Clarkson College2013 Institution Survey

Sites of writing--General Description

Does your institution have an official writing program or department? (n=671)

No

Does your institution have first-year writing? (n=673)

Yes

Is first-year writing part of the writing program or department? (n=646)

No

If not part of the writing program or department, what is the institutional home for first-year writing? (n=377)

Other

Does your institution have writing across the curriculum (WAC)? (n=671)

No

Does your institution have writing in the disciplines (WID)? (n=674)

No

Does your institution have an undergraduate writing major? (n=673)

No

Does your institution have an undergraduate writing minor? (n=676)

No

Does your institution have a graduate program in writing/rhetoric? (n=677)

No

Does your institution have a writing center or learning center with writing tutors? (n=679)

Yes

Does your institution have a basic writing program? (n=675)

Yes

Is the basic writing program part of the writing program or department? (n=357)

No

If not part of the writing program or department, what is the institutional home for the basic writing program? (n=249)

Other

Sites of writing--Writing Requirement

Does your institution have a writing requirement? (n=668)

Yes

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-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? (n=657)

No

Sites of writing--College Writing Goals

Are there college-wide student writing goals? (n=660)

No

Sites of writing--National Survey of Student Engagement

Does your institution administer the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)? (n=667)

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

Were there changes to the writing requirement in the past 10 years? (n=585)

Yes

Which changes have taken place in regards to the writing requirement? (n=382)

Departments are required to articulate their goals and writing requirements.

An exemption for first-year writing was added.

Were there changes to the assessment of writing at your institution over the past 10 years? (n=589)

No

Were there any changes to the administrative structures of the writing program or the sites of writing over the past 10 years? (n=597)

Yes

Which administrative structures of the writing program or the sites of writing changed? (n=396)

A WPA/WCD position was converted to a faculty position.

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)

A writing center was added.

Were there changes to the staffing of the writing program or center over the past 10 years? (n=595)

Yes

Which changes to the staffing of the writing program or center have taken place over the past 10 years? (n=412)

Peer tutoring positions were added.

Professional tutoring positions were added.

Were there any additional changes to the writing program or the sites of writing at your institution not already mentioned? (n=588)

No

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)

Yes

What type of changes to the administrative, curricular, or support structures of the sites of writing at your institution do you foresee in the next five years? (n=484)

Changes to the curricular structures or writing requirement

Changes to assessment

Changes to the types of staffing

First-year writing/English composition--General Description

Does your institution have a first-year writing requirement whether explicit or embedded? (n=672)

Yes

How many semesters/courses of first-year writing are required? (n=575)

1

How would you describe your first-year writing requirement? (n=577)

FYC

First-year writing/English composition--Placement and Transfer

Does your institution allow students to place out of FYC? (n=443)

No

Does your institution accept transfer credit for FYC? (n=454)

Yes

Who approves transfer credit for FYW courses? (n=539)

Registrar

Department chair

First-year writing/English composition--Goals and Assessment

Are there explicit goals for FYC? (n=463)

Yes

Are FYC goals informed by the WPA Outcomes Statement? (n=416)

Yes

How are the goals for FYW courses assessed?

FYWS (n=66)FYC (n=381)
Paper portfolio
E-portfolio
Random sample
Exam
Professor evaluationYes
None
Course evaluation
Student survey
Other

Who participates in the assessment of the goals for FYW courses?

FYWS (n=53)FYC (n=326)
WPA
Writing faculty
Institutional faculty
Outside evaluatorsYes
English faculty
Department chairYes
Other

First-year writing/English composition--Curriculum

What is the content of the FYC requirement? See Note 5. (n=456)

Literature

Genre/Modes

Writing About Writing (WAW)

Themes

Is there a common syllabus for FYC courses? (n=457)

Yes

First-year writing/English composition--Enrollment Caps

What is the enrollment cap for regular sections of FYC? (n=451)

