Northwestern Michigan College2013 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=63)
English Department
Does your institution have a writing center or learning center with writing tutors? (n=219)
Yes
If not part of the writing program or department, what is the institutional home for the writing center? (n=171)
English Department
If not part of the writing program or department, what is the institutional home for the basic writing program? (n=136)
English Department
Sites of Writing--Writing Requirement
What does the writing requirement at your institution consist of? (n=106)
First-year composition predominately taught by English and/or Writing department (FYC)
Writing-intensive courses that are located throughout the curriculum (WI courses)
Are there curricular requirements that are not part of the writing requirement but that have writing as an explicit goal? (n=211)
Yes
Sites of Writing--College Writing Goals
Sites of Writing--Community College Survey of Student Engagement
Does your institution administer the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE)? (n=219)
Yes
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=219)
Yes
Which changes have taken place in regards to the writing requirement? (n=116)
Departments are required to articulate their goals and writing requirements.
Were there changes to the assessment of writing at your institution over the past 10 years? (n=194)
Yes
Were there any changes to the administrative structures of the writing program or the sites of writing over the past 10 years? (n=195)
Yes
Which administrative structures of the writing program or the sites of writing changed? (n=100)
A WPA/WCD position was converted to a staff position.
Other
Was the writing program changed in the past 10 years to expand or eliminate areas? (n=191)
No
Were there changes to the staffing of the writing program or center over the past 10 years? (n=194)
No
Were there any additional changes to the writing program or the sites of writing at your institution not already mentioned? (n=193)
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=217)
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=151)
Changes to assessment
Changes to expand the writing program or sites of writing on campus
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.
We will soon need to link assessment directly to course and general education outcomes. We will do more PD with area secondary teachers.
First-Year Writing/ English Composition--General Description
Does your institution have a first-year writing requirement, whether explicit or embedded? (n=217)
Yes
First-Year Writing/ English Composition--Placement and Transfer
Does your institution allow students to place out of the first semester first-year writing requirment? (n=134)
Yes
Does your institution allow students to place out of the second semester of first-year writing requirment? (n=105)
No
Does your institution accept transfer credit for first semester first-year writing requirements? (n=139)
Yes
Does your institution accept transfer credit for second semester first-year writing requirements? (n=121)
Yes
First-Year Writing/ English Composition--Goals and Assessment
How are the goals for FYW courses assessed? (n=124)
Random sample
Professor evaluation
Who participates in the assessment of the goals for FYW courses? (n=116)
Writing faculty
First-Year Writing/ English Composition--Curriculum
What is the content of the FYW requirement? See Note 5. (n=139)
Themes
WAC/ Topic-Based
Other
If two semesters of FYW are required, is the content of the second course the same as the first course? (n=104)
Yes
First-Year Writing/ English Composition--Enrollment Caps
If there is a second semester FYW requirement, what is the the enrollment cap for regular sections? (n=119)
22
What is the enrollment cap for sections of basic writing of the FYW requirement? (n=133)
16
18
If there is a second semester FYW requirement, what is the the enrollment cap for basic writing sections? (n=101)
18
First-Year Writing/ English Composition--Staffing
In the 2013-14 academic year, what percentage of sections of the first semester writing course were taught by full-time, tenure-line faculty in the English Department? See Note 4. (n=105)
0
In the 2013-14 academic year, what percentage of sections of the first semester writing course were taught by full-time, tenure-line faculty in the rhetoric/composition department or program? See Note 4. (n=105)
0
In the 2013-14 academic year, what percentage of sections of the first semester writing course were taught by full-time, tenure-line faculty from departments besides English and rhetoric/composition? See Note 4. (n=105)
0
In the 2013-14 academic year, what percentage of sections of the first semester writing course were taught by full-time, non-tenure line faculty in the English Department? See Note 4. (n=105)
0
In the 2013-14 academic year, what percentage of sections of the first semester writing course were taught by full-time, non-tenure line faculty in the rhetoric/composition department or program? See Note 4. (n=105)
44
In the 2013-14 academic year, what percentage of sections of the first semester writing course were taught by full-time, non-tenure line faculty from departments besides English and rhetoric/composition? See Note 4. (n=105)
0
In the 2013-14 academic year, what percentage of sections of the first semester writing course were taught by part-time faculty hired by the English Department? See Note 4. (n=105)
0
In the 2013-14 academic year, what percentage of sections of the first semester writing course were taught by part-time faculty hired by the rhetoric/composition department or program?
