Stephanie Schulz stephanie.schulz@my.ndsu.

edu December 15, 2012 Assessment Committee English Department Morrill Hall North Dakota State University Dear Assessment Committee: In the Spring semester of 2011, after five semesters at North Dakota State University, I joined the English Department. In the four semesters that followed, I developed the abilities to analyze texts, compile research, and write and communicate effectively. The documents contained in this portfolio span my time as an English major and illustrate how my skills have improved to meet the seven outcomes of the English Department. As I lost the use of my laptop for the majority of a semester, I am unable to recover any work from my ENGL 275 class, so I have just included work from an upper level class that demonstrates what I learned in Intro to Writing Studies. The first document in this portfolio is a paper written for ENGL 271, taught by Dr. Gary Totten, titled Patriarchy in The Yellow Wallpaper: A Feminist Reading. I took this class in my first semester in the English program, and, from the very first class period, Literary Analysis convinced me that I had finally chosen the right major. This paper was my first attempt at applying feminist theory to a text. In the paper, I discussed the ways in which Charlotte Gilmans The Yellow Wallpaper both supports and undermines traditional patriarchal gender roles. I included this document in my portfolio because it demonstrates three outcomes. Writing this paper helped me learn to analyze, interpret, critique, and evaluate a text (Outcome 2). It also shows the beginning of an understanding of the use of theoretical lenses. The paper is a straightforward application of feminist theory at the 200-level (Outcome 5). Finally, I addressed the historical and cultural significance of the text by using the text to analyze gender roles of the time period (Outcome 6). Since the first document is a feminist analysis at the 200-level, I chose to include a feminist analysis I wrote the next semester for ENGL 476: Topics in American Literature with Dr. Linda Helstern. The paper, Epistolary and Refuge, uses theory of epistolary writing and its connection to feminist criticism to address the struggle against a patriarchal society in Terry Tempest Williams novel Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place. This paper also fulfills Outcome 2 and shows an improvement in my analyzing, interpreting, critiquing, and evaluating skills. Writing this paper, I greatly enjoyed exploring the less commonly used theory of epistolary writing. I used multiple theoretical texts to support my own thesis and progressed from using basic concepts of

a theory, as I did in the first document, to applying specific analytic techniques in order to form my own unique style (Outcomes 3 and 5). The third document in this portfolio is a research paper, Technical Writing: Creation and Interpretation. The paper was written as my final project for ENGL 358, taught by Jessica Jorgenson. In this paper, I discussed the relationship between technical writers and their intended readers. Planning for this research paper was conducted over the course of several weeks, and included a proposal, annotated bibliography, and progress report, which introduced me to managing a larger professional project (Outcomes 4 and 7). The research for this paper was more diverse than for either of the critical papers already included in this portfolio. My resources included two syllabi and the U.S. Department of Labor website, as well as multiple textbooks (Outcome 3). The inclusion of a research paper in this portfolio is a departure from the genre of literary analysis, which shows my ability to write in multiple genres; the topic of the paper, technical writing, also shows knowledge of writing in various genres (Outcome 1). Finally, my Capstone project and its related documents demonstrate all of the English Departments outcomes. The project incorporated skills that I honed in ENGL 271, 275, and 358. My project is an analysis of the lyrics of Mumford and Sons album Sigh No More using cultural and Marxist criticism (Outcomes 1, 2, and 5). I used many research strategies to collect information, not only on the theory involved, but also on socioeconomic events and information regarding the band and the album (Outcome 3). I met Outcome 6 by analyzing music lyrics, a genre I hadnt studied before, and using a cultural critical lens. The Capstone experience was a more involved and higher level version of the processes of completing a project that were first covered in ENGL 275 and 358. All of the same steps were involved: proposal, annotated bibliography, progress report, and final product (Outcome 6). However, the most important outcome that this project demonstrates is Outcome 7. Working with Dr. Taggart over the course of two months helped me to develop professionalism and gave me some insight into how I should go about shaping and completing projects in the future. The Capstone project was a unique experience in that I had so much more time and so many more resources than for any previous project. Though I struggled with the self-direction and reliability parts of the last outcome, I definitely learned a lot from the experience. I would like to thank the English Department faculty for all of their wonderful instruction and support in the last two years. I have struggled at times, but the decision to switch my major to English is one of the best life choices I have made. I hope that this portfolio will be useful in this years review. Sincerely,

Stephanie Schulz