20

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 FacultyFull-Time, Tenure Track Writing FacultyFull-Time, Tenure Track Other FacultyFull-Time, Non-Tenure Track English FacultyFull-Time, Non-Tenure Track Writing FacultyFull-Time, Non-Tenure Track Other FacultyPart-time English FacultyPart-time Writing FacultyEnglish Graduate TAsWriting Graduate TAsOther Graduate TAsWPAOther
0%YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
1-5%
6-15%
16-25%
26-35%
36-50%
51-60%
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
Required faculty development workshops
Optional graduate pedagogy course
Optional faculty development workshopsYes
Individual meetings with the WPA/WCDYes
Other

Do those attending faculty development for FYC receive additional compensation? (n=411)

No

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)

No

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)

No

The undergraduate and graduate writing major and minor--Description of Undergraduate Major

Does your institution have a writing major? See Note 3. (n=656)

No

The undergraduate and graduate writing major and minor--Description of Undergraduate Minor

Does your institution have a writing minor? (n=656)

No

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)

No

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)

Other

Is there a mission statement for the writing center? (n=610)

Yes

Are there explicit goals for the writing center? (n=610)

Yes

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 tutoring via Skype or instant messaging (synchronous)

Assistance with Powerpoint or other presentation software

Writing centers--Consultations

How many face-to-face consultations were offered in the Fall of 2011? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=225)

405

How many face-to-face consultations were offered in the Spring of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=224)

212

How many face-to-face consultations were offered in the Summer of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=223)

207

How many face-to-face consultations were conducted in the Fall of 2011? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=440)

139

How many face-to-face consultations were conducted in the Spring of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=440)

75

How many face-to-face consultations were conducted in the Summer of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=428)

94

How many online consultations were offered in the Fall of 2011? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=221)

251

How many online consultations were offered in the Spring of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=222)

159

How many online consultations were offered in the Summer of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=220)

175

How many online consultations were conducted in the Fall of 2011? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=427)

163

How many online consultations were conducted in the Spring of 2012? See Note 2b & 4. (n=427)

107

How many online consultations were conducted in the Summer of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=425)

79

What percentage of the undergraduate student body had a writing center consultation during the 2011-12 academic year? See Notes 2a & 4. (n=316)

10

Does your writing center work with graduate students? (n=580)

Yes

How many writing center consultations did your center conduct with graduate students during the 2011-12 academic year? See Notes 2a & 4. (n=184)

276

What percentage of the graduate student body had a writing center consultation during the 2011-12 academic year? See Notes 2a & 4. (n=122)

15

What is the average length of a consultation or tutorial session offered? (n=574)

45 minutes

Writing centers--Consultants

Are some or all of your writing center consultants undergraduate students? (n=561)

Yes

Are some or all of your writing center consultants graduate students? (n=546)

No

Are some or all of your writing center consultants faculty who teach in the writing program? (n=548)

Yes

Are some or all of your writing center consultants faculty who teach in other academic departments? (n=539)

Yes

Are some or all of your writing center consultants professional tutors? (n=548)

Yes

Are some or all of your writing center consultants volunteers? (n=543)

No

Do you have others working as writing consultants? (n=531)

No

During the fall of 2011, what percentage of the writing center consultants were undergraduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=449)

50

During the fall of 2011, what percentage of the writing center consultants were faculty who teach in the writing program? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=124)

17

During the fall of 2011, what percentage of the writing center consultants were faculty who teach in other academic departments? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=36)

17

During the fall of 2011, what percentage of the writing center consultants were professional tutors? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=113)

16

During the spring of 2012, what percentage of the writing center consultants were undergraduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=450)

50

During the spring of 2012, what percentage of the writing center consultants were faculty who teach in the writing program? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=123)

17

During the spring of 2012, what percentage of the writing center consultants were faculty who teach in other academic departments? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=38)

0

During the spring of 2012, what percentage of the writing center consultants were professional tutors? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=112)

33

How many consultants who worked in the writing center during the fall of 2011 were undergraduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=448)

3

How many consultants who worked in the writing center during the fall of 2011 were faculty who teach in the writing program? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=123)

