIL THE EXAMINATION WILL RECEIVE A LETTER IN THEIR CAMPUS PO BOX TELLING THEM WHAT THEY MUST DO BEFORE TAKING THE EXAMINATION AGAIN. RESULTS OF THE EXAMINATION WILL ALSO BE POSTED TO THE STUDENTS’ DARS AFTER GRADING HAS BEEN COMPLETED. THE FAILED EXAMINATIONS ARE SENT TO THE ACADEMIC CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE (ACE), LOCATED IN THE BASEMENT OF HOUSTON COLE LIBRARY.7. WHAT MUST STUDENTS WHO FAIL THE EXAMINATION DO?
JACKSONVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY IS PREPARED TO HELP ANY STUDENT WHO FAILS THE EXAMINATION. STUDENTS WHO FAIL SHOULD QUICKLY CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS TO IMPROVE THEIR WRITING:
1. Take for credit or audit LS096M, Writing Competency Skills. Contact Learning Services located in the basement of Houston Cole Library.
2. Audit LS095, Reinforcing Communication Skills. Contact Learning Services.
3. Successfully complete the tutorial program offered by Learning Services.
4. Earn a grade of "C" or better in an upper-level (300 or above) writing course. The courses that count for remediation are EH322 (Technical Writing), EH348 (Composition and Speech for Education Majors), and EH 415 (Advanced Expository Writing). The course must begin after the semester of the most recently taken ECE. Be sure to advise the instructor at the beginning of the class that you are taking the class for remediation.
5. If on-campus students need information concerning off-campus remediation, please contact Susan Sellers, Director of the ECE, by email at ssellers@jsu.edu or by phone at 256-782-5512.
6. Distance Learning students who take all their classes through Blackboard should contact Susan Sellers, Director of the ECE, by email at ssellers@jsu.edu or by phone at 256-782-5512 to discuss remediation options.
THE REMEDIATION PROCESS MUST BE COMPLETED BEFORE A STUDENT IS ELIGIBLE TO RETAKE THE ECE.