Registration Hold Policy
You have a Writing Portfolio registration hold because you have over 60 credit hours and are required to submit your Junior Writing Portfolio. Completion of the Writing Portfolio during your junior year is a requirement for graduation at Washington State University.
The Writing Portfolio requirement applies to all WSU undergraduates -- including transfer, running start, professional degree seeking students with no prior four-year degree, and branch campus students. In other words, it doesn't matter if you are a transfer student and this is your first semester at WSU or if you are a returning student who has been away from school for years. If you have a Writing Portfolio registration hold the only way to have it removed is to follow the instructions below.
Note: The only exceptions to the Writing Portfolio requirement are students with a prior bachelor's degree or students who began their college education before the Fall 1991 semester.
How to Remove a Writing Portfolio Registration Hold
The Writing Portfolio consists of two parts:
- The Packet (three samples of writing you've already done)
- The Timed Writing (a two-part, impromptu essay)
REMOVING YOUR FIRST HOLD:
If this is your first Writing Portfolio hold you must complete at least one of the two parts to release the registration hold.
Completing one of the parts will remove the current registration hold. You will be required to finish the other portion before priority registration next semester or another hold will be placed on your account.
COMMON SITUATION: I am a transfer student and this is my first semester at WSU. I didn't know about the Writing Portfolio so I didn't save any of my writing from my community college. I have a hold, what am I supposed to do?
SOLUTION: If you feel you aren't prepared to turn in the three papers then it might be easier to complete the Timed Writing this semester and then you won't have to worry about the Packet until next semester. By then you'll have had nearly two full semesters to compile three writing samples.
- Return to the Submission Guidelines page for detailed information on how to complete each part.
REMOVING YOUR SECOND HOLD:
This is for students who chose to complete only one half of the requirement to remove their initial registration hold. To remove the second Writing Portfolio hold you must complete the Writing Portfolio in its entirety.
RARE SITUATION: I completed the Timed Writing last semester to remove my first hold but I still don't have three pieces of writing to turn in. What can I do?
SOLUTION: Remember, you can turn in any piece of writing from any college-level course. Submissions aren't required to be essays from English classes. You can turn in lab reports, case studies, group projects, creative work, memos, in-class writing, traditional essays, work from other schools, and so forth. If you still don't have three pieces of writing then you will need to ask an instructor if he or she would be willing to assign you a new piece of writing. No matter what, you'll need to have three samples to turn in. Please plan accordingly.
- Return to the Submission Guidelines page for detailed information on how to complete each part.