English and Foreign Languages
Rhetoric and Composition M.A. Option
Culminating Portfolio Contents
Your Rhetoric and Composition portfolio will comprise a selection of new and old work. The portfolio is
designed to provide an opportunity for you to synthesize material from various courses and reflect on
the program as a whole. In it, you will demonstrate your growth in knowledge and ability during the
course of the program and reflect on what you have learned. You will revisit past work and think about
how you might improve it. The portfolio will provide an authentic representation of your teaching,
writing and researching abilities, a representation that might also be shared with a potential employer
as part of a job search.
Your completed portfolio will contain the following items in the following order:


New Work
o A two to three-page cover letter, double-spaced, arguing that the contents of the
portfolio demonstrate that you have met the program outcomes (see program
outcomes below). In this letter you will cite specific sections and pages in the portfolio
that provide evidence that you have met or surpassed the outcomes. Though this piece
comes first in the portfolio, it should be the last piece you write.
o A rhetorical analysis of a text using appropriate classical and modern rhetorical theories.
This response should be five to six pages, double-spaced. You will choose one of two
questions that will be provided.
o A reflective essay on how the program has changed your thinking and/or teaching.
Refer to specific courses, texts, assignments, and events. You may also use this essay to
make suggestions for improving the program. This essay should be eight to ten pages.
Past Work: Each paper or project should include at the beginning a two to three-page discussion
of changes you would make in the direction or arguments of the paper after taking into account
new perspectives gained since it was written, plus annotations in the text indicating the parts
you would change.
o 581 paper or project
o 584 paper or project
o 587 or 588 paper or project
o One paper from an elective rhet/comp course
o One paper from the other option (Annotation: If you were going to do this project from
a rhetorical perspective, what would you do differently?)
If you do not have one of these papers for some reason, it is possible to negotiate a substitution.
The portfolio will be evaluated by two readers according to the following Program Outcomes:
Candidates in the Rhetoric/Composition option will demonstrate:
1. Knowledge of the Field: Knowledge of the key theorists/practitioners, concepts, and terms in
all three areas: History of Rhetoric; Modern Rhetorical Theory; and Pedagogy.
2. Application of Theory: Ability to apply rhetorical methodologies, principles, and research to
salient concerns/problems in all three areas: History of Rhetoric; Modern Rhetorical Theory; and
Pedagogy.
3. Development of Ideas: Ability to develop a detailed, resourceful line of reasoning in response to
a question at issue.
4. Academic Style: A readable, compelling, professional prose style.
5. Pedagogical Insight: Ability to teach/adapt the body of knowledge and skills listed above to a
variety of audiences, in particular fellow teachers and college students.
6. Research: Ability to conduct and present high-quality research/analysis in rhetoric and
composition.
Each outcome will be assessed on a four-point scale (see Portfolio Rubric). A perfect score is 24 points.
A passing score is 18 points. Scores below 18 will result in either an oral defense in one or more
categories or a request to revise and resubmit the portfolio in a subsequent quarter. The portfolio can
only be resubmitted once.
The process of putting your portfolio together will take an entire quarter. Don’t put it off to the last
minute! We recommend that you start with collecting and annotating the past projects because that
will lead to insights that you will want to discuss in the reflective paper.
Recommended timeline in the quarter you will submit the portfolio:







Week 1—Gather relevant papers
Weeks 2-4—Begin annotating papers and writing a discussion of possible changes for each
paper.
Week 5—Write rhetorical analysis paper.
Week 6—Write reflective paper.
Week 7—Write portfolio cover letter.
Week 8—Submit portfolio for scoring.
Week 9 or 10—Results posted.
We hope that the process of creating this portfolio will allow you to synthesize and reflect on all the
knowledge and skills that you gained as you experienced the program and prepare you to use this
knowledge well in future teaching, scholarship, and writing.
Completed portfolios can be submitted in hard copy or through a shared folder on Google Drive.
Another possibility is to create a portfolio website on WordPress or another webhosting site.