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INSIDE FEATURES
UTSA's maze explained —page 4
INSIDE SPORTS
Ex-Runner trots home —page 8
J Volume 9. No. 1
January 26, 1988|_
Faculty, administrators discuss exit exam results
by Mark Soupiaet
Staffwriter
For many of the 665 UTSA freshmen who failed the Enc^ish 1013 written exit exam last semester, there seem to be many questions which remain unanswered. Students are sear¬ ching for solutions to problems which are generating feelings of confusion and which leave numy with the opinion that the rug has been pulled out from under them.
The exam was given in two parts: a 30 minute objective grammar test and a 600 word essay on pre-assigned readings.
many EngHsh 1013 instructors, has several concerns about the ex¬ it exam and its effects on the students.
Perry believes that the test discriminates against the Univer¬ sity's minority and foreign students. He explained that some of these students have difficulty with English grammar, and that the 30 minute time limit on the grammar portion of the exam prevented many of them from completing the test.
"If they know the grammar, why do they have to know it in thirty minutes?" Perry explained, "Thirty minutes  means they're
tears the day we got the results back," recalled Perry.
Though Perry admits that there are no easy solutions, he does feel that the teachers should have more rights during the appeal process for students who failed
"I don't think we have any instructor who would turn away a student if he or she came in and said, 'I don't understand this... Please help me under¬ stand this better'." Dr. Linda Woodson
NNflesntage who faltod
objective
Msay
both
¦1 12%
¦¦ 22%
H^   20%
52%
NOTI; tIM ahNkM* Mok Mm WMI
Solutions being offered by other instructors and students alike include developing a better system of communication be¬ tween the University and the public schools and giving students more writing practice throughout middle school and high school.
Calvin Glover II, SRA Freshman Representative and 1987 graduate of Alamo Heights High School agreed. "I think one of the main reasons why so many people failed the test is because junior high and high school English courses are not teaching writing and grammar adequately.
Two 1013 teachers who wish to remain anonymous, disagree with Craven on his third point par¬ ticularly, explaining that most of their older students could not af¬ ford to fail such an exit exam, and therefore better prepared themselves for the exam by utiliz¬ ing writing labs and tutoring ser¬ vices.
Rhoderick E. Key, dean of the College of Fine Arts and Humanities, said the exam was instituted to help the students who are having trouble writing. He added that all students must learn to communicate by writing to succeed not only in coUege, but
Craven feel that students were prepared fairly for the exam by their instructors, noting that several diagnostic tests were given during the semester to allow students to monitor their own prog^«n.
'They should have known if they had problems."
Dr. Alan Craven
Of the 1,260 students who took the combination objective and written exam, 656 failed one or both parts. Failure to pass either portion of the test means students muat retake the required 1013 course before taking addi¬ tional English classes at the University.
By now, the reality of another semester of 1013 has settled in with most of these freshmen, but their questions remain: Was the
pushed...There are some people who can work under pressure and some who can't... The fact that (a student) can't work under pressure, to me, has nothing to do with grammar knowledge."
Perry feels that this kind of discrimination will lead to decreased enrollment among minority and foreign students alike. He said that if he were a student from the east, south, or west  side  of  San   Antonio,   "I
the teat, but who showed enough writing ability to receive a pass¬ ing grade.
He is calling for an uncondi¬ tional appeal process, whereby a teacher can simply say. "That's wrong," and have his student's grade changed to passing.
"I saw teachers in tenrs the daiy we got the results back." Paul Perry, UTSA
English Instructor
test really fair? Why did so many fail? What is being done to avoid these results the next time around?
"I don't think the test was fair," stated Paul Perry. UTSA English Instructor. Perry Uke
would not go to UTSA."
He went on to say that the 1013 exit exam proved to be the most demoralizing part of his entire teaching career. It seems this was the case for many other instruc¬ tors as well. "I saw teachers in
I encountered things on the test that were never stressed in high ischodl," he said.
Many reasons have been given throughout the UTSA English community for the high failure rate. Professor Alan Craven, director of UTSA's division of English, classics and philosophy, listed T.V. viewing and excessive telephone usage as two possible causes for the number of failing students. A third reason cited by
also in life. Key explained that the University is currently exploring ways of providing students with remedial help but is presently uncertain of what action to take. The common idea coming from all levels of the university is that students simply need to get more writing practice — not just on the college level, but throughout high school, middle school, and even in elementary classrooms,
'I don't think we have any in-
Paul Perry
older students who have returned to school after a long absence, and whose writing skills are not as poUshed as those students who are fresh out of high school English courses.
studenl. if he or she came in and said, 'I don't understand this... Please help me understand this better,' " explained Linda Wood¬ son, director of UTSA's composi¬ tion program. Both Woodson and
¦ Th* Uiiiversity Is currently exploring ways of pro¬ viding students with remedial help but is uncertain of what action to take. Dean Rhoderick E. Key
Craven was that some failures are    structors who would turn away a
Dr. Alan Craven
"They should have known if they had problems," stated Craven, saying that part of the responsibility lies with the students to realize where they have weaknesses and problems, and then seek out help.
