A requirement in all graduate programs in a California State University, is that competency in writing skills must be demonstrated through one of the options listed below. Students are required to attempt to meet this requirement within the first two sessions after being admitted into the M.B.A. Online program.

M.B.A. Online students have the following options in meeting this requirement:

I. For students living within driving distance (within 60 miles of the campus) of the university campus:

A. Graduation Writing Examination (GWE) The Graduation Writing Examination, a voluntary test for which a fee of US $25 is charged, is available to students five times per academic year in September, November, February, April, and June. A score of eight (8) or higher must be achieved. Students who fail to score an 8 may take the test a second time. Information on exact test dates and registration procedures is available from the M.B.A. Online Coordinator.

B. Advanced Composition Course (offered by the English Department). The English Department regularly offers a general-purpose advanced composition course (ENG 350). You must complete this course with a grade not lower than a "B."

C. Upper Division Writing Adjunct (IDS 397, 2 units, and IDS 398, 2 units), offered by the Interdisciplinary Studies Program, provides individualized instruction in composition that is adjunctive to study in another subject area. Students must complete both IDS 397 and IDS 398 with a grade not lower than a "B."

E. Transfer Certification. If you satisfied the Graduation Assessment Requirement (GWAR) at another California State University campus prior to admission to the M.B.A. Online Program you may have the graduation requirement waived. If you completed an advanced composition course with a "B" or higher or passed an examination in composition at another university you may also seek to have that allowed as "transfer certification." The examination must be a CSU certifying exam or its equivalent. All requests and supporting documentation (course description, etc.) should be sent to the M.B.A. Online Coordinator.

1. Graduation Writing Examination (GWE). The Graduation Writing Examination, a voluntary test for which a fee of US $25* is charged, is available to students and can be administered in your location under the supervision of a proctor whom you recommend and is approved by the M.B.A. Online Coordinator. A mutually-agreeable time will be set for the administration of the examination. However, the examination will be scored at times coinciding with those given on campus. A score of eight (8) or higher must be achieved. Students who fail to score an 8 may take the test a second time. Contact the M.B.A. Online Coordinator for details. *The check must be made payable to the CSUDH Foundation and mailed to the M.B.A. Online Coordinator in advance of scheduling the examination.
2. Transfer Certification. If you satisfied the Graduation Assessment Requirement (GWAR) at another California State University campus prior to admission to the M.B.A. Online Program you may have the graduation requirement waived. If you completed an advanced composition course with a "B" or higher or passed an examination in composition at another university you may also seek to have that allowed as "transfer certification." The examination must be a CSU certifying exam or its equivalent. All requests and supporting documentation (course description, etc.) should be sent to the Online Coordinator.

1. What is the GWE?

The GWE is a one-hour examination in which students write an extemporaneous essay responding to a specified topic given to them when the test is administered. The topics are screened and pretested to ensure that they function well for the purposes of this examination.

2. What should students bring to the examination?

Students should bring a photo identification (e.g. driver’s license, ID card, or passport), one or more large (8 ½ x 11 inches) bluebook(s), and two pens or pencils with dark lead. Two bluebooks will be mailed to the proctor for M.B.A. Online students who are taking the examination under a proctor. If you are taking the test on campus you must also bring the GWE Admission Ticket stamped by the Cashier’s Office. You may also bring a dictionary and/or a thesaurus. Electronic dictionaries and thesauruses are acceptable as long as they do not emit sound.

3. How many times can the test be taken?

The test can be taken twice.

4. Can one prepare for the test?

Not in the way that one might prepare for an essay examination in a course. Writing skills are acquired and refined over a period of time through instruction and practice. Students who read extensively often have strong writing skills. Students can benefit from a review of grammar and mechanics as found in any standard English handbook. Two equally useful reference books are available at the CSUDH and other bookstores: (1) John Bobrow and Peter Orton, Cliff's Writing Proficiency Examinations Preparation Guide (Cliffs Notes, 1990); and (2) Fred Obrecht, How to Prepare for the CSU Writing Proficiency Exams (Barron’s Educational Series, 1992). These can be ordered from the CSUDH bookstore. www.csudh.bkstr.com

Students within driving distance of the campus can sign up for the preparation workshops, given a week before each exam. Contact the M.B.A. Online Coordinator for dates and locations of these workshops.

