Boise State University2013 Institution Survey
Sites of writing--General Description
What is the institutional home of the writing program or department? (n=248)
English Department
If not part of the writing program or department, what is the institutional home for WAC? (n=227)
Other
Is writing in the disciplines part of the writing program or department? (n=265)
No
If not part of the writing program or department, what is the institutional home for writing in the disciplines? (n=184)
Other
Is the undergraduate writing major part of the writing program or department? (n=263)
No
If not part of the writing program or department, what is the institutional home for the undergraduate writing major? (n=196)
English department
If not part of the writing program or department, what is the institutional home for the graduate writing program? (n=114)
English department
Does your institution have a writing center or learning center with writing tutors? (n=679)
Yes
If not part of the writing program or department, what is the institutional home for the writing center? (n=487)
English department
Is the basic writing program part of the writing program or department? (n=357)
Yes
Sites of writing--Writing Requirement
What does the writing requirement at your institution consist of? (n=638)
First-year composition predominately taught by English and/or Writing department (FYC)
Writing in the major
Senior thesis or capstone experience
Other
What other writing requirements does your institution have?
100: first-year writing 200: writing "University Learning Outcome" in university-wide course; 3: Communication in the Discipline course in each major; 4: capstone in each major.
Are there curricular requirements that are not part of the writing requirement but that have writing as an explicit goal? (n=657)
Yes
What curricular requirements have writing as an explicit goal? (n=342)
A senior capstone/thesis for some or all students has writing as an explicit goal.
Sites of writing--College Writing Goals
Sites of writing--National Survey of Student Engagement
Does your institution administer the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)? (n=667)
Yes
How does your writing program use the NSSE data? (n=425)
Data used to argue for additional resources.
Data used for other purposes.
Is your school part of the WPA/NSSE Consortium for the Study of Writing in College? (n=494)
No
Sites of writing--Changes to Writing Program
Have there been changes to the writing program or sites of writing at your institution in the past 10 years? (n=666)
Yes
Which changes have taken place in regards to the writing requirement? (n=382)
Other
Were there changes to the assessment of writing at your institution over the past 10 years? (n=589)
Yes
Were there any changes to the administrative structures of the writing program or the sites of writing over the past 10 years? (n=597)
No
Was the writing program changed in the past 10 years to expand or eliminate areas? (n=609)
Yes
How did the writing program change? (n=346)
An undergraduate writing major was added. (not including creative writing)
A graduate degree in writing/rhetoric was added.
Were there changes to the staffing of the writing program or center over the past 10 years? (n=595)
No
Were there any additional changes to the writing program or the sites of writing at your institution not already mentioned? (n=588)
Yes
If there were any additional changes to the writing program or the sites of writing at your institution not already mentioned, please explain.
Curricular change: new support model for English 101 (ALP-like model; 4-credit experience); no basic writing anymore; new and innovative placement as of 2013
Do you foresee changes to the administrative, curricular, or support structures of the sites of writing at your institution over the next five years? (n=661)
No
First-year writing/English composition--General Description
Does your institution have a first-year writing requirement whether explicit or embedded? (n=672)
Yes
First-year writing/English composition--Placement and Transfer
What is your program's placement mechanism?
FYWS (n=18) | FYC (n=373) | |
---|---|---|
SAT/ACT | Yes | |
AP/IB | Yes | |
CLEP | ||
In-house exam | ||
Directed self-placement | ||
Portfolio | ||
Dual enrollment/ transfer | ||
Other |
First-year writing/English composition--Goals and Assessment
How are the goals for FYW courses assessed?
FYWS (n=66) | FYC (n=381) | |
---|---|---|
Paper portfolio | ||
E-portfolio | Yes | |
Random sample | ||
Exam | ||
Professor evaluation | ||
None | ||
Course evaluation | ||
Student survey | ||
Other |
Who participates in the assessment of the goals for FYW courses?
FYWS (n=53) | FYC (n=326) | |
---|---|---|
WPA | Yes | |
Writing faculty | Yes | |
Institutional faculty | ||
Outside evaluators | ||
English faculty | ||
Department chair | ||
Other |
First-year writing/English composition--Curriculum
What is the content of the FYC requirement? See Note 5. (n=456)
Writing About Writing (WAW)
Themes
First-year writing/English composition--Enrollment Caps
What is the enrollment cap for basic writing sections of FYC? (n=286)
Varies by semester
First-year writing/English composition--Staffing
In the 2011-12 academic year, what percentage of FYC courses were taught by: See Note 2a. (n=422)
Full-Time, Tenure Track English Faculty | Full-Time, Tenure Track Writing Faculty | Full-Time, Tenure Track Other Faculty | Full-Time, Non-Tenure Track English Faculty | Full-Time, Non-Tenure Track Writing Faculty | Full-Time, Non-Tenure Track Other Faculty | Part-time English Faculty | Part-time Writing Faculty | English Graduate TAs | Writing Graduate TAs | Other Graduate TAs | WPA | Other | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0% | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||
1-5% | Yes | Yes | |||||||||||
6-15% | Yes | ||||||||||||
16-25% | |||||||||||||
26-35% | Yes | ||||||||||||
36-50% | |||||||||||||
51-60% | Yes | ||||||||||||
61-75% | |||||||||||||
76-85% | |||||||||||||
86-99% | |||||||||||||
100% |
Is there faculty or professional development available for those teaching FYC? (n=457)
Yes
What form does the faculty development take for FYW faculty?
