The Department of Rhetoric and Writing has adapted the following outcomes for composition courses from the outcome statements of the Council for Writing Program Administrators. Course objectives are also aligned with the UALR General Education Core Curriculum and Core Competencies. The program conducts assessments of student portfolios every semester to ensure we are following the following guidelines. By the end of the course, students should be able to:
A. Demonstrate basic rhetorical ability by completing texts for at least 3 different rhetorical situations, with each one written appropriately for that context. (E.g., personal essay, literacy narrative, exploratory source-based paper.)
B. Demonstrate awareness of basic proofreading and editing skills by completing finished drafts that follow appropriate conventions of grammar punctuation, usage, and spelling.
C. Revise and reflect on all major projects [at least 3] effectively, based on instructor feedback, peer review, and self-assessment. (E.g., evidence of improvement on global & local issues plus a substantial reflection essay.)
D. Produce at least one final draft that effectively integrates electronic and print sources into the writer’s own text and documents them effectively. (E.g., exploratory paper that uses primary and secondary sources located through library databases to pose and answer a question.)
E. Effectively use different software programs and applications to compose and revise documents in different modes and mediums. (E.g., an e-portfolio site or blog with working links that is eye-friendly, readable, and navigable.)
F. Demonstrate awareness of multiple genres by producing at least one effective text in a professional, public, and non-essay genre. (E.g., portfolio contains a press release, an opinion-editorial essay, and a design for a billboard ad or PSA.)