5. Is the student's attitude important in taking the test?

Definitely. All tests cause anxiety to a greater or lesser degree, depending on the individual. Everyone, including seasoned professional writers, experiences a certain amount of "writing anxiety." However, with a constructive attitude, students can often channel this anxiety into creative energy. The worst thing to do is to "fight the test" or to resist the requirement. Our advice is to get a good night's sleep before the day of the test, try not to worry about it or to anticipate its topic, and come with a positive outlook, confident of a successful performance.

6. When should the test be taken?

M.B.A. Online students should take the test or seek "transfer certification" of a course during the first two sessions of the program.

7. How is the GWE graded?

Each essay is scored independently by two trained faculty readers using the GWE Scoring Guide (printed later in the booklet) on a scale of 1 to 6. Their individual scores are added together. Thus the top possible score is 12; the lowest is 2. The passing score for graduate students is 8. If the scoring by the two readers differs by more than one point, the essay is read and adjudicated by the Chief Reader or his/her assistant.

8. What does the GWE evaluate?

The GWE Scoring Guide defines the standards or criteria that the readers use to evaluate each test. In general, the GWE is designed to measure the student's ability to follow the directions and complete the specified tasks of the assignment, to compose an organized essay, to support ideas with specific examples, to use correct grammar and mechanics, and to use language effectively. Since the essay is essentially a first draft written within a limited amount of time, perfection is not expected, even for the score of 12.

9. Are special provisions made for students who are not native speakers of English?

The registration form asks students to indicate whether they are native speakers of English. Students who check "no" are given two hours instead of one to write the essay. Their essays are scored by readers who are knowledgeable about matters of second language acquisition. While some provision is made for minor variances in syntax and idiomatic usage, the essays are scored like those of native speakers with respect to major considerations of content, organization, and grammar.

10. How are you notified of the results of the test?

By mail, usually within two to three weeks following the examination or if you took it under a proctor, the results will be available two to three weeks after the campus test dates. (See schedule posted later in the web site). You should not call for results, especially not to the English Department, which does not have responsibility for the test. If you have not received your results after four weeks, contact the M.B.A. Online Coordinator.

11. What is the pass rate for the GWE?

Following are the pass rates for graduate students:

Academic Year 1993-94 65% N=497
Academic Year 1994-95 69% N=572
Academic year 1995-96 72% N=475

12. Can the results of the test be appealed?

Not directly by you. However, you may contact the M.B.A. Online Coordinator, who will confer with you and the GWAR advisor. The GWAR advisor, after hearing the appeal, may decide to submit the essay for reappraisal. That scoring is final. You must contact the M.B.A. Online Coordinator within one year of the writing of the essay, for essays are destroyed after one year.

13. Can certification of writing competency be transferred from another institution?

Yes, we accept certification from other California State University campuses. If you have taken the equivalent of the CSUDH Advanced Composition Course, ENG 350, you may request a review of its equivalency by contacting the M.B.A. Online Coordinator. You must submit the required documentation to the M.B.A. Online Coordinator and he/she will work with the GWAR Coordinator to process your request. Contact the M.B.A. Online Coordinator for details.

14. Are other kinds of exceptions to the requirement ever granted?

Usually not. All graduate students, including M.B.A. Online students, are bound by the requirement. Portfolios of papers written at CSUDH or elsewhere, published articles, earned doctorates or law degrees, testimonials or letters of recommendation are not, by university policy, taken as evidence that an exception should be made. Sometimes, however, exceptions are made on a case-by-case basis for students who have compelling reasons why they cannot meet the requirement by exam or coursework. If you believe that you can make such a case, you should contact the M.B.A. Online Coordinator who will take your request to the GWAR Coordinator.

15. What is the best course of action for students who have difficulty meeting the GWAR?

If you fail the GWE and/or a certifying course you are probably in need of intensive instruction, especially if you fail the GWE more than once. You should seek the advice of the M.B.A. Online Coordinator who will put you in touch with the proper person.

