Abstract
In 1976 the California State University system mandated that every campus certify the writing skills of its graduates by requiring students to meet a Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR). For nearly three decades California State University, Sacramento required students to take a pass/fail timed-writing exam to fulfill the GWAR. In 2008 the GWAR at CSUS University was completely overhauled in favor of a new two-step process emphasizing placement and instruction rather than proficiency. These changes prompted the need for a pilot program of a new one-unit group writing tutorial known as English 109X. Using data from review of scholarly sources and local research, this thesis examines the pilot program for student stakeholder concerns through a theoretical lens informed by Critical Pedagogy and Fourth Generation Evaluation. This study aimed to document the stakeholder concerns of students and emphasize the importance of student voice. Additionally this thesis reviews, revises, and extends upon theories of peer-response by positing that students do not perform discreet roles of reader, responder, or writer, but perform all three simultaneously as co-apprentices to their peers.