Franciscan University of Steubenville2017 Institution Survey

Institutional requirements and goals--Writing Requirement

Does your institution have a writing requirement?

No

Are there curricular requirements that are not part of the writing requirement but that have writing as an explicit goal?

Yes

What curricular requirements have writing as an explicit goal?

Senior capstone or thesis for some or all students

Is oral communication a component of an institutional writing requirement?

We are just beginning to discuss the role of oral communication in our institution's curriculum.

Institutional requirements and goals--College Writing Goals

Are there institution-wide student writing goals?

Yes

Have the goals been influenced by the WPA Outcomes Statement?

No

Are the goals assessed at the institutional level?

No

Institutional requirements and goals--National Survey of Student Engagement

Does your institution administer the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)?

No

Institutional requirements and goals--Changes to Writing Program

Were there changes to the writing requirement since the academic year 2012-13?

No

Were there changes to the assessment of writing at your institution since the 2012-13 academic year?

No

Do you foresee changes at the institutional level to the sites of writing on your campus over the next four years?

Yes

What type of changes to the institutional sites of writing do you foresee in the next four years?

Changes to assessment

If you foresee changes to the institutional sites of writing do you foresee in the next four years feel free to explain.

We instituted a new Core curriculum in 2013, and one of the goals is "to strengthen skills foundational to reasoning well and communicating effectively." The English department has started assessing "effective communication" by assessing the quality of student writing in the two English literature Core courses. However, as an institution, it isn't clear to me what sort of curriculum-wide assessment of this goal is taking place.

First-Year Writing--General Description

Does your institution have a first-year writing requirement, whether explicit or embedded?

No

What is the institutional home for first-year writing?

There is no home

Upper Level Writing Courses--Senior Culminating Experience

Does your institution require ALL students complete a senior thesis or other writing-intensive capstone experience?

Yes

Is the senior thesis an explicit part of the college writing requirement?

No

Does your institution require SOME students complete a senior thesis or other writing-intensive capstone experience?

Yes

What are the criteria for some students to complete a senior thesis?

The requirements vary by department.

Writing across the curriculum (WAC)--General Description

Does your institution have a formal WAC Program?

No

Is there professional development available for those teaching in the WAC Program or teaching WI courses?

No

Writing across the curriculum (WAC)--Writing-Intensive Courses

Does your institution require all students to take writing-intensive (WI or W) courses taught by departments other than English or Writing? See Glossary for definitions.

No

Writing across the curriculum (WAC)--Changes to WAC

Since the academic year 2012/13 have there been changes to the WI or WAC program?

No

Do you foresee any major changes to WAC on your campus in the next four years?

No

The undergraduate and graduate writing major and minor--Description of Undergraduate Major

Does your institution have a creative writing major?

No

Does your institution have a writing major (other than creative writing)?

Yes

What areas of writing can students specialize in as part of the major? Check all that apply.

General writing major--no specialization

In which department is the major housed?

English

The undergraduate and graduate writing major and minor--Description of Undergraduate Minor

Does your institution have a creative writing minor?

No

Does your institution have a writing minor (other than creative writing)?

Yes

What areas of writing can students specialize in as part of the minor? Check all that apply.

General writing minor--no specialization

In which department is the minor housed?

English

The undergraduate and graduate writing major and minor--Description of Graduate Programs

Does your institution offer a masters degree (MA) in writing (not creative writing)?

No

Does your institution have a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program in writing (not creative writing)?

No

The undergraduate and graduate writing major and minor--Changes to the Major, Minor, or Graduate Programs

Since the academic year 2012/13, have there been changes to the undergraduate writing major or minor?

No

Do you foresee changes to the administrative, curricular, or support structures of the writing major, minor, or graduate programs at your institution over the next four years?

No

Basic or Developmental Writing--Basic or Developmental Writing

Does your institution identify basic writing students who may need additional writing support?

No

What type of supports are available for basic writers? Check all that apply.

No services offered

Basic or Developmental Writing--Changes to Basic or Developmental Writing

Since AY 2012/13, have there been changes to the support for basic writers?

No

Do you foresee changes to the administrative, curricular, or support structures for helping diversely prepared students at your institution over the next four years?

No

Writing centers--General description

Does your institution have a writing center or learning center with writing tutors?

Yes

Is the writing center free-standing or part of another institutional unit?

Free-standing

Where is the writing center located? Note: From this point on writing center refers to both free-standing and those located within another unit.

Academic building

Is there a mission statement for the writing center?

Yes

Are there explicit goals for the writing center?

Yes

How are the goals assessed?

