Swarthmore College2017 Institution Survey
Institutional requirements and goals--Writing Requirement
What does the writing requirement at your institution consist of?
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
other requirements
What other curricular requirements have writing as an explicit goal?
Most departments have writing as a learning outcome.
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
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?
No
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?
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
Is there professional development available for those teaching in the WAC Program or teaching WI courses?
Yes
If faculty attend a seminar or workshop, how are they compensated?
They receive food at the event.
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.
Yes
What form of assessment takes place of the WI goals?
Professor evaluation
No assessment takes place
What are the criteria for a WI course?
Number of pages or words written
Revision
Time discussing writing In class
Written or verbal feedback from instructor
Which incentives are offered to faculty to teach WI courses?
Use of writing fellows
Course release
In academic year 2016/17, what was the course cap for WI courses?
Varies by department
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?
Maybe
Feel free to explain any upcoming changes.
Changes need to happen, it it is unclear whether they will be a priority.
The undergraduate and graduate writing major and minor--Description of Undergraduate Major
The undergraduate and graduate writing major and minor--Description of Undergraduate Minor
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?
Unsure
Feel free to explain any forthcoming changes.
We hope to create a writing minor. Unsure if it can happen in next four years.
Basic or Developmental Writing--Basic or Developmental Writing
Does your institution identify basic writing students who may need additional writing support?
No
How does the institution identify basic writers? Check all that apply.
Admissions office/Student Affairs referral
Advisor referral
Faculty referral
Student self-referral
What type of supports are available for basic writers? Check all that apply.
Targeted optional writing courses
Peer tutoring
Tutoring from WPA or WCD
Workshops
Basic or Developmental Writing--Changes to Basic or Developmental Writing
What changes have there been to the support for basic writers? Check all that apply.
A summer bridge program was added.
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?
Part of another institutional unit
If the writing center is not free-standing, what larger institutional unit is it a part of?
Rhetoric/writing department or program
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 writing in a language other than English
Assistance with multimodal assignments
Assistance with oral presentations
Assistance with Powerpoint or other presentation software
Assistance with how to lead a class discussion
Assistance with how to prepare a poster presentation
Assistance with job materials
Assistance with graduate school materials
Assistance with other content areas
Assistance for English Language Learners
What events does the writing center offer?
Student workshops
Faculty workshops
Space for student to come together to write
Speakers
Writing centers--Consultations
What type of appointments does the writing center offer?
scheduled face-to-face appts
drop-in face-to-face appts
scheduled online appts
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?
28.35
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-58
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
How are undergraduate consultants initially trained?
Full-credit course
Staff meetings
Workshops before semester begins
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
Outside speakers
Staff meetings
Reflections
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?
5+
Writing centers--Changes
Since the academic year 2012/13 have there been changes to the writing center at your institution (not including staffing)?
Yes
Since the academic year 2012/13 have there been changes to the staffing or administration of the writing center at your institution?
Yes
What other changes have been made to the staffing or administration of the writing center?
A full-time Assistant Director of the Program position was created and hired, with responsibility for overseeing the Writing Center
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?
independent writing department or program
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)?
Yes, for both domestic and international
What percentage of the student body is placed into ELL writing courses, both required and optional?
0
Who has primary responsibility for administering support for English Language Learners?
Other
Multilingual Writing Support--Multilingual Writing Support: Domestic Students
Does your institution identify domestic English Language Learners (ELLs) who may need additional writing support?
Yes
How does the institution identify domestic English Language Learners? Check all that apply.
Admissions office/Student Affairs referral
Advisor referral
Faculty referral
Student self-referral
What type of supports are available for domestic English Language Learners (ELLs)? Check all that apply.
Targeted optional writing courses
Peer tutoring
Professional tutoring--not including from WPA or WCD
Tutoring from WPA or WCD
Workshops
Multilingual Writing Support--Multilingual Writing Support: International Students
Does your institution identify international English Language Learners (ELLs) who may need additional writing support?
Yes
How does the institution identify International English Language Learners? Check all that apply.
Admissions office/Student Affairs referral
Advisor referral
Faculty referral
Student self-referral
What type of supports are available for International English Language Learners (ELLs)? Check all that apply.
Targeted optional writing courses
Peer tutoring
Professional tutoring--not including from WPA or WCD
Tutoring from WPA or WCD
Workshops
Multilingual Writing Support--Changes to Multilingual Writing Support
Since AY 2012/13, have there been changes to the support for English Language Learners (ELLs)?
Yes
What changes have there been to the support for English Language Learners (ELLs)? Check all that apply.
A new full-time non-tenure-line director/coordinator/specialist position was created and filled.
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 Program Director or Chair of a Writing Department (WPD)
How is the Writing Program Director or Chair of the Writing Department position (WPD) classified?
NTT-FT
Which of the following teaching responsibilities does the WPD have? Check all that apply.
Teach courses
Tutor students
Train tutors, TAs, or professional staff
faculty workshops
On average, how many courses per year are reassigned for WPD administrative responsibilities?
2
Which of the following are the administrative responsibilities of the WPD?
Develop curriculum
Create Program Documents
Conduct assessment
Consult with individual faculty or departments across the disciplines
Hire (tutors, professional staff, or teaching faculty)
Supervise (tutors, professional staff, or teaching faculty)
Mentor (tutors, professional staff, or teaching faculty)
Advertise program
Oversee program budget
Plan events
Serve on university committees
Serve as an academic advisor
Administrative positions--Writing Center Administrator (WCA)
Which of the following teaching responsibilities does the WCA have? Check all that apply.
Teach courses
Tutor students
Train tutors, TAs, or professional staff
student workshops
On average, how many courses per year are reassigned for WCA administrative responsibilities?
1
Which of the following are the administrative responsibilities of the WCA?
Create Program Documents
Conduct assessment
Consult with individual faculty or departments across the disciplines
Supervise (tutors, professional staff, or teaching faculty)
Mentor (tutors, professional staff, or teaching faculty)
Schedule writing courses
Advertise program
Plan events
Serve as an academic advisor