NIU’s Council on Instruction passed Thursday the proposal requiring English 104 students to earn at least a “C.” The grade requirement was previously for English 103 students.

The proposal now awaits final approval by the University Council at their meeting next month.

Council Member Ellen Parham said she feels the policy change is a sensible one.

“Since students need to take two courses to meet their (English) requirement, it is logical to have it (the grade requirement) at the end of the sequence,” Parham said.

“You have to pass (English) 103 to get to 104 anyway, so I don’t think it will make a lot of difference,” she said.

Lou Jean Moyer, university associate provost and council on instruction chairman, said if the change is approved by the UC, it will take effect this fall.

The new English 104 policy would require students earning a “D” to repeat the course, either at NIU or at the school where the “D” was received or pass a validation exam in English.

The policy states students would be allowed to take the exam twice, and “after the second unsuccessful attempt, the student would be required to repeat English 104.”

Students should pass the exam or earn a “C” or better in English 104 before they complete 90 semester hours of course work.

English 104 instructor Jean Weiland said the change might give students more motivation to develop writing skills.

“I think it will have a positive effect,” Weiland said. Since writing research papers is a primary focus of English 104, Weiland said students will have to master that skill and will be better prepared for later courses.

“Students will have to write papers across the curriculum,” she said. “This change will make sure that, before they are moved on, they will be ready for those situations.”

Kay Van Mol, NIU catalog editor and curriculum coordinator, said about three-fourths of NIU’s curriculum and advising deans had no objection to the proposal.