Overview
A score of Not Yet (NY) or Needs Work (NW)* on your portfolio means that your faculty reviewers felt that you needed to improve one or more key writing skills before you graduate from Carleton. To learn more about what this score means and how it fits into your academic progress at Carleton, you can consult the FAQ For Students with a Not Yet Portfolio Score.
Students who receive a NY or NW score will need to demonstrate improvement on the skills identified by their faculty reviewers to pass their portfolio requirement. In order to do this, you will meet with Writing Center staff, create a plan, and check in regularly until the process is complete. Once you have successfully completed your plan, the Registrar will change your portfolio score to a Pass.
The portfolio revision process is designed to work with your specific needs and circumstances. First, you will meet with Writing Center staff to discuss your writing, review your feedback, and develop a plan (~60 minutes). Throughout the term, you will work your plan (time commitment varies). Finally, at the end of each term you will check in with the Writing Center, either via a meeting or email (~30 minutes).
*Note: Not Yet and Needs Work are the same score. In winter 2025, the college changed the name of this score from Needs Work to Not Yet to better reflect the meaning of the score. Additionally, as of summer 2025, NY students follow a process designed by the Writing Center (see below). NW students will continue to work with George Cusack and follow the Needs Work process.
How the Process Works (Not Yet)
Step 1: Log Into the Moodle Site (Deadline: ASAP)
Within a few weeks of receiving your score, you’ll be enrolled in a Moodle site specifically for Not Yet, students (it will be named something like “[Year] Portfolio Revisions”). This site is confidential, so you won’t be able to see who else is enrolled, and they won’t be able to see you. This site will serve as a hub for information and activities related to the portfolio.
Step 2: Schedule a Meeting with Melanie Cashin or Kristen Vogel (Deadline: Week 5 of the term)
The Moodle page provides instructions for scheduling and preparing for a meeting with Writing Center staff. You are required to meet with Melanie Cashin or Kristen Vogel by Friday of week five of the first term you spend on campus after you receive your score (for most students, this is Fall term). This meeting can be in-person or over Zoom, so students who will be OCS programs the term after they submit their portfolios should still schedule a meeting immediately, rather than wait until they return to campus.
Step 3: Meet with Melanie or Kristen and draft a Writing Plan (Deadline: Friday of Week 5)
At your meeting, you and Writing Center staff will discuss your writing, the faculty reviewers’ comments, and the various ways you can complete the portfolio requirement. During this discussion, you will draft a plan that works for you and upload it to Moodle. The plan will address what you intend to improve in your writing, how specifically you will do this, and what resources you’ll employ to help you.
Step 4: Work the Writing Plan (Deadline: throughout the term)
Throughout each academic term, you’ll follow your plan. This may involve participating in the Term-Long Program, meeting with Melanie or Kristen, meeting with peer writing consultants, attending relevant workshops, and/or submitting writing from WR or other courses. Use the Moodle site to track your activities and upload any writing assignments you complete in your classes.
Step 5: Check in with the Writing Center (Deadline: each term, by the last day of classes)
At the end of each term, you’ll check in (in-person, virtually, or via email) with the Writing Center to discuss your progress. Check-ins are required every term until you pass your portfolio.
Step 6: Review and Feedback (Weeks 9 through break)
If you’ve scheduled a check-in meeting, Writing Center staff will review your plan and Moodle activity from the term and discuss your progress with you. If you check in via email, staff will review these materials on their own and follow up with you during break. If you have successfully completed the plan, the Writing Center will communicate that to the Registrar. If not, Writing Center staff will follow up to determine next steps.
How the Process Works (Needs Work)
Step 1: Log Into the Moodle Site (Deadline: ASAP)
Within a few weeks of receiving your score, you’ll be enrolled in a Moodle site specifically for Needs Work, students (it will be named something like “Class of XX Portfolio Revisions”). This site is confidential, so you won’t be able to see who else is enrolled, and they won’t be able to see you. You’ll use this site as the hub for all of your activities related to the portfolio.
Step 2: Schedule a Meeting with George Cusack (Deadline: Week 2 of the term)
Near the top of the Moodle page, you’ll see a scheduler that will allow you to set up a conference with Dr. Cusack. You are required to meet with Dr. Cusack by Friday of week two of the first term you spend on campus after you receive your score (for most students, this means week 2 of Fall term). This meeting can be in-person or over Zoom, so students who will be OCS programs the term after they submit their portfolios are still encouraged to schedule a meeting immediately, rather than wait until they return to campus.
Step 3: Submit a Writing Plan (Deadline: 1 week after first meeting)
At your meeting, you and Dr. Cusack will discuss your faculty reviewers’ comments and come up with a basic plan for how you will complete your portfolio requirement. You will then upload a formal Writing Plan to Moodle that will address what you intend to improve in your writing, how specifically you will do this, and what resources you’ll employ to help you. You need to upload your Writing Plan to the Moodle site no later than one week after your first meeting with Dr. Cusack.
Step 4: Submit Work from Your Classes (Deadline: throughout the term)
Throughout each academic term, you’ll use the Moodle site to upload all of the writing assignments you complete in your classes. The goal here is to establish a record of the writing you’re doing, so you should upload everything you can, even assignments that don’t directly relate to the goals in your Writing Plan.
Step 5: Submit Reflective Essays (Deadline: each term, 24 hours after finals end)
At the end of each term, you’ll submit a short reflective essay describing your progress that term. These essays are a required part of the process, and the only work (other than the Writing Plan) that you’ll need to write specifically for the portfolio requirement. Reflective essays are due at the end of finals week every term until you pass your portfolio.
Step 6: Review and Feedback (Winter, Spring, and Summer breaks)
After each term is over, Dr. Cusack will read your reflective essay, review the work you submitted that term, and decide if you’ve made sufficient progress. Regardless of that decision, Dr. Cusack will give you at least some feedback on your writing. In some cases, he may also request that you schedule another meeting with him and/or revise your Writing Plan, if your goals or methods seem to have changed significantly.