RFP FAQs

What is the RFP?

The RFP is part of Mount Union’s General Education Program—The Integrative Core (IC). It’s kind of a “mid-career checkpoint” regarding your development as a writer and speaker. The portfolio will be electronic and will consist of written and oral assignments from your First Year Seminar and Foundational Knowledge courses (H, A, N, S).

Who has to complete the RFP?

Everyone. Well, almost everyone. Because the RFP is what Mount Union students complete instead of a “College Writing” and “Public Speaking” requirement that most universities use, Mount Union students must complete the RFP. So, here’s who HAS to complete it:

New students who matriculated (became a new student) in Fall 2012 or later as traditional college students (even if you came with some credits—e.g., CCP, AP, Dual Enrollment—that transferred in). However, if you are a new traditional college student
who earned an associate degree from a regionally accredited institution, you should contact the IC Office to discuss your RFP requirements.
Transfer students who were new to Mount Union in Fall 2013 or later. All transfer students should consult the Undergraduate Catalogue or contact the IC office to find out when their RFP is due.
Honors students who matriculated in Fall 2012 or later. Honors students may submit work from Honors FYS and Foundations AND from non-honors Foundations courses. All honors students should contact the Honors Director for details.
International students who are degree-seeking students. Those international students who are at Mount Union for only one year, as exchange students, do NOT have to complete the RFP.

When is my RFP due?

Most students will submit a WOC Portfolio in the fourth semester at Mount Union. So, for most students:

If you start(ed) in:	It's due (by the last day of finals) in:
Fall 2019	May 2021
Spring 2020	December 2021
Fall 2020	May 2022
Spring 2021	December 2022
Fall 2021	May 2023
Spring 2022	December 2023
Fall 2022	May 2024

What if I’m a Transfer Student?

If you’re a transfer student, your RFP due date is based on the number of credit hours you transferred in:

If you transfer 48+ credit hours, your RFP is due by the end of your first semester;
If you transfer 32-47 credit hours, your RFP is due by the end of your second semester;
If you transfer 17-31 credit hours, your RFP is due by the end of your third semester;
If you transfer 1-16 credit hours, your RFP is due by the end of your fourth semester

It is strongly suggested that transfer students contact the Integrative Core Program (KHIC 233, (330) 829-8229, or icore@mountunion.edu ) to verify when your RFP is due.

How do I get started?

Log on to D2L, go to My Courses => Ongoing => Raider Foundations Portfolio
Resources. You will find the instructions and support materials there.

How do I create and submit my RFP?

You will create and submit your RFP using D2L. There are instructions for every part of the process on the Raider Foundations Portfolio Resources D2L course.

What happens if I miss the 4 p.m. cut-off?

No late submissions will be accepted; a non-submission counts as a failed portfolio. While this might seem a bit harsh, rules are rules.

What if I want to submit my RFP earlier than the semester it is due?

If you are a student who matriculated (became a new student) to the University of Mount Union as a traditional first-year college student (even if you came in with some credits, e.g., CCP, AP, Dual Enrollment), you are expected to submit your RFP during your fourth semester (RFP's are due by 4:00pm on the last day of finals). Submitting your RFP prior to your fourth semester constitutes an early submission and requires approval from the Integrative Core Program Office.

If you are a student who transferred into the University of Mount Union (any student who has taken college credit from an accredited institution other than the University of Mount Union after graduating from high school), you are expected to consult the Integrative Core Program Office to set your RFP submission date. Submitting prior to your expected submission date constitutes an early submission and requires approval from the Integrative Core Program Office.

To be considered for early RFP submission, please complete and submit the Petition to Submit Raider Foundations Portfolio Early by 5 p.m. on October 15 for fall RFP submissions and by 5 p.m. on March 15 for spring RFP submissions. Incomplete and/or late petitions will be denied.

Petitions will be reviewed by the Integrative Core Program Office, which shall render the final decision regarding the petition. The Integrative Core Program Office may, at its discretion, contact other parties who are believed to have additional information pertinent to the petition. The final decision will be communicated in writing via email to your UMU email address.

What all is needed in the RFP?

There are seven (7) items you need to include for your RFP to be complete:

A Cover Letter (tells your reader what you’re including, where it’s from, and discusses how the assignments show you meet the minimum proficiency for passing);
Two Written Assignments (at least one must show research and effectively integrate sources);
Two Videos of Oral Assignments (at least one must show research and effectively integrate sources);
A Statement of Authenticity (assures the readers that the work is yours and that all research is properly cited);
And an Informed Consent Form (gives or declines permission for faculty to use your materials for teaching purposes. Note: if you give permission, other students might see your work).

Are there limitations to which written and oral work I can submit?

