What is a Graduation Portfolio?

A portfolio is a collection of student work that demonstrates the student's overall academic success — the efforts, progress, and achievements in one or more areas of the curriculum over a specified period of time.

When a student completes his or her degree at SRC, it is the student’s responsibility, with the guidance of the instructor, to ensure that the General Education Core Competencies have been mastered. Many assignments, tasks, projects, and assessments in different courses can be used as artifacts (examples) to demonstrate the student’s mastery of these competencies.

Ultimately, the portfolio enables a student to identify and reflect on his/her own accomplishments and strengths. The portfolio can serve as an example of academic achievement for university transfer or when applying for jobs after graduation.

What Will My Portfolio Contain?

Cover Sheet. The cover sheet will include your name and student ID and identify each class, artifact (example), competency being addressed, and reason for selecting each artifact.

Artifacts. Many assignments, tasks, projects, and assessments in different courses can be used as artifacts. The portfolio will contain four to eleven artifacts to document mastery of a minimum of eight competencies. (See Spoon River College General Education Competencies )

Reflection. Each artifact in your portfolio will include a reflection statement about how this learning has impacted your life, and why you believe it adequately demonstrates your mastery of the competency.

What is the process for portfolio completion?

• Obtain a Degree Portfolio Checklist during your first semester at Spoon River College. This checklist can be obtained from either your advisor or specified faculty member.


• Select artifacts (assignments) to include in your portfolio that demonstrate all required general education competencies. Save electronic and/or paper copies of all assignments as soon as you begin your first class at Spoon River College. Please note: Even if you are not sure whether or not you will complete a degree at SRC, you should save all of your course work.


• Take the Portfolio Capstone Class. In the final semester before receipt of your degree, students graduating with an Associate of Arts & Science, an Associate of Arts in Teaching, and an Associate of Arts in General Studies will be required to take a one credit Graduation Portfolio Development Course. Students graduating with an Associate of Applied Science Degree will meet this requirement during their program of study.


• Turn in your graduation portfolio. Your final portfolio will be turned in at the end of the Portfolio Development class and will not be returned to you. Keep your documents electronically to retain a copy of the portfolio for your records. This portfolio demonstrates your academic success at Spoon River College.