MONTANA BOARD OF REGENTS OF HIGHER EDUCATION
Policy and Procedures Manual

SUBJECT: ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Policy 3xxxx Writing Proficiency
Effective

I. Proposed Board Policy:

A. Any student seeking full admission to a four-year degree program at Montana State University- Bozeman, Montana State University-Billings, Montana State University-Northern, The University of Montana-Missoula, Montana Tech of The University of Montana, and The University of Montana-Western must satisfy a writing proficiency standard. That standard is as follows:

For Fall 2009 and the following years, students must earn a minimum score of: 

7 on the Writing Subscore or an equivalent score on the Combined English/Writing section of the Optional Writing Test of the ACT; or

7 on the Essay or an equivalent score on the Writing Section of the SAT; or

3.5 on the Montana University System Writing Assessment; or

3 on the AP English Language or English Literature Examination.

B. The writing proficiency standard will be phased in, beginning in Fall 2007.

1. For Fall 2007, students must earn a minimum score of:

5 on the Writing Subscore or 16 on the Combined English/Writing section of the Optional Writing Test of the ACT; or

5 on the Essay or 390 on the Writing Section of the SAT; or

2.5 on the Montana University System Writing Assessment, or

3 on the AP English Language or English Literature Examination.

2. For Fall 2008, students must earn a minimum score of:

6 on the Writing Subscore or an equivalent score on the Combined English/Writing section of the Optional Writing Test of the ACT; or

6 on the Essay or an equivalent score on the Writing Section of the SAT; or

3 on the Montana University System Writing Assessment; or  

3 on the AP English Language or English Literature Examination. 

C. In lieu of the indicators set out in paragraphs A and B above, students may offer CLEP Subject Examinations in Composition if their scores on the examination meet or exceed the ACE Recommended Score for Awarding Credit of 50.

D. A student who has not yet demonstrated the ability to meet these standards may be admitted (without condition) to a two-year degree program or admitted provisionally to a four-year degree program on any campus of the Montana University System.

E. Before gaining full admission status to a four-year program, the student may prove that he/she has the appropriate proficiency in the following ways:

1. re-take one or more of the listed writing assessments to earn the required score;

2. earn a grade of C- or better in the composition course that is the prerequisite to the composition course that satisfies the general education program requirements described in Board Policy 301.10;

3. submit a letter to the admissions office documenting a disability that prevented him/her from adequately demonstrating proficiency in a test setting if no accommodation was provided at the time of the test.

F.                  A student receiving a score of 5.5 or higher on the MUS Writing Assessment will be issued a certificate of merit from the Commissioner of Higher Education for use in applying for college admissions or scholarships.

High schools throughout Montana will receive:

  • certificates of appreciation from the Commissioner of Higher Education for their partnership activities with the Montana University System on behalf of the Writing Assessment project;
  • awards of merit from the Commissioner of Higher Education for the exemplary performance earned by their students on the Writing Assessment project, based on criteria developed by the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education.

G.                 By Fall 2007, the Montana University System will:

1.             determine how this policy should be applied to the groups of students exempted in Section H, based on the Montana Board of Regents' expectation that all students in four-year degree programs should satisfy a writing proficiency standard.

2.             determine how this policy should impact the writing placement examinations on the campuses of the Montana University System, based on the Montana Board of Regents' expectation that students should not have to take multiple writing examinations as part of their initial matriculation in the System.

3.      provide for the evaluation and analysis of a writing proficiency requirement that includes a uniform system to collect and report student data.  The criteria will be developed by the P-20 committee. Data will be collected and summarized beginning Fall 2007. Each unit of the MUS will submit the data to OCHE. OCHE will share the data with K-12 partners by February of the following year.

H. The following categories of students are exempt from the provisions of this policy:

1. non-traditional students (those who do not enter college for a period of at least three years from the date of high school graduation or from the date when they would have graduated from high school);

2. summer-only students; and

3. part-time students taking seven or fewer college-level semester credits.