1. What is the Composition Cooperative?

If you take a course that satisfies the GWAR, you will write an essay on a common topic near the end of the course. The instructors in the course meet to read the essays in what is called the Composition Cooperative. Each essay is read independently by two scorers using a modified form of the GWE Scoring Guide. No instructor reads essays from his/her class. For this reading, the scoring guide is scaled from 1 to 18, the highest score being 36, the lowest 2. The student’s score is then translated into a GPA equivalent and counted for at least 25 percent of the final grade in the course. Students who have questions about their score should consult their course instructors. Instructors (not students) may appeal any score to the GWAR Coordinator.

2. When should the certifying course be taken?

Undergraduate students who opt for a course should take it as early as possible, at least within two terms of reaching junior status and after completion of the lower-division composition requirement. Graduate students who opt for a course should take it in their first or second semester of graduate school. In this way, both undergraduate and graduate students will receive instruction that will help them with their writing assignments in upper-division or graduate courses and avoid delaying graduation.

P Faculty Readers will assign scores based on the guide printed below. The range finders will provide examples of responses at the various score levels and will guide your understanding of both the diversity and limits of the range at each score level.

P Faculty Readers should score papers in reference to the standards that emerge from both the scoring guide and the sample papers.

P Faculty Reader’s interpretation of such terms as "competence," "effectively," and "well developed" should be significantly influenced by the sample papers on the topic being scored.

PThough examinees are asked to write on a specific topic, parts of the topic may be treated by implication. Faculty Readers should focus on what the examinee does well. ESL writers should not be penalized excessively for slight shifts in idiom, problems with articles and confused prepositions and occasional misuse of verb tenses and verb forms so long as such features do not obscure meaning.

6 Demonstrates clear competence in writing on both the rhetorical and syntactic levels, though it may have occasional errors.

A paper in this category:

*effectively addresses the writing task

* is well organized and well developed

* uses clearly appropriate examples or details to support ideas

* displays consistent facility in the use of language

* demonstrates syntactic variety and range of vocabulary

5 Demonstrates competence in writing on both the rhetorical and syntactic levels, though it will probably have occasional errors.

A paper in this category:

* may address some parts of the writing task more effectively than others

* is generally well organized and developed

* uses examples or details to support ideas

* displays facility in the use of language

* demonstrates some syntactic variety and range of vocabulary

4 Demonstrates minimal competence in writing on both the rhetorical and syntactic levels.

A paper in this category:

* addresses the writing task adequately, but may slight parts of the assignment

* is adequately organized and developed

* uses some details to support ideas

* demonstrates adequate but possibly inconsistent facility with syntax, usage, and diction

* may display some errors in usage or sentence structure, but not a consistent pattern of such errors

3 Demonstrates some developing competence in writing, though it remains flawed on either the rhetorical or syntactic level, or both.

A paper in this category may reveal one or more of the following weaknesses:

* attempts to address the writing task, but may ignore parts of the assignment

* is inadequately organized or developed

* uses inappropriate or insufficient details to support ideas

* uses noticeably inappropriate choice of words or word forms

* has a pattern or accumulation of errors in sentence structure usage or mechanics

2 Demonstrates limited competence in writing.

A paper in this category is seriously flawed by one or more of the following weaknesses:

* serious disorganization or underdevelopment

* little or no detail, or irrelevant specifics

* serious and frequent errors in sentence structure, usage, mechanics, or diction

* serious problems with focus

1 Demonstrates incompetence in writing.

Papers that reject the assignment or fail to address the question must be given to the Chief Reader.

The following are some student essays, reproduced with each student's permission and slightly edited, from a Spring 1995 administration of the GWE. Each essay was read independently by two faculty readers who used the GWE Scoring Guide with its scale from 1 to 6. Their scores added together produces the GWE score sent to students. If their individual scores differ by more than one point, the essay is given to the Chief Reader to adjudicate. Readers judge an essay on both the rhetorical and syntactic levels. Rhetoric (adj., rhetorical) refers to how the content of an essay is communicated. It includes such issues as the writers' understanding purpose and audience, their addressing the tasks set by the prompt, their utilizing appropriate organization and development, and their using language effectively. Syntax (adj., syntactic) refers to the arrangement of words in a sentence. It broadly includes such issues as sentence structure, usage and correctness, word choice (diction), and mechanics (e.g. appropriate capitalization and indentation, correct spelling, and the like). Essays that are individually scored 4, 5, or 6 demonstrate at least minimal competence in writing on both of these levels.