52
In the 2013-14 academic year, what percentage of sections of the first semester writing course were taught by the WPA? See Note 4. (n=105)
5
In the 2013-14 academic year, what percentage of sections of the first semester writing course were taught by other? See Note 4. (n=105)
0
In the 2013-14 academic year, what percentage of sections of the second semester writing class were taught by full-time, tenure-line faculty in English Department? See Note 4. (n=14)
0
In the 2013-14 academic year, what percentage of sections of the second semester writing class were taughtby full-time, tenure-line faculty in the rhetoric/composition department of program? See Note 4. (n=14)
0
In the 2013-14 academic year, what percentage of sections of the second semester writing class were taught by full-time, tenure-line faculty from departments besides English and Rhetoric/Composition? See Note 4. (n=14)
0
In the 2013-14 academic year, what percentage of sections of the second semester writing class were taught by full-time, non-tenure line faculty in the English Department? See Note 4. (n=14)
0
In the 2013-14 academic year, what percentage of sections of the second semester writing class were taught by full-time, non-tenure line faculty in Rhetoric/Composition department or program? See Note 4. (n=14)
64
In the 2013-14 academic year, what percentage of sections of the second semester writing class were taught by full-time, non-tenure line faculty from departments besides English and Rhetoric/Composition? See Note 4. (n=14)
0
In the 2013-14 academic year, what percentage of sections of the second semester writing class were taught by part-time faculty hired by English Department? See Note 4. (n=14)
0
In the 2013-14 academic year, what percentage of sections of the second semester writing class were taught by part-time faculty hired by rhetoric/composition department or program? See Note 4. (n=14)
24
In the 2013-14 academic year, what percentage of sections of the second semester writing class were taught by the WPA? See Note 4. (n=14)
12
In the 2013-14 academic year, what percentage of sections of the second semester writing class were taught by others? See Note 4. (n=14)
0
Is there faculty or professional development available for those teaching in the first-year writing program? (n=129)
Yes
What form does the faculty development take for first-year writing faculty? (n=107)
Required faculty development workshops
Optional faculty development workshops
Individual meetings with the WPA/WCD
Other
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=220)
Yes
How does the institution identify these students? (n=157)
SAT/ ACT Scores
Placement Test
Admissions office/ student affairs referral
Student self-referral
What types of supports are available to these students? (n=161)
Required basic writing course
Special sections of FYW
Summer bridge program
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=84)
7
What is the structure of the basic writing program? (n=125)
Prerequisite model
Studio model
Mainstreaming model
Other
What is the curriculum of the basic writing courses? (n=126)
Grammar
Sentence writing
Paragraph writing
Reading and writing
Other
Identifying and supporting diversely-prepared students--Support for English Language Learners (ELLs)
What type of supports are available for ELLs? (n=124)
Required section of basic writing course
Peer tutoring
Other
Writing across the curriculum (WAC) and writing beyond the first year--General Description
Does your institution have a WAC/WID program and/or a writing requirement beyond the first year? (n=203)
Yes
Does your institution require all students to take writing courses taught by the English or Writing department for students in other departments? Does not include the first-year writing requirement. (n=35)
No
Does your institution require all students to take writing-intensive (WI or W) courses taught by departments other than English or Writing? (n=36)
Yes
Writing across the curriculum (WAC) and writing beyond the first year--Writing-Intensive Courses
Who certifies that a course fulfills the WI designation? (n=12)
Curriculum committee
Writing Committee
No one
Which incentives are offered to faculty to teach WI courses? (n=5)
Smaller class size
Is there professional development available for those teaching in the WAC program? (n=35)
No
Writing centers--General description
Does your institution have a writing center or learning center with writing tutors? (n=219)
Yes
Is the writing center free-standing or part of another institutional unit? (n=157)
Part of another institutional unit
If the writing center is not free-standing, what larger institutional unit is it a part of? (n=105)
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=157)
Academic building
What services does the writing center offer? (n=155)
Face-to-face consultations
Other
Writing centers--Consultations
How many face-to-face consultations were conducted in the Fall of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=83)
1,500
How many face-to-face consultations were conducted in the Spring of 2013? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=85)
1,500
How many face-to-face consultations were conducted in the Summer of 2013? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=84)
100
How many online consultations were conducted in the Fall of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=82)
1,300
How many online consultations were conducted in the Spring of 2013? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=83)
1,200
How many online consultations were conducted in the Summer of 2013? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=82)
0
What is the average length of a consultation or tutorial session offered? (n=143)
30 minutes
Writing centers--Consultants
Are your writing center consultants faculty who teach in the writing program? (n=127)
No
Are your writing center consultants faculty who teach in other academic departments? (n=127)
No
During the fall of 2012, approximately how many writing center consultants were undergraduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=72)
12
During the fall of 2012, what percentage of the writing center consultants were undergraduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=72)
67
During the fall of 2012, approximately how many writing center consultants were professional tutors? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=68)
4
During the fall of 2012, what percentage of the writing center consultants were professional tutors? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=68)
33
During the spring of 2013, approximately how many writing center consultants were undergraduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=69)
12
During the spring of 2013, what percentage of the writing center consultants were undergraduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=69)
75
During the spring of 2013, approximately how many writing center consultants were professional tutors? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=65)
4
During the spring of 2013, what percentage of the writing center consultants were professional tutors? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=65)
25
How are consultants working in the writing center initally trained?
