Houghton College2017 Institution Survey

Institutional requirements and goals--Writing Requirement

Does your institution have a writing requirement?

Yes

What does the writing requirement at your institution consist of?

First-year composition predominately taught by English and/or Writing department (FYC)

Writing-intensive courses that are located throughout the curriculum (W courses)

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

No

Is oral communication a component of an institutional writing requirement?

Oral communication is not a component of any institution writing requirements.

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?

Yes

How are the college-wide student writing goals assessed?

other

What are other approaches to assessment of institutional goals?

An assessment committee conducts periodic reviews of writing that is assigned in capstone courses.

Institutional requirements and goals--Writing Committee

Does your institution have a writing committee?

No

Institutional requirements and goals--National Survey of Student Engagement

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

Yes

How does your writing program use the NSSE data?

We do nothing with the data.

Institutional requirements and goals--Changes to Writing Program

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

Yes

Which changes took place in regards to the writing requirement?

The writing requirement was expanded.

Writing-intensive courses were added to the writing requirement.

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

Yes

Which changes took place in regards to assessment?

A college-wide assessment was added.

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

No

First-Year Writing--General Description

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

Yes

What is the institutional home for first-year writing?

There is no home

How would you describe your first-year writing requirement? Check all that apply. See Glossary for definitions.

First-Year Composition (FYC)

First-Year Writing--First-Year Composition: Placement & Transfer

In the academic year 2016-17, how many students took FYC?

100

Does your institution accept alternative credit for first-year composition?

Yes

If your institution accepts alternative credit for FYC, which mechanism is used? Check all that apply.

Transfer credit from another institution

Dual enrollment

Other

What percentage of students in AY 2016/17 received alternative credit for a FYC course?

50

Is there a placement mechanism for FYC?

Yes

If there is a placement mechanism for FYC, what is it? Check all that apply.

SAT/ACT scores

What percentage of students in AY 2016/17 placed out of a FYC course?

40

First-Year Writing--First-Year Composition: Goals

Are there explicit goals for FYC?

Yes

If there are explicit goals for FYC, are the goals informed by the WPA Outcomes Statement?

Yes

How are the FYC goals assessed? Check all that apply.

Course Evaluation or Grades

First-Year Writing--First-Year Composition: Delivery Methods

In AY 2016/17, did your institution offer face-to-face sections of FYC?

Yes

In AY 2016/17, did your institution offer online sections of FYC?

Yes

In AY 2016/17, did your institution offer hybrid sections of FYC?

No

During the academic year 2016-17, what percentage of sections of FYC were face-to-face?

90

During the academic year 2016-17, what percentage of sections of FYC were online?

10

During the academic year 2016-17, what percentage of sections of FYC were hybrid?

0

First-Year Writing--First-Year Composition: Staffing

Who has primary responsibility for administering the FYC requirement? See the Glossary for an explanation of these terms.

Chair of ENG

Beside the person who has primary responsibility for administering FYC, how many graduate students, staff members, or faculty members have administrative responsibilities for FYC?

0

In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of face-to-face FYC were taught by FT, tenure-line faculty in the English Department?

30

In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of face-to-face FYC were taught by FT, tenure-line faculty in the rhetoric/composition department or program?

40

In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of face-to-face FYC were taught by FT, non-tenure line faculty in the English Department?

30

In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of face-to-face FYC were taught by FT, non-tenure line faculty in the rhetoric/composition department or program?

0

In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of face-to-face FYC were taught by FT, non-tenure line faculty from departments besides English and rhetoric/composition?

0

In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of face-to-face FYC were taught by PT faculty (hired by the English Department)?

0

In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of face-to-face FYC were taught by PT faculty (hired by the rhetoric/composition department or program)?

0

In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of face-to-face FYC were taught by PT faculty (hired by another department/program)?

0

In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of face-to-face FYC were taught by graduate students in English?

0

In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of face-to-face FYC were taught by graduate students in rhetoric/composition?

0

In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of face-to-face FYC were taught by graduate students from departments outside English and rhetoric/composition?

0

In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of face-to-face FYC were taught by the first-year writing director?

