Franciscan University of Steubenville2017 Institution Survey
Institutional requirements and goals--Writing Requirement
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
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 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
Upper Level Writing Courses--Senior Culminating Experience
Does your institution require ALL students complete a senior thesis or other writing-intensive capstone experience?
Yes
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
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
The undergraduate and graduate writing major and minor--Description of Undergraduate Major
What areas of writing can students specialize in as part of the major? Check all that apply.
General writing major--no specialization
The undergraduate and graduate writing major and minor--Description of Undergraduate Minor
What areas of writing can students specialize in as part of the minor? Check all that apply.
General writing minor--no specialization
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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)
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 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