English/Writing Proficiency & Requirements
Writing Placement
In order to ensure writing success at Taylor, all students will place into the freshman writing course that best meets their needs as college writers:
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ENG 101 Fundamentals of Writing
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ENG 110 Expository Writing with Writing Center Lab
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ENG 110 Expository Writing
Writing placement is determined by using SAT Critical Reading or ACT English test scores, the high school GPA, and students' answers to the following four questions about their writing:
- In my last year of high school, I made notable changes in my papers' content or arrangement.
- In my last year of high school, I wrote papers for my non-English classes.
- In my last year of high school, I wrote papers that were 3 pages or longer.
- In my last year of high school, I have written research papers that required more than 5 sources.
Students who do not have SAT/ACT scores must also complete a writing test to help determine writing placement. Placement will be decided based on the writing test, answers to the writing questionnaire, and the high school GPA. Students should contact the Office of Academic Assessment to receive the writing test.
All new students will receive the writing questionnaire as part of the course registration process for their first semester. Placement will be determined within two weeks of receiving a new student's registration materials and the completed questionnaire. After receiving his or her placement, if a student believes that he or she has been placed into the wrong writing course-either at too high or too low of a level-the student should contact the Office of Academic Assessment of his or her desire to take a writing test. The writing test, along with the SAT/ACT test scores, high school GPA, and questionnaire responses, will be evaluated in order to determine if the writing placement should be changed. The student will receive an e-mail and a letter within two weeks of completing the writing test notifying him or her of the final writing placement. In order to have the writing placement altered, the writing test must be completed by July 1. Students admitted after June 1 may not have their placements altered.
Writing Requirements
Taylor University believes that writing plays a significant role in both learning and communication; thus, Taylor has several writing requirements. First, all students in their freshman year take ENG 110 Expository Writing, with some students taking ENG 101 Fundamentals of Writing prior to Expository Writing. These writing courses set the foundation for the college-level writing that will be expected at Taylor. After the first-year writing course(s), students will complete two additional courses (usually in the major) that are designated as ‘WR', meaning those courses have a major writing component. Additionally, students will encounter numerous writing assignments in many other courses.
All new students, both first-time freshmen and transfer students, are expected to complete ENG 110 Expository Writing by the end of their first year, including in-class at Taylor, approved transfer credit, or AP/CLEP credit.
Transfer Credit for ENG 110
Writing courses transferred from other institutions to meet ENG 110 must represent the total writing requirement at that college or university (the last course in a sequence if more than one semester is offered). The course should include process writing, finished essays, and a research paper. The Registrar's Office (in consultation with the English department at Taylor) must approve transfer courses.
AP Credit for ENG 110
An AP score of 5 qualifies for credit, while a score of 4 requires evaluation of the essay by the English department at Taylor University. If a score of 4 is received, it is the student's responsibility to request that AP send the essay to Taylor by September 15 (for fall enrollment) or March 15 (for spring enrollment). The AP process must be completed with the Office of Academic Assessment before October 15, for students entering in the fall semester or March 15, for those entering in the spring semester.
CLEP Credit for ENG 110
Students wishing to attempt CLEP credit must have scores at or above 660-SAT Critical Reading or 27-ACT English. A scaled score of 69 or higher on the CLEP Freshman College Composition exam qualifies a student to write an essay evaluated by Taylor's English department. The CLEP exam must be taken and passed by October 15, for students entering in the fall semester and March 15, for students entering in the spring semester. Students not completing all requirements by the appropriate date must register for ENG 110 in their second semester at Taylor.
If the AP or CLEP exam for ENG 110 Expository Writing is passed and approved by the Office of Academic Assessment, the fee for posting credit to the transcript must be paid by November 1, for those entering in the fall semester and April 1, for those entering in the spring semester. Students are solely responsible for verifying that their scores are received in the Office of Academic Assessment.
