Another problem for incorporating portfolio assessment or multimodal assignments into a college writing course lies in the contextual nature of both tools. In order for portfolios to work for a given course, they must be contextualized—they must be developed in regards to the needs of the course and the stakeholders associated with the course, and students must understand why they are being asked to create them (Yancey, 1992; Perry, 1997; Murphy, 1999; Murphy & Smith, 1999). As Murphy and Smith (1999) insist, “Portfolios are not an appendix, something tacked onto the tail end of classroom curriculum” (p. 328). The same is true of multimodal assignments—they need to be incorporated into classrooms gradually, with purpose and careful scaffolding (Selfe, 2007; Selber, 2004). Callahan (1995) suggest that portfolio pedagogy should be a “response to [teachers’] perceptions of classroom needs,” as should opportunities to engage in multimodal composition (p. 120). While both need to be strategically crafted into the course curriculum, this is impossible when teachers must construct courses without any knowledge of their students. Very rarely do teachers know their students well enough to design a course tailored to their particular needs before the semester begins. With a course designed in conjunction with students, instructors can use both portfolios and multimodal assignments with positive results because students have a stake in them. However, administrators often need to have course syllabi and other pertinent records before the first week of the semester is out. How then, are instructors to design contextual course curricula? The problem is an odd one, often skirted by instructors as their courses are tweaked to students’ needs as the semester progresses; though, this, too can be problematic, as the syllabus is used as a binding contract between instructor and student should disputes arise, especially in regards to grading or assignment requirements. The paperwork necessary to begin a course often precludes tailoring coursework and assessment particular to students’ needs in the classroom context.