EIU Interdisciplinary Studies Degree Program

Electronic Writing Portfolio (EWP)

The Electronic Writing Portfolio (EWP) is the method by which the University is able to ensure that all graduates communicate as effective writers; it is a requirement for all Eastern students. The portfolio is a compilation of three samples of a student’s writing. Those three EWP submissions may come from any undergraduate course for which the student has completed an appropriate writing assignment.

Students must deposit the first two submissions by the time they earn 60 credit hours; if they fail to do so, a registration hold will be placed at 75 credit hours. Students must deposit their final submission by the time they earn 105 credit hours. Transfer students who enter the University with a significant number of hours will be given some leeway on those deadlines, but we recommend that you try to submit your first EWP document as soon as possible.

Papers must meet the following criteria to be submitted to the EWP:

1. The paper must be at least 750 words in length (approximately 3 pages).
2. It must be written in standard English.
3. It must be developed in a manner consistent with the demands of the discipline for which it was written.
4. It must contain a coherent writing sample that connects ideas within and between paragraphs. (Therefore, lists, lesson plans, and other such documents may not be submitted.)
5. Submissions may not be creative pieces, such as poems, short stories, or plays.

How do I submit papers to my EWP?

All students — new freshmen and transfers and continuing native students — will submit documents electronically, and all faculty will be approving documents electronically. To begin the submission process, go to https://www.eiu.edu/assess/ewpmain.php.

Students may only submit a document from the semester in which they are currently enrolled; they may not go back to previous semesters for submissions. Submissions must be made by the close of the semester (usually the day grades are due, which is the Monday following commencement for Fall and Spring semesters). However, faculty members may set an earlier deadline by which students need to comply.

Note: Graduating seniors need to submit their EWP documents earlier in the semester—they do not have until the end of the semester to complete their submissions. Students submitting an EWP document during their final semester should consider submitting the first writing sample from their class.