English Placement

All Christian Brothers University students are required to take two First Year Writing courses as part of the General Education requirements. Students are encouraged to take Writing and Critical Literacy in the fall of their first year and Writing and Critical Research the following spring. Students must pass Writing and Critical Literacy to be able to register for the second course. To take these courses, students participate in one of the placement processes before registration.

ACT score placement

Students who receive a 26 or higher on the English portion of the ACT are not required to complete the placement assignment and can register for course of their choice. Students who have a qualified ACT score are recommended to register for ENG 123: Writing and Critical Literacy for their first semester course.

Placement assignment

All other students complete a placement assignment. To help with registration, students are encouraged to complete this assignment two weeks before their scheduled orientation session. To complete placement, students need the following:

  • CBU username, password, and student ID number
  • Access to Canvas, CBU’s learning management software
  • Access to CBU email
  • Computer and Internet access (laptop or desktop computers recommended)
  • 90 minutes (about 1 and a half hours) of uninterrupted time

Students will complete the placement in Canvas placement course, which can be accessed through the MyCBU section on the website. Students will need to accept an invitation to Canvas through their email or by going to Canvas through MyCBU and accepting the Course invitation on the top of the screen. Once in the Canvas course, students should go to the Modules section and choose English Placement. There are instructions in that assignment.

What to do after placement

CBU uses a form of placement called directed self-placement. Once students complete the placement assignment, English faculty will evaluate their submissions and send an email within two weeks with a recommendation for one of the Writing and Critical Literacy courses. Once they receive this email, students can register for the course that best serves their needs. Students are not required to choose the recommended course and can register for one of these courses for the first semester:

  • ENG 121, Writing and Critical Literacy (3 hours) and ENG 121L, Writing and Critical Literacy Lab (1 hour): This writing course will focus on the process of writing communications in traditional text and in multimodal formats. The course also focuses on critical literacy, offering students strategies for becoming engaged citizens of our world(s) by learning how to read and discern the perspectives from which texts and argument are composed. The 121 course includes a once per week lab course where students receive additional support from faculty and tutors to further develop their writing skills.
  • ENG 122, Writing and Critical Literacy for Multilingual Learners (3 hours) and ENG 122L, Writing and Critical Literacy Lab for Multilingual Learners (1 hour): This writing course will focus on the process of writing communications in traditional text and in multimodal formats. The course also focuses on critical literacy, offering students strategies for becoming engaged citizens of our world(s) by learning how to read and discern the perspectives from which texts and argument are composed. The course is designed for multi-lingual learners and is taught by a specialist in that pedagogy. It also includes a once per week lab course where students receive additional support from faculty and tutors to further develop their writing skills
  • ENG 123, Writing and Critical Literacy: This writing course will focus on the process of writing communications in traditional text and in multimodal formats. The course also focuses on critical literacy, offering students strategies for becoming engaged citizens of our world(s) by learning how to read and discern the perspectives from which texts and argument are composed.     

Students need only register for one of those three options (ENG 121 (and lab), ENG 122 (and lab), or ENG 123). A passing grade in ENG121, ENG122, or ENG123 qualifies the student to register for ENG 130: Writing and Critical Research, which students are encouraged to take in their second semester.

Should I study for the English Placement Assignment?

Students do not need to study for the assignment and should not feel as if this is passing or failing. The assignment merely gauges whether the student may want extra writing support for their first college writing course. There is no retaking the placement, as after the placement is completed the student decides what course they want to take. The placement is just a guide and, ultimately, the student decides what they want.

If I have transfer credit or AP/IB/CLEP credits, do I still need to complete placement?

Students are encouraged to complete the placement assignment if they have pending credits not processed into the CBU system. The First Year Writing courses fill up quickly, and students may not be able to get a seat in a fall class or in a class that works in their schedule if they wait until late in the summer to register.

Where do I go if I have questions about English Placement?

You can send an email to writing@cbu.edu to reach Dr. Maureen Johnson, Writing Program Administrator, and Dr. Shima Farhesh, Placement Coordinator.