1

How many consultants who worked in the writing center during the fall of 2011 were faculty who teach in other academic departments? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=36)

1

How many consultants who worked in the writing center during the fall of 2011 were professional tutors? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=112)

1

How many consultants who worked in the writing center during the spring of 2012 were undergraduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=449)

3

How many consultants who worked in the writing center during the spring of 2012 were faculty who teach in the writing program? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=121)

1

How many consultants who worked in the writing center during the spring of 2012 were faculty who teach in other academic departments? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=38)

0

How many consultants who worked in the writing center during the spring of 2012 were professional tutors? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=111)

2

How are consultants working in the writing center initally trained?

Undergraduate students (n=505)Graduate students (n=251)Faculty who teach in the writing program (n=124)Faculty who teach in other academic departments (n=45)Professional tutors (n=113)
Full-credit course
Half-credit course
Weekly meetings
Monthly meetings
Workshops before the semesterYesYesYesYes
No training required
Other

What on-going professional development opportunities are offered for consultants working in the writing center?

Undergraduate students (n=461)Graduate students (n=237)Faculty who teach in the writing program (n=54)Faculty who teach in other academic departments (n=42)Professional tutors (n=106)
Attendance at national conferences
Attendance at regional conferencesYesYesYes
Presenting at national conferences
Presenting at regional conferencesYes
Reading professional journals
Outside speakers
Weekly meetings
Semester inservice or workshop
Written reflections on daily and/or semester work
Meet with director
No opportunities available
Other

How are consultants working in the writing center compensated?

Undergraduate students (n=509)Graduate students (n=263)Faculty who teach in the writing program (n=132)Faculty who teach in other academic departments (n=45)Professional tutors (n=127)
Hourly wageYesYes
Stipend
Tuition waver
Course credit
Faculty salaryYesYes
Release time
Other

Writing centers--Course-based Peer Tutoring

Does your institution have a writing fellows (course-based peer tutoring) program? (n=577)

No

Administrative structures

Who has primary responsibility for administering first-year writing requirement? (n=565)

Chair of the English department

Are there others who help to administer the FYW program? (n=586)

No

Who has primary responsibility for administering the writing center? (n=546)

Separate writing center director or coordinator (WCD)

How is the WCD or LCD position classified? (n=410)

Hybrid Faculty/Staff-FT

To whom does the WCD or LCD report? (n=402)

Other

Was the WCD or LCD director hired for this position? (n=401)

Yes

If the WCD or LCD director was not hired for this position, how did he/she assume these responsibilities? (n=104)

The director started the program after being hired.

Are there others who help to administer the writing center? (n=403)

No

What is the teaching load for writing administrators?

Average faculty member (n=501)FYWD (n=265)WAC director (n=62)WCD (n=387)
0-0
0-1
1-1
1-2 or 2-1
2-2
2-1-2
2-2-2
2-3 or 3-2
3-3
3-1-2
3-1-3
3-4 or 4-3
4-4
Other YesYes
Varies

What are the job responsibilities for writing administrators?

FYWD (n=267)WAC director (n=63)WCD (n=392)
Teach courses in the first-year writing programYes
Teach courses in the writing program/department (Not FYW)Yes
Teach courses outside the writing program/departmentYes
Assess all or some aspects of the writing program
Assess the development of student writing on campusYes
Conduct faculty development with faculty across the disciplinesYes
Conduct TA training
Consult with individual faculty across the disciplinesYes
Consult with departments across the disciplinesYes
Supervise professional staff (writing center director, asst.director, admin asst.)Yes
Supervise tutors (professional and/or peer)Yes
Hire professional staffYes
Hire tutorsYes
Schedule writing courses
Schedule writing centerYes
Place students into writing courses
Facilitate placement exam
Oversee curriculum development
Train professional staff
Train peer tutorsYes
Advertise programYes
Oversee program budget
Tutor studentsYes
Plan eventsYes
Serve on university committeesYes
Maintain program website
Serve as an academic advisor
Offer student workshopsYes
Oversee exemption and/or transfer credit
Other