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English Portfolio

The Department of English requires a majors’ portfolio of all students graduating with a degree in English with literary and writing studies concentrations.

This policy was implemented in fall 2011 and applies to all English majors who started their Clayton State degree in fall 2011 or after that date.

Deadline

English Major Portfolios are due at the beginning of the semester that the student takes the Senior Capstone Course (ENGL 4950).

Graduating senior English majors must take the Capstone Course in one of their last two semesters.

Portfolio Requirements

The English Major Portfolio reflects accomplishments across each student’s work in the English major. The portfolio will be linked to the Capstone Course and the successful accomplishment of the portfolio in its entirety will make up at least 10% of the final grade for the Capstone Course. If the student does not complete all portions of the portfolio, the student will receive zero points on this portion of the course. Moreover, successful completion of the portfolio and the capstone class is required for graduation. 

The papers need to reflect a student’s successful demonstration of the following outcomes:

  1. Analyze and evaluate texts that reflect diverse genres, time periods, and/or cultures.
  2. Analyze the ways in which language and /or literature are related to class, culture, ethnicity, gender, histories, race, and sexuality.
  3. Interpret texts from various perspectives by using close readings supported by textual evidence and informed by critical theory.
  4. Produce a variety of materials, including oral presentations, for a range of creative writing and rhetorical contexts.
  5. Conduct effective research and writing as it relates to the field of English studies, by using a variety of technological and information sources.

Portfolio Content

The portfolio consists of at least FIVE papers/projects with an optional sixth paper/project allowed to illustrate outcomes not demonstrated in the other five papers.  The five papers required are:

  1. Portfolio Introduction / Reflective Essay:  750-1000 words in length, explaining the papers included in the portfolio, how they represent the student’s work and how the student’s work has evolved (developed in consultation with the capstone instructor).
  2. A paper (or product/project) from ENGL 3100 OR a paper (or product/project) from ENGL 3110, to be used as a benchmark of the student’s knowledge and skills upon introduction to the English major (should also meet one of the 5 outcomes listed).
  3. A paper written for an upper division English course that is not less than 1200 words, and that demonstrates outcome 1, 2 and/or 3 as listed above.
  4. A major research paper or project written for an upper division English course that demonstrates outcome 5, as well as one other outcome as listed above.
  5. A project that is not an essay/paper (e.g. a PowerPoint, a group project, an annotated bibliography, videotape, etc.) that was for an upper division English course and that demonstrates outcome 4, and possibly another outcome as listed above.
  6. Optional: a paper which illustrates the achievement of an outcome not illustrated in the five papers.

Senior Portfolio Plagiarism Statement

A student who submits a plagiarized paper or a paper with any form of plagiarism in it for his/her senior portfolio will:

  1. Fail the senior portfolio
  2. Fail the senior capstone course (for which an academically appropriate portfolio is a requirement)

Failing the portfolio and senior capstone can delay or hinder graduation as the portfolio and capstone course are required for graduation.

(Note: The submission of a plagiarized paper written for another class also could jeopardize the grade in the earlier class depending on the course syllabus’s statement on plagiarism.)