GWR Portfolio
Overview
The GWR Portfolio is designed to offer students an opportunity to demonstrate competence in upper-division writing by curating written work completed in prior upper-division courses. The portfolio pathway is best suited for students at or near graduation who have already completed sufficient writing-intensive coursework.
Students complete the portfolio through the 0-unit UNIV 401: GWR Portfolio course, which includes a portfolio introduction and two previously completed writing projects from upper-division courses that granted Cal Poly credit.
Registration
Students interested in completing the GWR through the portfolio pathway should enroll in UNIV 401: GWR Portfolio. This CR/NC course is offered asynchronously, carries a $35 course fee, and has the following prerequisites:
- Junior standing
- Completion of GE Area A with grades of C- or better
Multiple sections of UNIV 401 are offered each quarter, including summer. If one section is full, students should look for another open section rather than adding themselves to a waitlist.
Important: Because portfolio materials must come from upper-division courses that have already been completed and graded, students are strongly advised to enroll in UNIV 401 only after they have sufficient eligible coursework available. Students should not enroll in UNIV 401 during the same term as an upper-division course from which they intend to submit portfolio materials.
Portfolio Criteria
Portfolio Introduction
- Written independently in response to the prompt provided in the UNIV 401 Canvas course
- At least 500 words (excluding heading and title)
- Reflects on the student’s development as a writer and explains how Portfolio Papers #1 and #2 demonstrate that growth
Portfolio Papers #1 and #2
Each paper must:
- Be completed for an upper-division (300-, 400-, or 500-level) course
- Be completed after reaching junior standing (90 units)
- Have been completed in a prior term with a final course grade of C or better posted to the transcript (C- is not acceptable)
- Grant Cal Poly upper-division credit (upper-division transfer courses are acceptable if credit has already posted)
- Be written independently in English for a graded assignment in which the student earned a grade of C or better (collaborative projects and papers with C- grades are not acceptable)
- Consist of at least 750 words each (excluding heading, title, tables/graphs, and citations)
- Represent original work with appropriate citation of sources
- Demonstrate an effective response to rhetorical situations and present ideas clearly, logically, and with fully developed support
Acceptable genres include (but are not limited to): informative or argumentative essays, analyses, research papers, proposals, literature reviews, policy memos, technical papers, lab reports, and critical reflections.
Important: Creative fiction, poetry, short-answer exams, and journal entries (even if totaling 750 words) are not acceptable for the GWR Portfolio.
Optional Writing Prompts in Limited Circumstances
Students who do not yet have two previously completed upper-division writing assignments that meet portfolio criteria may be provided with optional writing prompts in limited circumstances. These prompts are intended as an exception, not the standard pathway, and are typically used when a student is near graduation and lacks sufficient eligible writing intensive coursework to meet GWR Portfolio criteria.
Students are strongly encouraged to complete the GWR through a designated 4-unit writing-intensive course or to delay enrollment in UNIV 401 until sufficient upper-division writing-intensive coursework has been completed, rather than relying on optional prompts to generate portfolio materials.
Portfolio Submission
The UNIV 401: GWR Portfolio course is fully asynchronous. Detailed instructions and submission steps are provided to enrolled students through Canvas.
Portfolio due dates are typically set around mid-term to allow time for evaluation and, if necessary, revision prior to final grading. A final grade of Credit (CR) in UNIV 401 constitutes completion of the university’s Graduation Writing Requirement.
Have you left the San Luis Obispo area but still need to fulfill the GWR?
The Writing and Learning Office can assist you; please contact the office for next steps.