For each reading readers are trained on a set of sample essays selected by the Chief Reader and his/her assistants. Three of the essays that follow were actual range-finders for the Spring 1995 GWE reading.

TOPIC or PROMPT: There are times when one's principles or beliefs are sorely tested by circumstances. (One may be opposed to lying, but be tempted to lie or actually lie in order to spare another person's feelings.) Describe a situation in which one of your principles or beliefs was tested by circumstances, explain how you handled the situation, and tell why you now think that your behavior was or was not correct.

Often it is easy to remain on high moral ground when hypothetically sharing one's personal code of ethics. There is, however, a deeper degree of inner conflict when one's principles or beliefs are tested by the individual circumstances of daily life.

Sadly, I found myself in the midst of such a moral dilemma not too long ago. As a Girl Scout Leader for the past 13 years, I have watched the same group of 32 girls grow from charming little six year olds to peer-pressured teenagers. I have watched some of these teens climb up the ladder of success and I have witnessed many of them struggle through the worlds of sex, drugs, and violence. I have always believed in the importance of my being an available, understanding adult. I have made it a point to build a foundation of trust and honesty with each girl individually. I insisted on "rap" sessions when we discussed the real world and all it meant to these young women of the 90s. Most importantly, I tried to maintain an open line of communication with them and assure them confidentiality.

Unfortunately, my altruistic assertions have been sorely tested. About a year ago, I found out through the grapevine that three of my favorite scouts were using drugs heavily and carrying them to school everyday. Though I had always suspected that this might happen someday, I was at a loss as to how to approach this problem. The knowledge burdened me as I explored all my options. Ideally, I had always expressed vows of confidentiality, but in reality, I was frightened. This was a safety issue and something I was not prepared to handle. Should I or shouldn't I share this knowledge with their parents who were also close friends of mine? Wouldn't I want to be told if it were my child? Would I be breaking the trust that I had worked so long to build? Would the girls that were using or the girls that were part of the grapevine ever share anything with me again? This civil war within deeply troubled me for almost a week as I decided what my plan of attack would be.

I finally decided to approach the girls separately and speak with them first. Ironically, I, adult confidante to all teens, was faced with blank stares and words of denial. I offered help and expressed my love for them and my concern for their health. It was clear that my attempt at guiding them personally into a counseling program had failed. Now what was I to do? Sadly, I found myself unable to remain on high moral ground in regards to my promises of confidentiality and trust. I broke down and called their parents. It was the easy thing to do and probably the best, but it was not what I believed in or promised that I would do in a situation such as this.

I wish that I could say that everything turned out well. I wish that I could say that the girls still turn to me for advice about life and that they remained Girl Scouts. I wish that I could say the girl's parents supported my position, kept my name anonymous, and remained my close friends. Unfortunately, I am unable to report that any of this is true. My decision to turn to the parents did all the horrible things I imagined it would. I lost any real communication with the girls and they dropped out of scouting. I am no longer close friends with their parents and my name was not kept anonymous. Most discouraging is the fact that the girls are still using drugs and I find myself often wondering if they have an adult to confide in or turn to.

Interestingly, even with all these negative repercussions, I am certain that I did the only thing that seemed right at the time. My principles of trust and confidentiality were over shadowed by a larger belief in my loved one's safety and a parent's right to know and hopefully help their children through life's struggles. The decision I made, as hard as it was and as much as it threatened, was the only realistic option available to me.

The individual circumstances of the real world often challenge the lofty moral goals and code of ethics that each of us choose to ideally embrace. Often, it is necessary to step down from our well-defined pedestals of beliefs and deal with the realities of everyday life.

A Compromise of Principles: The Legal Profession

I am a litigation paralegal for a medium sized law firm in the South Bay. My duties as a paralegal include the drafting and filing of lawsuits. One particular lawsuit that I drafted recently tested my belief that the legal profession’s aim was to promote justice.

The situation revolved around a lawsuit in which the plaintiff was the owner of an apartment building that had a wonderful view of the ocean. Across from this building was an empty lot that served to facilitate this view. In August 1994, a builder purchased this property and began development of a two-story house on the vacant lot. This house would block the ocean view of the plaintiff and therefore she wanted to sue the builder and force him not to build on the lot he purchased.

