Michigan State University2013 Institution Survey
Sites of writing--General Description
What is the institutional home of the writing program or department? (n=248)
independent department
If not part of the writing program or department, what is the institutional home for first-year writing? (n=377)
Independent department
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)
Independent program
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)
Independent program
If not part of the writing program or department, what is the institutional home for the graduate writing program? (n=114)
Independent program
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 basic writing program? (n=249)
Independent department
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
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)
There are other requirements where writing is 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)
I don't know
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 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 added.
A college-wide assessment was dropped.
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.
Other
Was the writing program changed in the past 10 years to expand or eliminate areas? (n=609)
No
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.
Graduate student 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)
Yes
If there were any additional changes to the writing program or the sites of writing at your institution not already mentioned, please explain.
additional WC sites added (6 actually)
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 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.
move WCD from staff to tenure faculty
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 | ||
| CLEP | ||
| In-house exam | ||
| Directed self-placement | ||
| Portfolio | ||
| Dual enrollment/ transfer | ||
| Other |
Does your institution accept transfer credit for other first-year writing requirements? (n=41)
Yes
First-year writing/English composition--Goals and Assessment
Are other first-year writing goals informed by the WPA Outcomes Statement? (n=30)
Yes
How are the goals for FYW courses assessed?
| FYWS (n=66) | FYC (n=381) | FYS (n=47) | Other (n=33) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper portfolio | ||||
| E-portfolio | ||||
| Random sample | ||||
| Exam | ||||
| Professor evaluation | ||||
| None | ||||
| Course evaluation | ||||
| Student survey | Yes | |||
| Other | Yes |
Who participates in the assessment of the goals for FYW courses?
| FYWS (n=53) | FYC (n=326) | FYS (n=41) | Other (n=29) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WPA | Yes | |||
| Writing faculty | Yes | |||
| Institutional faculty | ||||
| Outside evaluators | ||||
| English faculty | ||||
| Department chair | ||||
| Other | Yes |
First-year writing/English composition--Curriculum
What is the content of the other first-year requirement? See Note 5. (n=41)
Themes
Other
First-year writing/English composition--Enrollment Caps
What is the enrollment cap for regular sections of other types of FYW? (n=40)
26-29
First-year writing/English composition--Staffing
In the 2011-12 academic year, what percentage of other types of FYW courses were taught by: See Note 2a. (n=37)
| Full-Time, Tenure Track English Faculty | Full-Time, Tenure Track Writing Faculty | |
|---|---|---|
| 0% | ||
| 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 other first-year writing courses? (n=41)
Yes
What form does the faculty development take for FYW faculty?
| FYWS (n=70) | FYC (n=373) | FYS (n=55) | Other (n=35) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Requried pedagogy course taught by the WPA | ||||
| Required faculty development workshops | Yes | |||
| Optional graduate pedagogy course | ||||
| Optional faculty development workshops | Yes | |||
| Individual meetings with the WPA/WCD | Yes | |||
| Other | Yes |
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
SAT/ ACT scores
Placement test
Advisor referral
What types of supports are available to those students? (n=489)
Special sections of FYW
Peer tutoring
Identifying and supporting diversely-prepared students--Basic Writing
Identifying and supporting diversely-prepared students--Support for English Language Learners
What type of supports are available for ELLs? (n=412)
Required basic writing course
Peer tutoring
Workshops
Other
How are students identified and/or placed into ELL writing courses? (n=239)
SAT/ACT/TOFEL
Placement test
What is the institutional home of the ELL writing courses? (n=241)
Intensive English program
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)
No
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
Who certifies that a course fulfills WI designation? (n=183)
Curriculum committee
Other
Is there professional development available for those teaching in the WAC Program? (n=298)
Yes
What form does that faculty development take? (n=216)
Faculty seminar
Optional faculty workshops
Individual meetings with faculty members
On-campus speakers
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)
Professional writing
The undergraduate and graduate writing major and minor--Description of Undergraduate Minor
What areas of writing can students specialize in as part of the minor? (n=312)
Professional writing
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)
Yes
Does the graduate coursework include a course on writing program administration? (n=47)
Yes, optional
Does the graduate coursework include a course on writing center studies? (n=47)
Yes, required
Roughly how many graduate students in your program complete their Ph.D.s each year? (n=40)
4-6
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)
Other
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)
Multiple locations
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)
Assistance with oral presentations
Assistance with Powerpoint or other presentation software
Assistance with new media
Assistance with how to lead a class discussion
Assistance with how to prepare a poster presentation
Other
What other services does the writing center offer?
