The purpose of submitting completed work in the context of a college course is to evaluate how well a student has internalized and represented the curriculum of that course. This distinction component allows students the opportunity to go beyond the classroom and present their creative, critical, or professional work to a wider audience at the campus, local, regional, or national levels.

Performance and publishing signify an endpoint to the creative process, an interaction with the world beyond the classroom. This signifies a step towards thinking of oneself as a professional and participating in the activities of a working writer.

In order to receive credit for a component within the program, a student must finish either one (1) Level A activity or two different (2) Level B activities.

• Publish a substantial piece of writing in a regional or national market.
• Present work at a regional or national conference.
• Win the department’s AWP Intro Awards contest.
• Read/perform work on the radio, television, or an established podcast series.

• Give a public reading of your own work.
• Publish a substantial piece of writing in a campus market (e.g., fishladder, InWriting, The Lanthorn) or community market (e.g., The Rapidian, Awesome Mitten, Grand Rapids Press, MittenBrew).
• Place in the GVSU Oldenburg Writing Contest.
• Submit work or queries to four different markets: local, regional, or national (documented by editorial replies).
• Read creative writing or display scholarship at Student Scholars Day.
• Create a public poetry, art, or performance installation.
• Maintain (and post at least weekly to) a professional blog.