As higher education confronts a rapidly changing landscape – marked by AI and plagiarism concerns – English instructors are being called to reshape writing instruction. We are called to rethink not just how students write but how we assess their learning. This presentation proposes a shift away from over-reliance on the traditional academic essay toward more flexible assessment methods that better capture students’ thinking, process, and engagement. Drawing on classroom experience and scholarship, I will share alternative assessment strategies that will help emerging and/or first-year writing instructors reduce academic dishonesty by encouraging writing as a method of meaning-making rather than product.