Portfolio Review of Writing

Students wishing to satisfy the college writing requirement (Proficiency 1) by portfolio review must have senior status (88 or more hours completed toward graduation).

Please be sure to meet with your academic advisor if you are considering submitting a portfolio for exemption from the Proficiency 1 writing requirement. An exemption is just that—an exemption. No college credits are granted with an exemption. Some colleges at WMU require credits for the proficiency 1 class and an exemption will not be allowed for majors in those colleges.

Qualified students should submit the following items

  1. Three examples of expository writing (no poetry or fiction), each at least 500 words in length, written in response to assignments from WMU faculty.
    1. One of the three examples must be a research paper using outside sources, properly cited.
    2. For each example, indicate the WMU class and faculty member for which the assignment was written.
  2. One essay, at least 500 words in length, which explains to the reader why you chose the samples you did. Specifically, you should explain for each of the three examples who your intended audience is, what you hope to accomplish with that audience, and how these considerations affected the way you approached the writing task.

Please provide your WMU ID number and contact information (email and telephone number) to receive a response.

Placement decisions based on portfolio review are final.

Submitting via mail

Kim Ballard
Intellectual Skills Development Program
1343 Ellsworth Hall
Western Michigan University 
1903 W Michigan Ave
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5303 USA 

Submitting via email

Email your portfolio to Kim Ballard

If you do not receive an email acknowledgment from Kim within two days of sending your portfolio, please call our office at (269) 387-4411.