Student feedback forms

Center usage statistics

In addition to providing support for students writing for their courses, what services does the writing center offer? Check all that apply.

Assistance with job materials

Assistance with graduate school materials

What events does the writing center offer?

Student workshops

Writing centers--Consultations

What type of appointments does the writing center offer?

scheduled face-to-face appts

online feedback via e-mail

What is the average length of a consultation or tutorial session offered?

30 minutes

What percentage of the undergraduate student body had a writing center consultation during the 2016-17 academic year?

12

Writing centers--Consultants

How many consultants worked in the writing center during the 2016-17 academic year? UG=undergraduates, GS=graduate students, Fac=faculty, PT=professional tutors, Vol=volunteers

UG-5, GS-2

On average, what percentage of a week's consultations are staffed by each group? For example, if your center offers 100 hours of consultations a week and 50 hours are filled by undergraduates and 25 hours by both graduate students and professional tutors, then the percentage would be 50% undergraduate, 25% graduate students, and 25% professional tutors.

UG-80, GS-20

How are undergraduate consultants initially trained?

Staff meetings

Workshops before semester begins

How are graduate consultants initially trained?

Staff meetings

Workshops before semester begins

What on-going professional development opportunities are provided undergraduate consultants?

Meeting with Director

What on-going professional development opportunities are provided graduate consultants?

Meeting with Director

How are the undergradaute consultants compensated?

Hourly wage

How are the graduate consultants compensated?

Hourly wage

Writing centers--Administration

Who has primary responsibility for directing the writing center or overseeing the writing tutors if the tutors are part of a different institutional unit?

Writing Center Administrator (WCA)

In addition to the person who has primary responsibility, how many undergraduates, graduate students, staff members, or faculty members have administrative responsibilities for the writing center?

0

Does the writing center have a faculty advisory committee?

No

Writing centers--Changes

Since the academic year 2012/13 have there been changes to the writing center at your institution (not including staffing)?

No

Since the academic year 2012/13 have there been changes to the staffing or administration of the writing center at your institution?

Yes

What changes were made to the staffing or administration of the writing center?

Peer tutor positions increased

Peer tutor positions decreased

Graduate positions increased

Graduate positions decreased

Do you foresee changes to the writing center over the next four years?

Yes

Feel free to explain these upcoming changes.

I would like to develop a more robust online tutoring program involving synchronous tutoring support.

Writing Fellows (Embedded Writing Tutors)--General information

Does your institution have a writing fellows program? (See glossary for definitions)

Yes

What is the institutional home for the Writing fellows?

English Department

How old is the writing fellows program?

4-5 years

How is the writing fellows program funded?

Writing center budget

Writing Fellows (Embedded Writing Tutors)--Staffing

Do the writing fellows work both as fellows and in the writing center?

Students work both as writing fellows and writing center tutors.

Do the writing fellows regularly attend the class they are assigned to work with?

No

On average, how many students does each writing fellow work with for a course?

15+

How are the writing fellows compensated?

Hourly wage

Multilingual Writing Support--Multilingual Writing Support: General

Is there support for domestic and international English Language Learners (ELLs)?

No

Multilingual Writing Support--Multilingual Writing Support: Domestic Students

Does your institution identify domestic English Language Learners (ELLs) who may need additional writing support?

No

Multilingual Writing Support--Multilingual Writing Support: International Students

Does your institution identify international English Language Learners (ELLs) who may need additional writing support?

No

Multilingual Writing Support--Changes to Multilingual Writing Support

Since AY 2012/13, have there been changes to the support for English Language Learners (ELLs)?

No

Do you foresee changes to the administrative, curricular, or support structures for helping diversely prepared students at your institution over the next four years?

No

Administrative positions--Writing Center Administrator (WCA)

How is the Writing Center Administrator position (WCA) classified?

TT

Where does the WCA's tenure line reside?

English

To whom does the WCA report?

Chair of the department

CAO

Was the WCA hired for this position?

Yes

Which of the following teaching responsibilities does the WCA have? Check all that apply.

Teach courses

Train tutors, TAs, or professional staff

On average, how many courses per year does the WCA teach?

6

On average, how many courses per year are reassigned for WCA administrative responsibilities?

2

Which of the following are the administrative responsibilities of the WCA?

Create Program Documents

Consult with individual faculty or departments across the disciplines

Hire (tutors, professional staff, or teaching faculty)

Supervise (tutors, professional staff, or teaching faculty)

Advertise program

Oversee program budget

Maintain program/department/center website

Serve on university committees

Serve as an academic advisor