The test of my belief that it was the aim of the legal profession to promote justice came in the form of legal research on the topic of prescriptive easement, i.e., that adjacent property owners can stop a person from doing something with property, like building a house, if it interferes with the long-standing use of the adjacent property owner. An example of this would be found in analogizing prescriptive easement to sharing a lollie-pop. If you pick up my lollie-pop and start licking it, and I watch but don’t stop you, then eventually you gain the right to lick my lollie-pop. In the case at hand, the plaintiff claimed that she had the right to that ocean view. Without going into further detail, let it suffice to state that the law did not comport with the plaintiff’s claim. I brought this information to the attention of the partners of my firm, and was told to draft the lawsuit anyway. The strategy being that if the merits of the case were weak, perhaps we could drive the builder into bankruptcy with legal fees. I was shocked. This strategy went against everything that I believed in.

Reluctantly, I drafted the lawsuit, and commenced litigation. I felt that I had no other way of handling this situation. I raised the issue of the law not supporting the plaintiff’s claim to the partners, and that was all that I could do. Any further recourse would jeopardize my job.

I feel my behavior in this situation was correct based on two factors. First, I raised the issues to the partners. It is my job to draft lawsuits, not to plan case strategy. Although I do not agree with the strategy in this particular instance, it would be wrong for me to take any further action.

Second, I have a family to support. My initial reaction was to march right into the partner’s office and demand that they choose another course of action. However, I would have been terminated rather quickly had I done that. I would have thus compromised the well being of my family based on ethical values. I do not feel the ethics involved in this circumstance warrant such drastic action, and the consequences thereof.

The sad part about this situation is that in testing my belief that justice was the goal of the legal profession, this situation caused me to lose respect for a field which I previously admired.

I am usually a person with very strong beliefs and principles. However, there are circumstances that cause me to adjust my principles. One very good example, which occurs daily, is my belief in a strong work ethic.

A strong work ethic is one that encourages a total commitment to accomplishing ones tasks and responsibilities at the work place. An individual must not only handle his or her own tasks, but also try to increase performance in any way possible. He sees that by increasing productivity, the firm will benefit and in return, the individual will also reap the rewards in higher wages, satisfaction, or promotions.

My present position is a clerical worker in a large shipping firm. I believe that this company's work ethic differs greatly from that on my own. They still believe that the worker should strive to be the best, but the salary is not based on performance. The promotions, salary, and benefits are all based on seniority. They believe that long work hours is a show of dedication to the company.

Every day I complete my duties and responsibilities. I am careful not to try new methods at improving efficiency in order not to anger my co-workers. Everyone is perfectly happy working at a slow but steady pace. Since promotions are based on seniority, the likelihood of myself receiving a raise in the near future is not very good. Why should I work extra hard for no new benefit?

I have determined that my present behavior is wrong. Even though I might not receive any short term benefits such as salary increases, my long-term prospects at acquiring experience would be enhanced. By striving to be the best, my marketability for future employment in different fields will be strengthened. Since everybody in the firm is content with business as usual, I would be a standout and might even receive some respect from a few co-workers. My self confidence would surely improve, which is beneficial to all aspects in life.

I can recall one particular situation which certain circumstances tested a belief of mine in which I reacted in a manner which I would repeat if it occurred again. At the time my nephew Billy was ten years old, he has been living with his grandmother, my mother-in-law, since he was about one year old. His grandmother is the only mother he has, she has provided for him in every way, such as in giving him love, clothing, food and shelter.

On this one occasion, when I was visiting them, Billy decided he would behave in a disrespectful manner, simply because he did not get his way. He had wanted a toy which he had seen on television, but because he had not been behaving himself at the time, he was not given it.

While I was there I witnessed him yell at his grandmother the most cruelest words he could think of, he told her "I hate you! Your not my mom, you don’t love me, I want to go live with my mom!" Needless to say my mother-in-law started to cry & Billy ran to his room. I was so upset. I got up, went to his room and had a long talk with him. Although he was ten years old I felt that it was very important for him to know that what he had done was wrong. What he had done was very disrespectful, he had insulted and hurt the one woman who loved him most.

I told Billy that his mother was his grandmother because she is the one that had always been there for him and she would be the only one he could run to for love and comfort. It was necessary for me to tell him, that his real mother had abandoned him, the only mother he had was grandma.

