Pennsylvania State University-Berks2017 Institution Survey
Institutional requirements and goals--Writing Requirement
What does the writing requirement at your institution consist of?
First-year composition predominately taught by English and/or Writing department (FYC)
Mid-level writing course
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?
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?
Oral communication is a separate general education requirement.
Institutional requirements and goals--College Writing Goals
Institutional requirements and goals--Writing Committee
Institutional requirements and goals--National Survey of Student Engagement
Does your institution administer the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)?
Yes
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?
No
First-Year Writing--General Description
Does your institution have a first-year writing requirement, whether explicit or embedded?
Yes
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
If your institution accepts alternative credit for FYC, which mechanism is used? Check all that apply.
Transfer credit from another institution
Dual enrollment
What percentage of students in AY 2016/17 received alternative credit for a FYC course?
0
If there is a placement mechanism for FYC, what is it? Check all that apply.
SAT/ACT scores
Directed Self-Placment
First-Year Writing--First-Year Composition: Goals
If there are explicit goals for FYC, are the goals informed by the WPA Outcomes Statement?
No
First-Year Writing--First-Year Composition: Delivery Methods
During the academic year 2016-17, what percentage of sections of FYC were face-to-face?
84
During the academic year 2016-17, what percentage of sections of FYC were online?
8
During the academic year 2016-17, what percentage of sections of FYC were hybrid?
8
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.
WPD
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?
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 rhetoric/composition department or program?
20
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of face-to-face 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 face-to-face 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 face-to-face FYC were taught by FT, non-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 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)?
40
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, what percentage of sections of online FYC were taught by FT, 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, 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?
100
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
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of hybrid FYC were taught by FT, tenure-line faculty in the English Department?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of hybrid FYC were taught by FT, tenure-line faculty in the rhetoric/composition department or program?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of hybrid 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 hybrid 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 hybrid FYC were taught by FT, non-tenure line faculty in the rhetoric/composition department or program?
100
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of hybrid 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 hybrid FYC were taught by PT faculty (hired by the English Department)?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of hybrid 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 hybrid FYC were taught by PT faculty (hired by another department or program)?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of hybrid FYC were taught by graduate students in English?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage ofsections of hybrid FYC were taught by graduate students in rhetoric/composition?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of hybrid 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 hybrid FYC were taught by the first-year writing director?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of hybrid 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 Faculty | FT-TT Faculty from other disciplines | FT-NTT English/ Writing Faculty | FT-NTT Faculty from other disciplines | Part-Time Faculty | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Required Course | |||||
| Required Workshops | |||||
| Optional Course | |||||
| Optional Workshops | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Individual Meetings with Director | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekly Staff Meetings | |||||
| Monthly Staff Meetings | |||||
| No training is provided | |||||
| 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 Faculty | FT-TT Faculty from other disciplines | FT-NTT English/ Writing Faculty | FT-NTT Faculty from other disciplines | Part-Time Faculty | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attend Conferences | Yes | ||||
| Present at Conferences | Yes | Yes | |||
| Access to Professional Journals | Yes | ||||
| Outside Speakers | |||||
| Required Weekly Meetings | |||||
| Optional Weekly Meetings | |||||
| Required Monthly Meetings | |||||
| Optional Monthly Meetings | |||||
| Workshops or In-Service | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Meetings with Director | |||||
| Other |
First-Year Writing--First-Year Composition: Curriculum
What is the content for the first or only semester of FYC? Check all that apply.
Genre/Modes
Research
First-Year Writing--First-Year Composition: Course Caps
In the academic year 2016/17, what was the enrollment cap for Honors sections of the first or only semester of face-to-face FYC?
18
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?
24
In the academic year 2016/17, what was the enrollment cap for Regular sections of the first or only semester of hybrid FYC?
24
In the academic year 2016/17, what was the enrollment cap for Regular sections of the first or only semester of online FYC?
24
In the academic year 2016/17, what was the enrollment cap for Basic Writing sections of the first or only semester of face-to-face FYC?
18
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?
No
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.
1
By which semester must a student complete the first required course beyond FYW?
By graduation
Upper Level Writing Courses--Upper Level Writing Courses: Goals
If the 1st course has explicit goals, have they been influenced by the WPA Outcomes Statement?
No
How are the goals of the 1st course beyond FYW assessed? Check all that apply.
Professor evaluation
Upper Level Writing Courses--Upper Level Writing Courses: Content
What is the content of the 1st course beyond FYW? Check all that apply.
Research writing
Writing in the disciplines
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
Basic or Developmental Writing--Basic or Developmental Writing
Does your institution identify basic writing students who may need additional writing support?
Yes
How does the institution identify basic writers? Check all that apply.
Directed Self-Placement
SAT/ACT scores
What type of supports are available for basic writers? Check all that apply.
Required basic writing course
Summer bridge program
What is the institutional home of the basic writing program?
Writing department/program
What is the structure of your basic writing program? Check all that apply. (See Glossary for an explanation of terms)
Prerequisite model
What is the curriculum of the basic writing courses? Check all that apply.
Grammar
Sentence writing
Paragraph writing
Reading and writing
How do students exit basic writing? Check all that apply.
Passing grade in basic writing course
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 multimodal assignments
Assistance with job materials
Assistance with graduate school materials
What events does the writing center offer?
Student workshops
Space for student to come together to write
Writing centers--Consultations
What type of appointments does the writing center offer?
scheduled face-to-face appts
drop-in face-to-face appts
What is the average length of a consultation or tutorial session offered?
45 minutes
What percentage of the undergraduate student body had a writing center consultation during the 2016-17 academic year?
10
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-10
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-100
What on-going professional development opportunities are provided undergraduate consultants?
Attend national conferences
Attend regional conferences
Present at national conferences
Present at regional conferences
Read professional journals
Staff meetings
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?
Professional tutor positions decreased
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?
Writing fellows and writing center tutors are two separate groups.
If two separate groups, how are they staffed?
Writing fellows and writing center tutors are both undergraduates, but students do not do both jobs.
Do the writing fellows regularly attend the class they are assigned to work with?
Yes
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
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
Write grants
Conduct assessment
Hire (tutors, professional staff, or teaching faculty)
Supervise (tutors, professional staff, or teaching faculty)
Mentor (tutors, professional staff, or teaching faculty)
Schedule writing courses
Advertise program
Oversee program budget
Plan events
Maintain program/department/center website
Serve on university committees
Serve as an academic advisor