University of Puget Sound2013 Institution Survey
Sites of writing--General Description
If not part of the writing program or department, what is the institutional home for first-year writing? (n=377)
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
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)
Office of Chief Academic Officer
Sites of writing--Writing Requirement
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)
The first-year seminar has writing as an explicit goal.
Sites of writing--College Writing Goals
How are the college-wide student writing goals assessed? (n=379)
A longitudinal study is conducted.
Who administers the college-wide assessment?
| Students take an essay exam. | Students submit a portfolio. | Professors certify for writing proficiency when students take writing-intensive courses. | Departments assess majors through a senior-culminating experience. | A longitudinal study is conducted. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Writing program director (n=108) | |||||
| Writing center director (n=37) | Yes | ||||
| Associate dean (n=18) | |||||
| Faculty committee (n=119) | |||||
| Registrar (n=10) | |||||
| Chair of the department (n=75) | |||||
| Other (n=121) | Yes |
Who participates in the college-wide assessment?
| Students take an essay exam. | Students submit a portfolio. | Professors certify for writing proficiency when students take writing-intensive courses. | Departments assess majors through a senior-culminating experience. | A longitudinal study is conducted. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Writing program director (n=106) | |||||
| Writing center director (n=65) | |||||
| Writing program faculty (n=105) | Yes | ||||
| English department faculty (n=150) | Yes | ||||
| Faculty from other disciplines than writing and English (n=163) | Yes | ||||
| Readers outside the institution (n=15) | |||||
| Associate dean (n=22) | |||||
| Registrar (n=13) | |||||
| Other (n=63) |
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 to promote the writing program.
Data used to support curricular changes.
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)
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)
Other
Was the writing program changed in the past 10 years to expand or eliminate areas? (n=609)
Yes
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.
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)
Other
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.
Possibly a restructuring of the core curriculum, which is bound to involve writing. Also, possibly the addition of a staff member specializing in ELL if we aggressively recruit international students.
First-year writing/English composition--General Description
Does your institution have a first-year writing requirement whether explicit or embedded? (n=672)
Yes
By when must the second semester course be completed? (n=316)
Second semester, first year
First-year writing/English composition--Placement and Transfer
First-year writing/English composition--Goals and Assessment
How are the goals for FYW courses assessed?
| FYWS (n=66) | FYC (n=381) | FYS (n=47) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper portfolio | |||
| E-portfolio | Yes | ||
| Random sample | Yes | ||
| Exam | |||
| Professor evaluation | Yes | ||
| 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) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| WPA | Yes | Yes | |
| Writing faculty | Yes | Yes | |
| Institutional faculty | Yes | Yes | |
| Outside evaluators | |||
| English faculty | Yes | Yes | |
| Department chair | |||
| Other | Yes | Yes |
First-year writing/English composition--Curriculum
First-year writing/English composition--Enrollment Caps
First-year writing/English composition--Staffing
In the 2011-12 academic year, what percentage of FYWS courses were taught by: See Note 2a. (n=70)
| 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 | ||||||
| 1-5% | Yes | Yes | |||||||||||
| 6-15% | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||||||
| 16-25% | |||||||||||||
| 26-35% | |||||||||||||
| 36-50% | |||||||||||||
| 51-60% | |||||||||||||
| 61-75% | Yes | ||||||||||||
| 76-85% | |||||||||||||
| 86-99% | |||||||||||||
| 100% |
In the 2011-12 academic year, what percentage of FYS courses were taught by: See Note 2a. (n=54)
| 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 | ||||||
| 1-5% | Yes | Yes | |||||||||||
| 6-15% | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||||||
| 16-25% | |||||||||||||
| 26-35% | |||||||||||||
| 36-50% | |||||||||||||
| 51-60% | |||||||||||||
| 61-75% | Yes | ||||||||||||
| 76-85% | |||||||||||||
| 86-99% | |||||||||||||
| 100% |
Is there faculty or professional development available for those teaching FYWS? (n=69)
Yes
Is there faculty or professional development available for those teaching FYS? (n=61)
Yes
What form does the faculty development take for FYW faculty?
| FYWS (n=70) | FYC (n=373) | FYS (n=55) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Requried pedagogy course taught by the WPA | |||
| Required faculty development workshops | |||
| Optional graduate pedagogy course | |||
| Optional faculty development workshops | Yes | Yes | |
| Individual meetings with the WPA/WCD | Yes | Yes | |
| Other |
Do those attending faculty development for FYWS receive additional compensation? (n=65)
Sometimes
Do those attending faculty development for FYS receive additional compensation? (n=57)
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)
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)
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)
No
Does the institution require some students to complete a senior thesis or other writing-intensive capstone experience? If so, what are the requirements? (n=216)
It varies by department.
Honors students are required to complete a thesis or other writing-intensive capstone experience.
Individual students can choose to complete a senior thesis or other writing-intensive capstone experience.
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)
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
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)
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)
Part of another institutional unit
If the writing center is not free-standing, what larger institutional unit is it a part of? (n=379)
Teaching and learning center
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
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)
Assistance with oral presentations
Tutoring in other subject areas
Other
Writing centers--Consultations
How many face-to-face consultations were conducted in the Fall of 2011? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=440)
726
How many face-to-face consultations were conducted in the Spring of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=440)
457
How many face-to-face consultations were conducted in the Summer of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=428)
15
How many online consultations were conducted in the Summer of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=425)
5
What is the average length of a consultation or tutorial session offered? (n=574)
50 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 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
During the fall of 2011, what percentage of the writing center consultants were undergraduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=449)
86
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)
7
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)
7
During the spring of 2012, what percentage of the writing center consultants were undergraduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=450)
86
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)
7
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)
7
How many consultants who worked in the writing center during the fall of 2011 were undergraduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=448)
12
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)
2
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)
2
How many consultants who worked in the writing center during the spring of 2012 were undergraduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=449)
12
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)
2
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)
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) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-credit course | ||||
| Half-credit course | ||||
| Weekly meetings | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Monthly meetings | ||||
| Workshops before the semester | Yes | 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) | Faculty who teach in the writing program (n=54) | Faculty who teach in other academic departments (n=42) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance at national conferences | Yes | |||
| Attendance at regional conferences | ||||
| Presenting at national conferences | Yes | |||
| Presenting at regional conferences | ||||
| Reading professional journals | Yes | |||
| Outside speakers | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Weekly meetings | ||||
| Semester inservice or workshop | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Written reflections on daily and/or semester work | Yes | |||
| Meet with director | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 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) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly wage | Yes | |||
| Stipend | ||||
| Tuition waver | ||||
| Course credit | ||||
| Faculty salary | ||||
| Release time | Yes | Yes | ||
| 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)
No
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)
Other
What is the teaching load for writing administrators?
| Average faculty member (n=501) | |
|---|---|
| 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 | Yes |
| 3-1-2 | |
| 3-1-3 | |
| 3-4 or 4-3 | |
| 4-4 | |
| Other | |
| Varies |