0

In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of face-to-face FYC were taught by Other?

0

In the 2016-17 academic year

0

In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of online FYC were taught by FT, tenure-line faculty in the rhetoric/composition department or program?

100

In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of online FYC were taught by FT, tenure-line faculty from departments besides English and rhetoric/composition?

0

In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of online FYC were taught by FT, non-tenure line faculty in the English Department?

0

In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of online FYC were taught by FT, non-tenure line faculty in the rhetoric/composition department or program?

0

In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of online FYC were taught by FT, non-tenure line faculty from departments besides English and rhetoric/composition?

0

In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of online FYC were taught by PT faculty (hired by the English Department)?

0

In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of online FYC were taught by PT faculty (hired by the rhetoric/composition department or program)?

0

In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of online FYC were taught by PT faculty (hired by another department/program)?

0

In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of online FYC were taught by graduate students in English?

0

In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of online FYC were taught by graduate students in rhetoric/composition?

0

In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of online FYC were taught by graduate students from departments outside English and rhetoric/composition?

0

In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of online FYC were taught by the first-year writing director?

0

In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of online FYC were taught by Other?

0

First-Year Writing--First-Year Composition: Training

For FYC, what types of initial training is provided? Check all that apply.

FT-TT English/ Writing FacultyFT-TT Faculty from other disciplinesFT-NTT English/ Writing FacultyFT-NTT Faculty from other disciplinesPart-Time Faculty
Required Course
Required Workshops
Optional Course
Optional WorkshopsYes
Individual Meetings with Director
Weekly Staff Meetings
Monthly Staff Meetings
No training is providedYesYesYes
Other

Do those attending initial training receive additional compensation or course credit?

No

For FYC, what types of on-going professional development is provided? Check all that apply.

FT-TT English/ Writing FacultyFT-TT Faculty from other disciplinesFT-NTT English/ Writing FacultyFT-NTT Faculty from other disciplinesPart-Time Faculty
Attend ConferencesYesYesYes
Present at ConferencesYesYes
Access to Professional JournalsYesYes
Outside SpeakersYesYesYes
Required Weekly Meetings
Optional Weekly Meetings
Required Monthly MeetingsYesYes
Optional Monthly Meetings
Workshops or In-ServiceYesYes
Meetings with Director
Other

First-Year Writing--First-Year Composition: Curriculum

Which type of scheduling does your institution follow?

Semester

Is there a common syllabus for the first or only semester of FYC?

No

What is the content for the first or only semester of FYC? Check all that apply.

Genre/Modes

Themes

How many semesters of FYC are required?

One semester

First-Year Writing--First-Year Composition: Course Caps

In the academic year 2016/17, what was the enrollment cap for Regular sections of the first or only semester of face-to-face FYC?

15

In the academic year 2016/17, what was the enrollment cap for Regular sections of the first or only semester of hybrid FYC?

15

In the academic year 2016/17, what was the enrollment cap for Regular sections of the first or only semester of online FYC?

15

First-Year Writing--Changes to First-Year Writing

Since AY 2012/13, have there been changes to the first-year writing requirement at your institution?

No

Since AY 2012/13, have there been changes to the first-year writing placement mechanism or how alternate credit is granted at your institution?

No

Since AY 2012/13, have there been changes to the first-year writing assessment at your institution?

No

Since AY 2012/13, have there been changes to the first-year curriculum or enrollment caps at your institution?

Yes

Since AY 2012/13, what have been the changes to the first-year curriculum or enrollment caps at your institution? Check all that apply.

Course caps were lowered.

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

No

Do you foresee changes to the administrative, curricular, or support structures of first-year writing at your institution over the next four years?

No

Upper Level Writing Courses--Upper Level Writing Courses: General

How many specific writing course(s) beyond the first year does your institution require all students to take? For example, such a course could be a sophomore or junior-level course taught by English or writing faculty. We are NOT asking about writing-intensive courses. The WAC section of the Census will ask about those courses.

0

Upper Level Writing Courses--Changes to Upper Level Writing

Since AY 2012/13, have there been changes to the requirement for writing courses beyond the first year (not writing-intensive)?

No