In thinking back to that event, my belief that one should always respect their elders, especially their loved ones, was tested by circumstances. I had to tell a ten year old boy the truth about his real mother abandoning him, this was not easy, but it was something I feel needed to be done. My mother-in-law is the sweetest person there could ever be. She did not deserve to be treated in that manner.

I feel that my behavior was correct and I would repeat it again if I had to. Because of my behavior Billy was able to understand why he was so special and why he in return should treat his grandmother with the same kind of love and respect she offered to him.

Billy is now fourteen years old, he now knows that his grandmother has tried her best in providing him with what she felt was best for him.

Ever since that day, he started to think about what he wanted to say, instead of just blurting it out, in this manner he could avoid hurting people’s feelings.

I have no regrets with my behavior in this situation. I was very fortunate things turned out for the best. Like I said before, if I had to do it all over again, I would because I strongly believe that one should always respect their elders.

Range 2 Essay

On spring’s 1994 I took four classes in this campus. One of four classes was terrifying experience. It was very difficult to me. It was very difficult course as of couple my friends felt. I spent many times in this course but the results were not good as I was expected. Each exam, the pre-exam was posted in library by teacher. The instructor wanted all student take a look or practice on it, as it was example. For me, it was not helped, because the exam she gave, it was so completely different with the previous example. But before each exam I did copy and took it home and practiced, but the results were not good. I spent many time studying also came to instructor's office for asking questions. One of my friends saw me and knew that I spent a lot the time in this class but the result was not good. So my friend came to me told me she had several previous exams. They were Spring’s 91, Spring’s 92, and Spring’s 93. She asked me if I want to borrow, she would let me borrow them. At that time, I really didn’t know what to do. I thought if I borrow those things, It would be against the law or would not. So I told her I will think about it. I went home and thought a lot about that. Should I go to instructor’s office to ask her about it. But I was scared. Finally I come to my friend and asked her to borrow those things. I did study and practiced on those previous exam. On third exam, instructor gave to us almost the same previous exam spring’s 91. In this case, the result was very good. What can I say. Could I say that I did very well or say I did not do well. I was very happy, but sometimes I felt very guilty. I kept it very secret. But later on I found down almost of students had it.

Before the final exam I thought that the instructor would never used the previous exam for the final. Because I also had the previous answered key for the final exam 91, 1992, 1993. My thought the instructor would never used the previous final exam, but I did study on those final example.

On the final example she gave exactly the same previous Final exam for Spring’s 92. I this case I remember every things I wrote down on the final exam. After 2 weeks the end semester. I was called from the instructor. She told me I was cheated on the final exam. She would not give me a grade. I got shot at that time. I come to her office. I told her I did’t cheating but she didn’t believe me. She said I could not able to do that very well. Because she know on her exam was very difficult. No one can’t do perfect like that. But I just kept told her I didn’t cheating. Finally she gave me a B-. By that time I wanted to tell her the truth but did not. Because if I told her that I would have a problem, but other side, because she gave out answered key for Final exam after each semester to all students. If I told the truth that would not be any problem that was I thought. But I did not. I went home. I felt very guilty about that.

Now, I know what I did. It was wrong. It was not corrected. I supposed to tell her the truth. Because I thought tell the truth that the best way to do, that the best behavior to all (?) people.

Range 1 essays are very rare; in a given year, we find only 2 or 3, less than one-half of one percent of all students taking the GWE. Although these essays demonstrate incompetence in writing, they often times reveal more about one's frame of mind when taking the exam than about one's actual level of writing competence. Students who score in this range have usually "frozen" at the prompt and have been unable to think of anything intelligible to write. Because of their rarity, we have not included a range 1 essay in this sample set of student essays.

We sincerely thank the students whose essays we have used. We hope our analysis of their strengths and weaknesses will help you to perform confidently and competently on the Graduate Writing Examination.

This information has been written to convey accurate information about the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement at CSU Dominguez Hills and to assist M.B.A. Online students who need to take the GWE. The information contained here reflects official University policy and procedures. Any questions or requests for clarification should be directed to the M.B.A. Online Coordinator at mbaonline@soma.csudh.edu or call (310)243-2714.