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Show ADMINISTRATION (1, 8 STUDENT GOVERNMENT , , - 2 :CcDP ,,,1 , II i. f ) - is T J - A ' , i 1 1 1 ! Fl i ; . i I I , I 0 : i 1 - 10...... v - tire,z - . i . I i 1 .., t t . t i I 4 - 4 : , . ' '.: . .,, t f .. i i i $ r ,, .. z r, '' .,t:tt ; f t 1 I! : 1 Ft- I , ' , t ' i - t E - i ' - - ; , - - : , 1 . , , , : r I , A - , - P . A - , f - ,. ' A . - i ., t 1 , , - I1 11 I - 4 , ' TAYLOR STEVENS Westminster Colleges Writing Center, located in the Bassis Student Center, has an help desk to assist students with their completion of their portfolio requirement. requirement. Starting Fall 2017, individual programs and departments will be able to opt in or out of the WESTMINSTER TO ELIMINATE E REQUIREMENT STARTING FALL E-PORTFOLIO tion purposes and to improve course con- tent through other methods, according to TAYLOR STEVENS EDITOR-1N-CHIE- F Westminster College's faculty senate announced its decision to eliminate the requirement beginning Fall 2017 at the college's faculty meeting on Dec. 2. The elimination of the college-wid- e requirements for the first-yecompetency, midpoint and final allows each program or major the opportunity to choose how best to assess college-wid- e learning goals, according to a proposal emailed to faculty members. "It's very hard for the school to do if it's not incorsomething college-wid- e porated into the classes of the individual curriculum," said Steve Hurlbut, Westminster's faculty fellow for "Every year about 150 seniors who have never really seen the anywhere else get a phone call that says, 'You have to do that or you won't graduate.' And that's not really good for anyone." Hurlbut said he expects two thirds of programs to continue using the to assess college-wid- e learning goals. The programs that discontinue use will still be required to assess college-wid- e learning goals for accredita college-wid- COLLEGE-WID- e ar Hurlbut. Mile Nannini, a senior communication major, is one of the students graduating in are one way that we can emphasize and build on the college-wid- e learning goals, but what we've learned over the last five years is that we're not a school," Hurlbut said. December who hasn't turned in her final Nannini said she wasn't aware that he needed to submit an until Dec. 4 because she thought the portfolio class the communication department Jadie Adams, a junior math major, said she was relieved to find out that the college will now allow individual departments to opt in or out of the offers would replace the re- quirement. "I literally didn't know that was even still a thing until yesterday," Nannini said. "I actually heard today that people were like, 'Do we actually have to turn this in?'" James Maloney, a senior environmental program. "With math, I think that graduate schools that are wanting to look at what humanities major, is graduating in May and said he also hasn't started his final you've done with math want to see what projects or research you've done and they would be less focused on making sure the stuff you did met all the college-wid- e learning goals," Adams said. "I can just put that time toward something that will help me more in the long run than an would have." Current seniors will still be required to for graduacomplete their tion, but Hurlbut said only half of the college's 30 December graduates have completed their requirements. "The first year competency portfolios were not enforced," Hurlbut said. "The midpoints were not enforced. The senior ,- until their last semes ter seem not to benefit from the folio. "Even worse, in their beliefs and statements, they tend to damage the campus image of both the CWLG's college-wid- e prolearning goals and the continued. the proposal gram," For Hurlbut, that's one of the motivations behind eliminating the college-wid- e requirement. "I would hate for especially seniors because they've been here for four years and they've seen us not do this really wellI would hate to see the seniors confuse what they think of our program with the value of the college-wid- e learning goals," Hurlbut said. "The reason to deal with this with some urgency is because I am concerned that when students program, complain about the they are having an either intentional or unintentional effect of discrediting the of the one is enforced." one-size-fits- 2017 "I just can't imagine it being used when I enter the job market," Maloney said. "I don't think it was ever really sold that well, and that's part of the reason I was never convinced or especially motivated to do it. I remember hearing about it freshman year. It seemed more like a threat, like 'You have to do this to graduate' rather than 'Hey, here's what it is and here's why it's useful.' So I don't think it was marketed very well." According to the proposal from the senate faculty, students who are unaware E-P- ort e learning goals." Students who have questions about or would like assistance with their can visit Hurlbut in Gore 111, the help desk in the Writing college-wid- Center or https:westminstercollege.edui aboutiresourcesie-portfolio- s for more |