FYWS (n=70) | FYC (n=373) | |
---|---|---|
Requried pedagogy course taught by the WPA | Yes | |
Required faculty development workshops | ||
Optional graduate pedagogy course | ||
Optional faculty development workshops | Yes | |
Individual meetings with the WPA/WCD | Yes | |
Other | Yes |
Do those attending faculty development for FYC receive additional compensation? (n=411)
Sometimes
Identifying and supporting diversely-prepared students--General Description
Does your institution identify students who may need additional writing support, including students whose primary language is not English? (n=626)
Yes
How does the institution identify these students? (n=483)
Placement test
Admissions office/ student affairs referral
Advisor referral
Faculty referral
Student self-referral
Other
What types of supports are available to those students? (n=489)
Special sections of FYW
Peer tutoring
Other
Identifying and supporting diversely-prepared students--Basic Writing
What percentage of the student body is placed into basic writing? See Note 4. (n=164)
20
What is the structure of the basic writing program? See Glossary for terms used. (n=205)
Prerequisite model
Stretch model
What is the curriculum of the basic writing courses? (n=203)
Reading and writing
Other
Identifying and supporting diversely-prepared students--Support for English Language Learners
What type of supports are available for ELLs? (n=412)
Peer tutoring
Professional tutoring, not the WPA or WCD
Other
What percentage of the student body is placed into ELL writing courses? See Note 4. (n=160)
2
How are students identified and/or placed into ELL writing courses? (n=239)
SAT/ACT/TOFEL
Placement test
Admissions office/ atudent affairs referral
Directed self-placement
Faculty referral
Advisor referral
What is the institutional home of the ELL writing courses? (n=241)
English department
Writing across the curriculum (WAC) and writing beyond the first year--General Description
Does your institution have a WAC program and/or writing requirement beyond the first year? (n=642)
Yes
Does your institution require all students to take lower-division writing courses taught by the English or Writing department for students in other departments? Does not include the first-year writing requirement. (n=302)
No
Does your institution require all students to take upper-division writing courses taught by the English or Writing department for students in other departments? (n=303)
No
Does your institution require all students to take a mid-level writing course(s)? (n=304)
Yes
How would you describe the mid-level course? (n=124)
The course is classified as writing in the major.
Does your institution require ALL students to complete a senior thesis or other writing-intensive capstone experience? (n=306)
Yes
Is the senior thesis an explicit part of the college writing requirement? (n=92)
Yes
Writing across the curriculum (WAC) and writing beyond the first year--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? (n=303)
No
Is there professional development available for those teaching in the WAC Program? (n=298)
Yes
What form does that faculty development take? (n=216)
Optional faculty workshops
Individual meetings with faculty members
Collaborative research projects
If faculty attend a seminar or workshop, how are they compensated? (n=129)
They receive food at the event.
They receive a stipend.
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? (n=230)
Technical writing
Rhetoric/ composition
Creative writing
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 (M.A.) in writing, other than creative writing? (n=656)
Yes
Does your institution have a Ph.D. program in writing, other than creative writing? (n=654)
No
Writing centers--General description
Does your institution have a writing center or learning center with writing tutors? (n=676)
Yes
Is the writing center free-standing or part of another institutional unit? (n=612)
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. (n=612)
Academic building
How are the goals assessed? (n=423)
Student feedback forms
Faculty feedback
Center usage statistics
What services does the writing center offer? (n=610)
Face-to-face consultations
Online feedback via e-mail (asynchronous)
Assistance with oral presentations
Assistance with Powerpoint or other presentation software
Assistance with new media
Administrative structures
Who has primary responsibility for administering first-year writing requirement? (n=565)
FYWD
What is the teaching load for writing administrators?
Average faculty member (n=501) | FYWD (n=265) | |
---|---|---|
0-0 | ||
0-1 | ||
1-1 | Yes | |
1-2 or 2-1 | ||
2-2 | ||
2-1-2 | ||
2-2-2 | ||
2-3 or 3-2 | Yes | |
3-3 | ||
3-1-2 | ||
3-1-3 | ||
3-4 or 4-3 | ||
4-4 | ||
Other | ||
Varies |
What are the job responsibilities for writing administrators?
FYWD (n=267) | |
---|---|
Teach courses in the first-year writing program | Yes |
Teach courses in the writing program/department (Not FYW) | Yes |
Teach courses outside the writing program/department | |
Assess all or some aspects of the writing program | Yes |
Assess the development of student writing on campus | Yes |
Conduct faculty development with faculty across the disciplines | |
Conduct TA training | Yes |
Consult with individual faculty across the disciplines | |
Consult with departments across the disciplines | |
Supervise professional staff (writing center director, asst.director, admin asst.) | Yes |
Supervise tutors (professional and/or peer) | |
Hire professional staff | Yes |
Hire tutors | |
Schedule writing courses | |
Schedule writing center | |
Place students into writing courses | Yes |
Facilitate placement exam | Yes |
Oversee curriculum development | Yes |
Train professional staff | |
Train peer tutors | |
Advertise program | Yes |
Oversee program budget | Yes |
Tutor students | |
Plan events | Yes |
Serve on university committees | Yes |
Maintain program website | |
Serve as an academic advisor | Yes |
Offer student workshops | |
Oversee exemption and/or transfer credit | Yes |
Other |