George Mason University2013 Institution Survey

Sites of writing--General Description

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

Yes

What is the institutional home of the writing program or department? (n=248)

English Department

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)

English department

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

Yes

Is WAC part of the writing program or department? (n=306)

No

If not part of the writing program or department, what is the institutional home for WAC? (n=227)

Office of Chief Academic Officer

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

Yes

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)

Office of Chief Academic Officer

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

No

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

Yes

Is the undergraduate writing minor part of the writing program or department? (n=352)

No

If not part of the writing program or department, what is the institutional home for the undergraduate minor? (n=246)

English department

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

Yes

Is the graduate program part of the writing program or department? (n=157)

No

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

Is the writing center part of the writing program or department? (n=654)

No

If not part of the writing program or department, what is the institutional home for the writing center? (n=487)

English department

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

No

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)

Mid-level writing course

Writing in the major

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)

Yes

How does your writing program use the NSSE data? (n=425)

Data used to encourage faculty to participate in WAC.

Is your school part of the WPA/NSSE Consortium for the Study of Writing in College? (n=494)

I don't know

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)

No

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

Yes

Which changes have taken place in regards to assessment? (n=437)

A college-wide assessment was expanded.

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 full-time WPA or WCD position was added.

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)

Full-time, non-tenure-line teaching positions were added.

Tenure-line teaching positions were added.

Peer tutoring positions were added.

Graduate student tutoring positions were added.

Other

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 administrative structures

Changes to expand the writing program or sites of writing on campus

Changes to the types of staffing

If you foresee changes to the administrative, curricular, or support structures of the sites of writing at your institution over the next five years feel free to explain.

Assessment practices are likely to continue to expand. Curriculum, especially for multilingual writers (new stretch courses, I hope), likely to continue to change/expand. New PhD program in rhet/comp to bring additional TAs, fewer adjunct faculty, perhaps additional tenureline faculty. Writing center peer tutoring to continue to expand. Writing center director may convert to tenure-line; writing center may move report line out of English to Provost.

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)

Yes

What is your program's placement mechanism?

FYWS (n=18)FYC (n=373)
SAT/ACT
AP/IBYes
CLEP
In-house examYes
Directed self-placement
Portfolio
Dual enrollment/ transfer
Other

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

Yes

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

WPA

Registrar

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 sampleYes
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)
WPAYes
Writing facultyYes
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)

Other

What is the other content of the FYC requirement?

I suppose "genres" comes close, but I refuse to check a box that has "modes" included in it. As long as instructors' syllabi meet our learning goals, they may choose a theme or a WAW focus if they wish.

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

No

First-year writing/English composition--Enrollment Caps

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

19

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%YesYesYesYesYesYesYes
1-5%YesYes
6-15%
16-25%YesYes
26-35%
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 WPAYes
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)

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)

Directed self-placement

Admissions office/ student affairs referral

Advisor referral

Faculty referral

Student self-referral

What types of supports are available to those students? (n=489)

Special sections of FYW

Peer tutoring

Professional tutoring, not the WPA or WCD

Tutoring from the WPA or WCD

Workshops

Identifying and supporting diversely-prepared students--Basic Writing

Does your institution have a formal basic writing program? (n=493)

No

Identifying and supporting diversely-prepared students--Support for English Language Learners

Is there support for English Language Learners (ELLs)? (n=484)

Yes

Is support for ELLs separate from basic writing? (n=417)

Yes

What type of supports are available for ELLs? (n=412)

Targeted optional writing courses

Peer tutoring

Professional tutoring, not the WPA or WCD

Tutoring from the WPA or WCD

Workshops

Does your institution offer ELL writing classes? (n=408)

Yes

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)

Admissions office/ atudent affairs referral

Directed self-placement

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)

Yes

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)

Yes

Does your institution require all students to take a mid-level writing course(s)? (n=304)

Yes

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)

No

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)

Yes

How long has the WI requirement been in existence? (n=186)

15+ years

How many WI courses are required beyond the first-year requirement? (n=185)

1

When do WI courses need to be completed? (n=187)

It depends

Are there explicit goals for the WI courses? (n=189)

No

Have the goals been influenced by the WPA Outcomes Statement? (n=151)

Yes

What form of assessment takes place of the WI goals? (n=149)

No assessment takes place

What are the criteria for a WI course? (n=184)

Number of pages or words written

Revision

Time discussing writing In class

Written or verbal feedback from instructor

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

If faculty attend a seminar or workshop, how are they compensated? (n=129)

They do not receive compensation.