| Undergraduate students (n=90) | Faculty who teach in the writing program (n=77) | Faculty who teach in other academic departments (n=21) | Professional tutors (n=71) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-credit course | ||||
| Half-credit course | ||||
| Weekly meetings | ||||
| 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=78) | Faculty who teach in the writing program (n=70) | Faculty who teach in other academic departments (n=19) | Professional tutors (n=66) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance at national conferences | ||||
| Attendance at regional conferences | Yes | Yes | ||
| Presenting at national conferences | ||||
| Presenting at regional conferences | Yes | Yes | ||
| Reading professional journals | ||||
| Outside speakers | ||||
| Weekly meetings | ||||
| Semester inservice or workshop | ||||
| 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=96) | Faculty who teach in the writing program (n=85) | Faculty who teach in other academic departments (n=31) | Professional tutors (n=80) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly wage | Yes | Yes | ||
| Stipend | ||||
| Tuition waver | ||||
| Course credit | ||||
| Faculty salary | ||||
| Release time | ||||
| Other |
Writing centers--Course-based Peer Tutoring
Does your institution have a writing fellows program (course-based peer tutoring)? (n=143)
Yes
Do the writing fellows work both as fellows and in the writing center? (n=21)
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=22)
No
On average, how many students does each writing fellow work with for a course? (n=18)
8
Administrative Structures
Who has primary responsibility for administering the first-year writing requirement? (n=127)
Director of first-year writing (FYWD)
Who has primary responsibility for administering the writing/learning center? (n=139)
Separate writing center director or coordinator (WCD)
What is the teaching load for writing administrators?
| All full-time faculty (n=97) | FYWD (n=11) | WAC director (n=6) | WCD (n=79) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-0 | Yes | |||
| 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 | Yes | |||
| 4-5 or 5-4 | ||||
| 5-5 | ||||
| 6-6 | ||||
| Other | Yes |
What are the job responsibilities for writing administrators?
| FYWD (n=14) | WAC director (n=8) | WCD (n=85) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teach courses in the first-year writing program | Yes | ||
| Teach courses in the writing program/department (not FYW) | |||
| 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 | |||
| Conduct faculty development with faculty across the disciplines | |||
| Consult with individual faculty across the disciplines | Yes | Yes | |
| Consult with departments across the disciplines | |||
| Supervise professional staff (writing center director, asst.director, admin asst.) | Yes | ||
| Supervise tutors (professional and/or peer) | Yes | ||
| Hire professional staff | Yes | ||
| Hire tutors | Yes | ||
| Schedule writing courses | |||
| Schedule writing center | Yes | ||
| Place students into writing courses | |||
| Facilitate placement exam | |||
| Oversee curriculum development | Yes | ||
| Train professional staff | Yes | ||
| Train peer tutors | Yes | ||
| Advertise program | Yes | ||
| Oversee program budget | Yes | ||
| Tutor students | Yes | ||
| Plan events | Yes | Yes | |
| Serve on university committees | Yes | Yes | |
| Maintain program website | |||
| Serve as an academic advisor | Yes | Yes | |
| Offer student workshops | |||
| Oversee exemption and/or transfer credit | |||
| Other | Yes |