Yes. Content items in the portfolio should come from the following courses only:

First Year Seminar (FYS)
Humanities Foundations (H)
Arts Foundations (A)
Natural Science Foundations (N)
Social Science Foundations (S)

Sometimes there are circumstances that might make this more challenging. In that case, contact the Integrative Core Program Office about possible exceptions. If you are a transfer student, it might be possible for you to use some materials you produced at another institution.

Can I take all my content pieces from the same class?

No. The idea of the RFP is to demonstrate proficiency in a variety of writing and speaking contexts. Thus, you’ll need to keep in mind the following guidelines and restrictions:

Your RFP should include work from at least 3 of the 5 types of classes (FYS, H, A, N, S);
If you’re submitting 2 pieces from same class or same Foundational area, one must be written work and one must oral work—you may not submit 2 written or two oral pieces from the same Foundational area;
Transfer students must include work from at least 2 Foundations taken at UMU, if possible. Transfer students may submit writing and speaking assignments from a previous institution but must get permission from the IC Program Office to do

Again, sometimes there are circumstances that might make this more challenging. Contact the Integrative Core Program Office about possible content exceptions.

What types of assignments work best?

You should use the written and oral assignments designated as RFP assignments completed in your FYS and Foundations classes--that means assignments that have gone through a process of creation and development, revision and editing as a result of careful feedback from the instructor and your peers.

You should use written assignments that have a point and develop it well, organize items logically for the reader, acknowledge and correctly cite others’ ideas and words, and use standard American English grammatical guidelines for ease of reading.

You should use oral assignments that have a point and develop it well, organize items logically for the audience to see and hear, acknowledge and correctly cite others’ ideas and words orally (as the presenter provides information) and in written citations and References slides when appropriate, using standard American English grammatical guidelines for speech so the audience can follow along easily; in addition, the speaker needs to engage the audience by being excited about the subject and showing enthusiasm while presenting.

What kinds of assignments should be avoided?

For writing assignments, avoid:

Very short (under 3 pages of writing per paper) written documents;
Reports that don’t contain analysis, interpretation, discussion and results;
Creative writing such as poetry, short fiction and one-act plays;
Writing that does not engage the reader;
Writing in which you do not help the reader understand the importance of the subject;
Writing that isn’t organized clearly and easily for the reader to follow along;
Writing in which you do not carefully edit and proofread;
Writing that contains an end-of-paragraph citation to “cover” any material in that paragraph;
Annotated bibliographies or article reviews lacking an introduction, source evaluation, analysis, discussion and a conclusion;
Reports that do not provide the student’s own analysis or

For oral assignments, avoid:

Presentations in which you only introduce or conclude your group’s talk;
Theatrical scenes acted out by you that lack analysis or discussion;
Short group presentations in which each speaker talks for under 3 minutes;
Scientific experiments with no context or real-world applications and discussion;
The reading of a play, a piece of fiction or poetry, or other creative art without analysis or discussion;
Presentations that use images without citing them adequately;
Presentations in which you merely read from a written document;
Presentations in which you “present” primarily by reading text on your slides;
Presentations in which the audience can’t tell why they should care about your subject;
Presentations in which you do not engage the audience;
Presentations in which you do not seem to care about your subject; or you appear bored;
Presentations that simply “report” and do not provide your own analysis or interpretation;
Presentations that don’t orally acknowledge, integrate, or cite throughout the presentation and on a references slide.

Can I revise my written and oral assignments before submitting them?

Yes. It’s very common for students to revise their work after it’s been turned in and graded in class. In fact, the best writers and speakers know their work is never finished or perfect. If you feel your written or oral assignment needs to be revised, but you’re no longer in the course where it was assigned, you can go to the Digital, Written and Oral Communication (DWOC) Studio. Peer consultants will help you revise. And you can even re-record your oral presentations. But, there are some rules, so make sure you mention ahead of time that you’re revising and/or re-recording your assignments for your RFP. You can also stop by the IC Program Office for feedback and help revising material.

What do you mean by “research”, “incorporating research,” and “citing sources”?

One skill that’s being demonstrated in your RFP is your understanding that all knowledge is built upon the knowledge of others. And part of what you do when you learn something new is conduct research. While the specific guidelines for documenting your research process might differ from discipline to discipline, and from class to class, the expectation that you document your research is universal. And for the RFP, when you’ve used research, you are expected to do the following:

Make it clear in the text or speech when you are using someone else’s words or ideas (e.g., incorporate “in- text” citations: “According to New York Times reporter Joe Smith…”). You must cite your sources throughout your written and oral work and on your references page and references slide;
Make it clear where the ideas or words are coming from (e.g., parenthetical citations or notes in the essay or on the slides);
Include all your references (in a works cited or references page/slide).
Use course- and discipline-appropriate citation practices.