Dr. Rhoderick E. Key
UTSA president believes issue is to help students
by Sally Jean Peck Editor
UTSA President James Wagener believes the issue is not whether or not to have an exit exam for English 1013, but how can the University help those •tudents who failed the exam. ' The combination objective and written exit exam for Freshman Composition was developed out of a University Assembly com¬ mittee recommendation.
"The University Assembly is Oiade up of representatives from each of the colleges based on the number of people in those col¬ leges, plus some student members, some from student ser-
proach to the entire course," Wagener said.
Wagener also noted that much work has been done on a common curriculum, and legislation (HB 2182) was passed last year man¬ dating a basic skill test which would be administered to incom¬ ing students to determine their readiness for college and route them into remedial courses to br¬ ing them up to college standards without interfering with their en¬ trance into coUeite.
Wagener feels that the impetus behind the English 1013 exit ex¬ am was "to say it's very impor¬ tant that people who come through the University have a good grasp of writing, reading.
"The exam is in place and will stay in place." UTSA President James Wagener
vices and some from sport areas ¦of the University," said Wagener. Wagener added that generally assembly committees are assign¬ ed topics to discuss, hearings are often held and committees prepare recommendations which are brought before the entire assembly for a vote. Finally, the recommen¬ dations are taken to the University president who approves of all, none or part of the recommendations.
"The issue of the exam was brought before the assembly and it was very clear that the desire was that there be an exit exam that would give some indication of how well this course was being carried through and to give some more  objective or common ap-
comprehension, the usual things.
"We are all aware, of course, that there are problems or deficiencies, many times through no fault of the student, all the way up and down the line," he added, explain¬ ing that problems could develop in elementary, middle, or high school or coUege English.
Wagener stated that another reason for the exit exam was to determine if the third English course (English 1033) was naosMwry. Enj^sh 1033 was stiU offwed when the decision to have an exit extaa was being made, but it was completely dropped from UT¬ SA's dass schedule in faU 1986.
UTSA's president said that "the exam is in place and will stay in   place"   and    the   need   for
modifications will be decided after there has been some evalua¬ tion of last semester's results.
"My concem is what can we as a university do for students, and what can they do for themselves, to improve their writing and reading skills and comprehension. I don't think the issue is reaUy a test or lack of a test, the issue is what can be done for these students at this point."
With further basic skiUs exams in the near future, established by HB2182, Wagener feels the most important issue is to work out some form of directed remedia¬ tion for students who fail basic skills exams such as the English 1013 exit exam.
His suggestions for remedia¬ tion include:
•possible arrangements with the community coUoge (the Alamo Community College District) to have San Antonio CoUege instructors come to UTSA and teach remedial courses.
•conduct short, intensive con¬ tinuing education classes for students to take, without col¬ lege credit, to improve their skiUs.
Wagener stresses that the desire is not to eliminate students from the college experience but to help them. Need for remedial education wiU not prevent a stu¬ dent's etu-oUment.
""The key in it aU is can we get money for this?" Will the legislature, which has passed the bill, provide some form of help far that, or wiU it fall back on the students, or on the university?" He also said that if there are problems with the test, such as
UTSA Preaident James Wagener believes helping students is now the main issue.
ambiguous questions, they should be corrected, but Wagener does not believe the University "should compromise on expecta¬ tions."
Wagener would prefer that atudenta be reviewed before en¬ trance into a course such as English 1013 to be sure they are prepared for the course and direct those students who are not prepared into remedial courses and keep them in coUege.
Wagener believes that the failure rate was so high in part
because
•students were not expecting the exam to be so demanding and were taken by surprise •much of the educational struc¬ ture has lowered expectations for writing and reading com¬ prehension.
Wagener stressed that student problems with reading and writing are cultural only to a point and that our society's shift toward more verbal rather than written communication is a very limited explanation.
Insilde News
New dean of fine arts
62'UTSA students named to Who's Who
Prc-Professional Health Society financial aid hints
Awards given at an¬ nual University din-
UTSA offers review course fmr CPA exam
Upcoming Issue
Chisohn Hall conducts AIDS Week
UT Austin and A&M outreach program
Update on UTSA Stu¬ dent Infonnation and Retention Office.
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