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)

Yes

What areas of writing can students specialize in as part of the minor? (n=312)

Rhetoric/ composition

In which department is the minor housed? (n=347)

English

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

In which department is the masters program housed? (n=100)

English

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)

Part of another institutional unit

If the writing center is not free-standing, what larger institutional unit is it a part of? (n=379)

English department

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

Library

Multiple locations

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

Center usage statistics

Other

What services does the writing center offer? (n=610)

Face-to-face consultations

Online tutoring via Skype or instant messaging (synchronous)

Online feedback via e-mail (asynchronous)

Tutoring in other subject areas

Other

What other services does the writing center offer?

Workshops, Invited presentations, weekly write-ins for graduate student thesis and dissertation writers, tutoring support for writing retreats, tutoring for multilingual writers provided by ESL specialist tutors

Writing centers--Consultations

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

2,521

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

2,119

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

506

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

507

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

467

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

156

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

8

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)

1,624

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

3

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)

Yes

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

No

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

No

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

No

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)

33

During the fall of 2011, what percentage of the writing center consultants were graduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=228)

67

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

33

During the spring of 2012, what percentage of the writing center consultants were graduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=228)

67

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

10

How many consultants who worked in the writing center during the fall of 2011 were graduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=227)

20

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

10

How many consultants who worked in the writing center during the spring of 2012 were graduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=227)

20

How are consultants working in the writing center initally trained?

Undergraduate students (n=505)Graduate students (n=251)
Full-credit course
Half-credit courseYes
Weekly meetingsYes
Monthly meetings
Workshops before the semesterYesYes
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)
Attendance at national conferences
Attendance at regional conferencesYesYes
Presenting at national conferences
Presenting at regional conferencesYes
Reading professional journalsYesYes
Outside speakersYesYes
Weekly meetings
Semester inservice or workshopYesYes
Written reflections on daily and/or semester workYesYes
Meet with director
No opportunities available
OtherYes

How are consultants working in the writing center compensated?

Undergraduate students (n=509)Graduate students (n=263)
Hourly wageYes
StipendYes
Tuition waverYes
Course credit
Faculty salary
Release time
Other

Writing centers--Course-based Peer Tutoring

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

Yes

Administrative structures

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

FYWD

How is the FYWD position classified? (n=274)

TT

Where does the FYWD's tenure line reside? (n=228)

English

To whom does the FYWD report? (n=272)

Chair of the department

Was the FYWD director hired for this position? (n=261)

Yes

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

Yes

If others help to administer the FYW program, how many? (n=347)

1

Who has primary responsibility for administering the WAC program? (n=263)

WACD

How is the WAC director position classified? (n=63)

TT

Where does the WAC director's tenure line reside? (n=42)

English

To whom does the WAC director report? (n=65)

chair of the department

CAO

Was the WAC director hired for this position? (n=64)

Yes

Are there others who help to administer the WAC program? (n=209)

Yes

If others help to administer the WAC program, how many? (n=58)

2

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)

NTT-FT

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

Chair of the department

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

Yes

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

Yes

If others help to administer the writing center, how many? (n=326)

1

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
1-1Yes
1-2 or 2-1YesYes
2-2Yes
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
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 programYesYes
Teach courses in the writing program/department (Not FYW)YesYesYes
Teach courses outside the writing program/departmentYes
Assess all or some aspects of the writing programYes
Assess the development of student writing on campusYes
Conduct faculty development with faculty across the disciplinesYes
Conduct TA trainingYes
Consult with individual faculty across the disciplinesYes
Consult with departments across the disciplinesYes
Supervise professional staff (writing center director, asst.director, admin asst.)YesYesYes
Supervise tutors (professional and/or peer)Yes
Hire professional staffYesYes
Hire tutorsYes
Schedule writing courses
Schedule writing centerYes
Place students into writing courses
Facilitate placement exam
Oversee curriculum developmentYes
Train professional staffYes
Train peer tutorsYes
Advertise programYes
Oversee program budgetYesYes
Tutor students
Plan eventsYesYes
Serve on university committeesYesYesYes
Maintain program websiteYesYesYes
Serve as an academic advisor
Offer student workshopsYes
Oversee exemption and/or transfer creditYes
OtherYesYes