ECE English Comp results in: Abort? Retry? Fail?

ECE English Cpom results from September: "C."

Quite unbelievable--considering the quantity of writing I do and regularly publish.

(FOR MY ACCOUNT OF Excelsior HELL-WEEKEND, SEE this thread
http://www.degreeinfo.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6179&highlight=orson+and+english)

It's my first "C" in over 20 years (second, overall); my first classroom grade less than a "B+" in that span (save for the CLEP Am Government exam disappoitment); and recent work that includes the ghost editing I did for a buddy's second scholarly book, reviewed in the Wall Street Journal (June or July 2002), which was complimented for its "clarity" and "absence of social scientific jargon." (Or was I wrong to credit myself, as the author did)?


DO I blame this "C" on my left-handed orthographically challenged hand-writing? Or was the throughly botched administration (losing me 15 to 18 minutes of time) to blame?
Or do I "credit the anal-retentive gits who grade it?

Perhaps I blew the rewrite or "correction" portion? It was a letter of complaint to university administration about parking problems; did I miscontrue its point? Was I expected to turn a simple complaint into a true "reform" or "refund" cause celebre?

(I haven't a clue? It's true: given all the scepticism and concern expressed here about the English Comp exam, I believed I was prepared for the worst: I was hoping to let it all pass and accept a "B" quietly--but this result is quite still a shock.)

I'm preparing to sit for the new GRE which includes two short essay similar to the ECE English Comp exam; I'm not at all worried to be graded less than a "holistic" 5 (i.e., "B")
Compare THIS grade to the wordy, passive voiced, mispelled, unspirited example of dreck given a "5" in Excelsior's "English Composition Course Guide, " page 135. (Simply unbelievable.)

BUT what should I, what can I do? Should I put off quiker degree completion and sit for the more sensibly graded AP English Exam next May? Should I abandon Excelsor for a less unreasonable rival? Do they even allow a student to see where they screwed (or were screwed) up? (That would be helpful should I opt to be punished once again.)

To borrow from a 90s pop sociology title: Abort? Re-Try? Fail? (Seriously, any suggestions? Opinions?)

--Orson

 

Orson,

Isn't a C all that you need to meet the English requirements at Excelsior? Perhaps rather than "Abort, Retry, Fail" you should consider "Continue." Why spend even more money to meet a requirement that you have already met? Why give up a degree for a "less unreasonable rival" when you meet the requirements?

In terms of other options, you could always take an English course via correspondence (Excelsior only requires 3 credits of English). The LSU English courses, for instance, can be completed in a couple of months and have two proctored three hour tests.

 

Cory--true, but...

Dear Cory--

True--only 3 credits and an C are required.

However, that's not the point. Writing, in some fields of endeavor, is as important as math is for science. or stats is for business; a "C" doesn't look good.

Nor does a "C" accurately reflect achievement. A s many have worried on these web pages--including "C" Eng Comp Lawrie Miller--this problem appears to reflect achievement less than orthographic clarity, or lack thereof.

(Mind you: I am aware of my poor appearance above--mispellings and such.... I didn't proof; I enjoyed the Anaheim/San Francisco barnburner while I typed my angst out.)

I'm interested in a more creative and fruitful solution than anything as meek and mild as you suggest.

Linking over to Excelsior, I notice that the only "sample" Englsih Comp exam is the old outdated one that expired September 31st.
The new one seems to be available by mail or email. Has anyone seen it? Can anyone explain how it is different?

--Orson

 

It occurs to me that everyone I know, graded for that exam, has been awarded a C. I was awarded a C not long after being awarded 99 percentile in another English Comp exam of the same academic level and credit hours.

I was awarded a C. I know C writing, and it is not mine. I am not now, nor have I ever been, a C. I am beginning to think something is afoot.

If it is the case that there is some jiggery pokery, many have been done a great wrong. I simply do not believe these results, anymore.

Lawrie Miller
author: BA in 4 Weeks and Accelerated Master's Degrees by Distance Learning
http://geocities.com/ba_in_4_weeks/

 

Well, it seems that I’m not alone in the ECE English Composition “C” infamous club.
I took that test one year ago, wrote that stupid letter regarding the campus parking lot, and also got a C. Ok, English is not my mother-tongue, and I have no problem in admitting that I prefer a keyboard over a 2B pencil. Even so, I’m a professional writer, and I was very surprised when I received the test results: while I didn’t expect to get any Pulitzer prize, I was nevertheless quite puzzled by that C. What the hell was I supposed to write?
Luckily, I don’t depend on ECE board to have my writing judged in the real world. The only thing they had to offer was a 6 credits transcript—and that I got.