fellows; writing groups--graduate, creative, faculty; workshops in class and in center
Writing centers--Consultations
How many face-to-face consultations were offered in the Fall of 2011? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=225)
7,500
How many face-to-face consultations were offered in the Spring of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=224)
6,500
How many face-to-face consultations were offered in the Summer of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=223)
2,000
How many face-to-face consultations were conducted in the Fall of 2011? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=440)
7,000
How many face-to-face consultations were conducted in the Spring of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=440)
5,000
How many face-to-face consultations were conducted in the Summer of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=428)
1,500
How many online consultations were offered in the Fall of 2011? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=221)
500
How many online consultations were offered in the Spring of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=222)
500
How many online consultations were offered in the Summer of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=220)
350
How many online consultations were conducted in the Fall of 2011? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=427)
50
How many online consultations were conducted in the Spring of 2012? See Note 2b & 4. (n=427)
50
How many online consultations were conducted in the Summer of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=425)
20
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
How many writing center consultations did your center conduct with graduate students during the 2011-12 academic year? See Notes 2a & 4. (n=184)
6,000
What percentage of the graduate student body had a writing center consultation during the 2011-12 academic year? See Notes 2a & 4. (n=122)
12
What is the average length of a consultation or tutorial session offered? (n=574)
Other
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 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
During the fall of 2011, what percentage of the writing center consultants were undergraduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=449)
43
During the fall of 2011, what percentage of the writing center consultants were graduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=228)
57
During the spring of 2012, what percentage of the writing center consultants were undergraduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=450)
43
During the spring of 2012, what percentage of the writing center consultants were graduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=228)
57
How many consultants who worked in the writing center during the fall of 2011 were undergraduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=448)
30
How many consultants who worked in the writing center during the fall of 2011 were graduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=227)
40
How many consultants who worked in the writing center during the spring of 2012 were undergraduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=449)
30
How many consultants who worked in the writing center during the spring of 2012 were graduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=227)
40
How are consultants working in the writing center initally trained?
| Undergraduate students (n=505) | Graduate students (n=251) | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-credit course | Yes | |
| Half-credit course | ||
| Weekly meetings | Yes | Yes |
| Monthly meetings | ||
| Workshops before the semester | Yes | Yes |
| 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 | Yes | Yes |
| Attendance at regional conferences | Yes | Yes |
| Presenting at national conferences | Yes | Yes |
| Presenting at regional conferences | Yes | Yes |
| Reading professional journals | Yes | Yes |
| Outside speakers | ||
| Weekly meetings | Yes | Yes |
| Semester inservice or workshop | Yes | Yes |
| Written reflections on daily and/or semester work | ||
| Meet with director | Yes | Yes |
| No opportunities available | ||
| Other | Yes | Yes |
How are consultants working in the writing center compensated?
| Undergraduate students (n=509) | Graduate students (n=263) | |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly wage | Yes | Yes |
| Stipend | Yes | |
| Tuition waver | Yes | |
| Course credit | Yes | |
| 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
Do the writing fellows work both as fellows and in the writing center? (n=145)
Students work both as writing fellows and writing center tutors.
Do the writing fellows regularly attend the class they are assigned to work with? (n=142)
Yes
On average, how many students does each writing fellow work with for a course? (n=131)
15+
Administrative structures
Who has primary responsibility for administering first-year writing requirement? (n=565)
FYWD
If the FYWD director was not hired for this position, how did he/she assume these responsibilities? (n=128)
The position rotates among faculty in the department.
Who has primary responsibility for administering the writing center? (n=546)
Separate writing center director or coordinator (WCD)
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 | Yes | |||
| 1-2 or 2-1 | ||||
| 2-2 | Yes | |||
| 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 | Yes |
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 program | Yes | ||
| Teach courses in the writing program/department (Not FYW) | Yes | Yes | |
| Teach courses outside the writing program/department | Yes | ||
| 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 | Yes | ||
| Conduct TA training | Yes | ||
| Consult with individual faculty across the disciplines | Yes | Yes | |
| Consult with departments across the disciplines | Yes | Yes | |
| Supervise professional staff (writing center director, asst.director, admin asst.) | Yes | Yes | |
| Supervise tutors (professional and/or peer) | Yes | ||
| Hire professional staff | Yes | ||
| Hire tutors | Yes | ||
| Schedule writing courses | Yes | ||
| Schedule writing center | Yes | ||
| Place students into writing courses | Yes | ||
| Facilitate placement exam | Yes | ||
| Oversee curriculum development | Yes | ||
| Train professional staff | Yes | ||
| Train peer tutors | Yes | ||
| Advertise program | Yes | Yes | |
| Oversee program budget | Yes | Yes | |
| Tutor students | |||
| Plan events | Yes | Yes | |
| Serve on university committees | Yes | Yes | |
| Maintain program website | Yes | ||
| Serve as an academic advisor | Yes | ||
| Offer student workshops | Yes | ||
| Oversee exemption and/or transfer credit | Yes | ||
| Other | Yes |