If you are an undergraduate and plan to enroll for Fall 2015 in a Writing Intensive course or any class that lists the RooWriter Writing Assessment as a prerequisite, be sure to take the assessment as soon as possible so that you are not blocked by Pathway.

If you plan to graduate this summer and have not already taken the Written English Proficiency Test (WEPT), you need to take the RooWriter Writing Assessment by June 19.

For complete information, see the RooWriter web site at https://www.umkc.edu/roowriter/

As you may have heard, the RooWriter replaced the WEPT for all undergraduates at UMKC.  Unlike the WEPT, the RooWriter is not a pass/fail essay on one topic that must be written in three hours and in person during a scheduled time.  Rather, the RooWriter allows you to write a 750-1,500 word essay on your choice of six topics in a 72-hour-period anytime and anywhere you have access to a computer and the Internet.  After you submit your essay, it will be assessed by two trained evaluators and you will receive a report of their responses and a copy of your essay through the online system.

Everything that you need to know and do is located at the RooWriter web site, including the essay guidelines and expectations.  You can also preview the six Reading Packets to decide which one you want to write about.  The current Reading Packets address topics ranging from women and sports to Kansas City’s Troost Wall to urban sprawl.  When you choose your Reading Packet you will be assigned a prompt or question to respond to.  You then have 72 hours to complete your essay, which means you can work on it, return to it, and get help from the Writing Studio.  After you submit your essay, two evaluators will assess it in six areas, including “Point-Purpose-Idea,” “Clarity and Cohesion,” and “Support-Evidence-Citations.”  Evaluators will also provide comments about the strengths of your essay and any aspects of your writing that you should concentrate on in the future.  To see a sample evaluator report, please click here.

To help you develop your writing and reading skills, you are encouraged to take the RooWriter Writing Assessment more than once during your UMKC undergraduate career.  The RooWriter is a requirement for graduation, and to fulfill that requirement, you should take the RooWriter after you have completed Discourse II or its equivalent and before you have earned 90 hours of undergraduate credit.  It also is required for Writing-Intensive classes and may be required for other classes.

Undergraduate students who already have earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution are exempt from the RooWriter requirement.  The first time that you use the RooWriter Writing Assessment, your student account will be billed $15, but you will not be charged for subsequent assessments.  For more information, contact the Coordinator of Writing Assessment at roowriter@umkc.edu.