“There are some common skills, but some are specific. Kashfi agrees, though she points out that those skills are not equivalent. There was also concern the test unintentionally reflects cultural bias and may be inappropriate to the range of students attending Concordia.įinally, the APC has suggested that a broader set of skills than simply writing - problem-solving, oral expression, scientific, cultural and information literacy - might also be desirable skills for all students. The test has effectively becomes an exit requirement or an obstacle. Chief among them was that although the test was developed to identify students who might need support, there is no incentive for students to take it early in their programs. The Academic Planning Committee (APC)’s recommendation outlined a series of problems with the current test. 14 Senate meeting, suspending the test retroactively to May, 2008. I don’t believe that thirty per cent of students do not know how to write.” Dyens will be part of the Provost’s Working Group on Teaching and Learning, expected to present an alternative path to Senate during the winter term. “Thirty per cent of students don’t pass the test the first time they write it. Ollivier Dyens, Vice-Provost Teaching and Learning, echoes that dissatisfaction.
The test does not reflect student ability,” said CSU President Keyana Kashfi. “I know lots of students who have been held back because they didn’t pass the test, even though they do well in class.
After nearly two decades, Senate has decided to discontinue the University Writing Test, because it is not fulfilling its intended mission, nor responding to the current needs of students.
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