Q Format and detailed content guidance for the Reflection Essay (1,500 words) and for the stand-alone Alternate Analytical Essay (3,000 words) can be found in the Developing Your Academic Portfolio document under Content > Course Resources > Academic Portfolio Toolkit in the classroom. You also can use the grading rubric associated with this assignment folder to help you develop your essay. Please submit your essay for preliminary review by your instructor by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, Week 2. Developing Your Academic Portfolio Overview Assembling the Materials Resources Note: You may need to right-click to open some links here in a new tab or window. ________________________________________ Overview You are completing coursework for a degree that has prepared you for a multitude of careers, some as communications professionals, others in fields that require a skilled communicator. The Academic Portfolio that you will assemble for this course is your opportunity to • demonstrate what you have learned • reflect on how you have grown through this academic experience. The Academic Portfolio also provides your instructor with an opportunity to view your progress through the program and see how you have integrated your coursework to develop an understanding of the field of Communication Studies. One added benefit of the Academic Portfolio project is that you will now have a representative collection of your coursework, a final demonstration of your integrated knowledge, and a final presentation of how you view Communication Studies, which you can present to current or potential employers and/or use as evidence of your learning and potential to show possible graduate schools. If you are unable to complete the requirements for the portfolio, please contact your instructor immediately as you may need to complete the Alternate Analytical Essay described in the Syllabus. This document is designed to show you how to assemble your Academic Portfolio for delivery to your instructor. Note: Make sure to review this assignment's specific instructions in the Syllabus. Return to top of page Assembling the Materials Your materials for the Academic Portfolio will include: • Three coursework samples (projects, papers, or presentations) that you have completed in your Communication Studies classes (in COMM, JOUR, or SPCH). The samples should be meaningful personally and/or professionally as well as demonstrate significant learning. • You will analyze this coursework in a 1,500-word Reflective Essay, focusing on your personal and professional growth in the content and context of the knowledge that you have gained from your Communication Studies courses. • You will create a professional resume, based on the specific requirements listed in this document; that is, you will not merely turn in a resume you already have on hand. The materials must be assembled in this order: Title Page Use a professional-looking title page that reflects what you have learned in your writing courses for your major. Include your name, your student ID number, the date, and the name of the institution: The Title of My Academic Portfolio My Name COMM 495: Communications Studies Senior Capstone University of Maryland University College March 30, 2013 Table of Contents Identify the materials within the Academic Portfolio by name and page number. Introduction Explain to the reader (who is a hypothetical potential employer) what the compilation is and why s/he is reading it. Core Content Assemble a minimum of three significant samples of work (projects, papers, or presentations) that you completed in your Communication Studies courses (in COMM, JOUR, or SPCH). Choose samples that are meaningful personally and/or professionally. Your samples also should demonstrate significant learning. Section 1 This section will contain your first project, paper, or presentation. Introduce this sample with several paragraphs of explanation about the Communication Studies course for which the assignment was written, including the course's name, designator (COMM, JOUR, or SPCH), number, when you took the class, a description of what you did to complete the work, and a brief explanation of how it represents significant learning for you about the communication studies discipline. Section 2 This section will contain your second project, paper, or presentation. Introduce this sample with several paragraphs of explanation about the Communication Studies course for which the assignment was written, including the course's name, designator (COMM, JOUR, or SPCH), number, when you took the class, a description of what you did to complete the work and a brief explanation of how it represents significant learning for you about the communication studies discipline. Section 3 This section will contain your third project, paper, or presentation. Introduce this sample with several paragraphs of explanation about the Communication Studies course for which the assignment was written, including the course's name, designator (COMM, JOUR, or SPCH), number, when you took the class, a description of what you did to complete the work, and a brief explanation of how it represents significant learning for you about the communication studies discipline. Note: If the three sample works that you wish to use cannot be incorporated into a single file for uploading to the classroom, provide the names of their files instead in their respective introductions. Reminder: If you cannot provide three coursework samples from Communication Studies courses for your portfolio, you will write a different essay called the Alternate Analytical Essay (see below). Reflective Essay You will analyze your coursework in an essay of at least 1,500 words that focuses on your personal and professional growth from the content and context of the knowledge that you have gained from your Communication Studies courses. The Reflective Essay must expand upon how the coursework samples contributed to your insights about communication, both personally and professionally. You might also choose to explore how your work in Communication Studies has helped you to better understand your work environment, your family environment, society in general, or world events. If you like, you might inform your essay with a particular theory or framework from your studies, but your focus should be on your personal growth. What have you learned/how have you changed that makes you valuable to a potential employer References The package should include in-text citations and an end-of-text reference list, both formatted according to American Psychological Association documentation rules. The citations and references should address only material mentioned in the Reflective Essay and Core Contents sections of the Portfolio that was directly quoted, summarized, or paraphrased from your portfolio samples or from other outside sources that you consulted to write the Reflective Essay itself. APA format guidance can be found at the UMUC library’s tutorial page. For a comprehensive review, see the university’s Effective Writing Center resource here. Resume You will create a professional resume, based on the specific requirements included here; that is, you will not merely turn in a resume you already have on hand. As you write your resume, be sure to include: ? appropriate references to your accomplishments at UMUC ? consistent typeface ? complete contact information ? an order of presentation for your information that makes sense ? no typos or misspelled words The content and format of your resume should reflect the parameters in “A Winning Proposal” in the Course Resources (you may need to right-click to open this document's links in new tabs.) and include these résumés usually have six components (and no more): ? LOCATOR ? SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS ? TESTIMONIAL ? QUALIFICATIONS SUMMARY ? EXPERIENCE, and ? EDUCATION AND TRAINING. For more guidance, see that document and the sample resume provided for your reference. Use this resume checklist to verify that you have completed your resume successfully. Alternate Assignment Students who cannot produce the three required coursework samples will complete a 3,000-word stand-alone Alternate Analytical Essayand the resume. The alternate essay will discuss three or more significant assignments AND/OR significant Communication Studies courses that you completed in your studies here at UMUC. You will describe each assignment and course, and analyze why it is significant to your growth as an individual and communication professional. If you must choose this option, your assembled package will need a Title Page, Table of Contents, an Introduction followed by the body of the analytical essay, in-text and end-of-test references formatted according to American Psychological Association documentation rules, and your résumé. You'll find details on the required contents and format of the résumé in the information above. Return to top of page Resources As you reflect back on your coursework, you may want to refer to the program description, program outcomes, or requirements of the Communications Studies program. You also may need to consult a course catalog from the year you entered the program. The university keeps a selection of these catalogs, including its Asia class lists from 1989 - 2005, Europe catalogs from 1949 -2006, and U.S. materials for 1954 through 2012 here. For newer catalogs (2002 - present), go here. Communication Studies Program Outcomes In particular, you may want to review these Communication Studies program outcomes to determine how your coursework fulfilled these outcomes. Academic Portfolio Checklist To make sure you include all essential elements in your Academic Portfolio, print this Portfolio Checklist.