Senior Glory Koloen remembers hearing about the university’s Baccalaureate portfolio program in her freshmen English 110 class.

But that was the last time she heard about the program, she said. The senior does not intend to turn in a portfolio when she graduates.

Koloen is not alone. The majority of students interviewed either didn’t know what the program was or had decided not to participate. Koloen chose the latter.

“It didn’t seem all that important,” she said.

The portfolio project is part of the university’s system for self-assessment. Students turn in work from their classes and from that, an evaluation team gauges how the student has improved during their time at the university. Scott Oates, program coordinator and assistant English professor, said the project acts as a way for the university to assess how it is doing.

Although Koloen did not participate, not all students have ignored the program thus far. Oates estimated about 100 total students turned in portfolios last May, August and December. And junior Ryan Werner said he plans to turn in his portfolio project when he graduates next year.

“Our teacher said it would be really helpful for them and I figured it’s not any extra work for me, so I might as well do it.”

Werner is among a small group of students. The number of completed portfolios is too low to give the university any useable statistics.

“We’re hoping to see that number double this spring,” Oates said.

In response to the low portfolio participation, Oates is overseeing major changes to the program, including a push to take the portfolio project online. Students could then upload their papers in electronic form on a Web site. The goals for the program would remain the same with the change occurring to make the project easier for students.

Oates said he is fully aware that the program has had lukewarm reception in its current incarnation, but he doesn’t want to change the project into a requirement.

“I know students are going to blow it off if it’s not a requirement, but I don’t condone it,” he said.

Oates hopes that students will want to participate in the program out of feelings of civic duty and a desire to see the university improve for future students.

“This is not a Big Brother program of looking to bust somebody who’s not up to snuff,” he said. “It’s a matter of self-improvement.”

Students interviewed reacted positively to the idea of an online portfolio project. Senior Eliza Huntoon, another student who has not participated in the project said she thought an electronic system would get more students to participate.

“I think maybe that would be a lot easier for people,” she said.

While the changes to the project are coming, there is not yet a definite timeline for when they will take effect. For now, Oates is working out potential bugs with testing.

“It’s like turning an aircraft carrier around – six months to plan, six months to do,” he said. “It’s a tremendous amount of working and planning.”