If you have any questions about using or citing research, talk to your professor, go to the DWOC Studio, or stop by the IC Program Office.

Where do I find copies of the cover letter and the forms?

Students, faculty and staff can find the Cover Letter guide, the Statement of Authenticity and the Informed Consent form in the D2L Raider Foundations Portfolio Resources course.

How can I learn more about the requirements?

Stop by the IC Program Office (KHIC 233).
Attend a Help-a-thon. These events are offered each semester
Read the “catalog description,” under Integrative Core.
Refer to the Contents section in the Raider Foundations Portfolio Resources D2L course.

How will I know my RFP has been submitted properly?

When you submit your RFP to the appropriate Dropbox in the RFP D2L Dropbox course, you will receive an email confirmation that you have submitted.

Where can I get help on writing or speaking assignments?

If you want support for developing your writing and/or speaking abilities, make an appointment with a consultant at the Digital, Written and Oral Communications (DWOC) Studio — which is in KHIC Learning Commons. While consultants will not revise or edit for you, they can help you identify areas of weakness or specific problems to address before completing a piece for the portfolio. The consultants understand the expectations for the RFP, and they can help you become better communicators; however, they are undergraduate students and are not in a position to tell students if a piece will pass or not. You can make an appointment online.

You can also stop by the IC Program Office (KHIC 233) for feedback and help revising materials.

Who’s going to read my RFP?

A team of faculty and educated staff from departments across campus will evaluate the portfolios. Each portfolio reader who participates will be familiar with the expectations for written and oral communication at this level, and they will use the RFP Rubrics to assess your portfolio. The expectation is that all students should be able to achieve a score of 2, the minimum proficiency expected at the end of the sophomore year. Each portfolio will receive scores from two readers. Those scores will be combined to form the score for that part of the portfolio. If there is a major discrepancy between the two scores, a third reader will evaluate the portfolio.

Can I use YouTube for my videos?

Yes. You can use YouTube or any other video streaming service to upload and share your videos, as it’s the easiest way to upload and share videos. When uploading your video to YouTube, be sure to indicate that it is NOT for children and to set the viewing option to UNLISTED. Embed the shareable link (not the URL) directly onto the ePortfolio Presentation. A non-viewable video is a failing video.

What does it take to pass?

Scoring will be based on the RFP Rubrics. Level 2 is the “passing” score. Students will be given a score for their written work and for their oral work.

Because the scoring is done based on the RFP Rubrics, a good grade from the instructor in the class doesn’t necessarily mean a pass here. Not all written and oral assignments meet every criterion on the RFP Rubric. Also, sometimes course grades take into consideration other factors (like participation, a completed draft, extra credit, etc.). Finally, make sure the cover letter is complete, well-written and helps readers understand the assignments. And make sure you complete and include copies of the required forms; incomplete submissions are considered “failing.”

How will I get my results?

Typically, spring portfolio results are emailed by the second week of June and fall portfolio results are emailed by the first week of January.

What if I don’t pass?

You have two options if you don’t pass the portfolio (these options apply to students who do not pass the entire portfolio or do not pass one portion of the portfolio). First, if you think you can revise your portfolio on your own, you may prepare a new portfolio, submit it before the last day of finals during the next semester (e.g. if you originally submitted in the spring semester, your resubmission is due at the end of the following fall semester). Second, if you think you need extra support to resubmit, you should enroll in one or both of the 2-credit support courses (RFP 200/201). Students who fail twice must take the appropriate course(s).

Note: If you passed one portion of the portfolio but not the other, you must resubmit the portion you failed. Do not resubmit the portion you passed (e.g. if you passed the written portion, but failed the oral portion, you must resubmit a new portfolio that includes a new cover letter that discusses the oral portion, a new Informed Consent, a new Statement of Authenticity, and your revised presentations).

Students need to complete the portfolio requirement, which means passing it, prior to enrolling in the Integrative Core Capstone, so if you decide to take one or both of the revision classes, do so during the next semester so you can continue to make progress toward your degree.

What if I don’t submit my portfolio correctly?

An incomplete or improperly submitted RFP is considered a “failing” portfolio. If you miss the deadline, your portfolio fails. If you don’t submit at all, your portfolio fails. The best way to make sure that you don’t fail because of a technicality is to ask questions, follow instructions, take the requirement seriously, and DON’T wait until the last second to build and submit your portfolio.

What if I have more questions?

If you have further questions, stop in the IC Office in KHIC 233, email icore@mountunion.edu, or call (330) 829-8229.

Raider Foundations Portfolio FAQs

Raider Foundations Portfolio (RFP) FAQs