Saint Ambrose University2013 Institution Survey
Sites of writing--General Description
What is the institutional home of the writing program or department? (n=248)
English Department
If not part of the writing program or department, what is the institutional home for WAC? (n=227)
Office of Chief Academic Officer
Is the undergraduate writing major part of the writing program or department? (n=263)
Yes
Is the undergraduate writing minor part of the writing program or department? (n=352)
Yes
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
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)
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
How are the college-wide student writing goals assessed? (n=379)
Professors certify for writing proficiency when students take writing-intensive courses.
Departments assess majors through a senior-culminating experience.
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) | Yes | Yes | |||
| Writing center director (n=37) | |||||
| Associate dean (n=18) | |||||
| Faculty committee (n=119) | Yes | ||||
| Registrar (n=10) | |||||
| Chair of the department (n=75) | |||||
| Other (n=121) |
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) | |||||
| English department faculty (n=150) | |||||
| Faculty from other disciplines than writing and English (n=163) | Yes | Yes | 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)
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 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.
Were there any changes to the administrative structures of the writing program or the sites of writing over the past 10 years? (n=597)
No
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)
No
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.
We modified both the guidelines for Writing Intensive courses and the types of courses that could be considered WI.
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 eliminate or consolidate aspects of the writing program or sites of writing on campus
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
First-year writing/English composition--Placement and Transfer
What is your program's placement mechanism?
| FYWS (n=18) | FYC (n=373) | |
|---|---|---|
| SAT/ACT | ||
| AP/IB | ||
| CLEP | Yes | |
| In-house exam | ||
| Directed self-placement | ||
| Portfolio | ||
| Dual enrollment/ transfer | ||
| Other |
First-year writing/English composition--Goals and Assessment
First-year writing/English composition--Curriculum
What is the content of the FYC requirement? See Note 5. (n=456)
Genre/Modes
Writing About Writing (WAW)
Themes
First-year writing/English composition--Enrollment Caps
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 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 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| 1-5% | |||||||||||||
| 6-15% | |||||||||||||
| 16-25% | |||||||||||||
| 26-35% | |||||||||||||
| 36-50% | Yes | ||||||||||||
| 51-60% | Yes | ||||||||||||
| 61-75% | |||||||||||||
| 76-85% | |||||||||||||
| 86-99% | |||||||||||||
| 100% |
Is there faculty or professional development available for those teaching FYC? (n=457)
No
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)
Yes
How does the institution identify these students? (n=483)
Directed self-placement
SAT/ ACT scores
Placement test
GPA
Admissions office/ student affairs referral
Advisor referral
Faculty referral
Student self-referral
What types of supports are available to those students? (n=489)
Required basic writing course
Summer bridge program
Peer tutoring
Professional tutoring, not the WPA or WCD
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)
Professional tutoring, not the WPA or WCD
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)
Yes
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.
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 administers WAC assessment?
| Paper Portfolio | Electronic Portfolio | Random Sample of Student Writing | Writing Exam | Professor Evaluation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WPA (n=27) | Yes | ||||
| Writing program faculty (n=13) | |||||
| Faculty from across the institution, via committee or ad hoc group (n=49) | |||||
| Other (n=30) |
Who participates in WAC assessment?
| Paper Portfolio | Electronic Portfolio | Random Sample of Student Writing | Writing Exam | Professor Evaluation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WPA (n=25) | |||||
| Writing program faculty (n=23) | Yes | ||||
| Faculty from across the institution, via committee or ad hoc group (n=77) | |||||
| Outside evaluators (n=6) | |||||
| Other (n=24) |
What are the criteria for a WI course? (n=184)
Number of pages or words written
Revision
Time discussing writing In class
Who certifies that a course fulfills WI designation? (n=183)
Writing committee
WPA/WAC director
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
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
Technical writing
Creative 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
Technical writing
Creative 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)
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)
Academic building
What services does the writing center offer? (n=610)
Face-to-face consultations
Online feedback via e-mail (asynchronous)
Writing centers--Consultations
How many face-to-face consultations were offered in the Fall of 2011? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=225)
421
How many face-to-face consultations were offered in the Spring of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=224)
354
How many face-to-face consultations were offered in the Summer of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=223)
0
How many face-to-face consultations were conducted in the Fall of 2011? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=440)
247
How many face-to-face consultations were conducted in the Spring of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=440)
246
How many face-to-face consultations were conducted in the Summer of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=428)
0
How many online consultations were offered in the Fall of 2011? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=221)
0
How many online consultations were offered in the Spring of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=222)
0
How many online consultations were offered in the Summer of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=220)
0
How many online consultations were conducted in the Fall of 2011? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=427)
0
How many online consultations were conducted in the Spring of 2012? See Note 2b & 4. (n=427)
0
How many online consultations were conducted in the Summer of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=425)
0
What percentage of the undergraduate student body had a writing center consultation during the 2011-12 academic year? See Notes 2a & 4. (n=316)
18
What is the average length of a consultation or tutorial session offered? (n=574)
30 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)
No
During the fall of 2011, what percentage of the writing center consultants were undergraduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=449)
92
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)
8
During the spring of 2012, what percentage of the writing center consultants were undergraduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=450)
91
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)
9
How many consultants who worked in the writing center during the fall of 2011 were undergraduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=448)
11
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 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 faculty who teach in the writing program? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=121)
1
How are consultants working in the writing center initally trained?
| Undergraduate students (n=505) | |
|---|---|
| Full-credit course | |
| Half-credit course | Yes |
| Weekly meetings | |
| Monthly meetings | |
| Workshops before the semester | Yes |
| No training required | |
| Other |
What on-going professional development opportunities are offered for consultants working in the writing center?
| Undergraduate students (n=461) | |
|---|---|
| Attendance at national conferences | |
| Attendance at regional conferences | Yes |
| Presenting at national conferences | |
| Presenting at regional conferences | |
| Reading professional journals | |
| Outside speakers | |
| Weekly meetings | |
| Semester inservice or workshop | Yes |
| Written reflections on daily and/or semester work | Yes |
| Meet with director | 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) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly wage | Yes | ||
| Stipend | |||
| Tuition waver | |||
| Course credit | |||
| Faculty salary | Yes | ||
| 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
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 | ||||
| 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 | |||
| Other | Yes | Yes | ||
| 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 program | Yes | Yes | |
| Teach courses in the writing program/department (Not FYW) | |||
| Teach courses outside the writing program/department | Yes | 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 | Yes | Yes | |
| Conduct TA training | |||
| 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.) | |||
| Supervise tutors (professional and/or peer) | Yes | Yes | |
| Hire professional staff | |||
| Hire tutors | Yes | Yes | |
| Schedule writing courses | |||
| Schedule writing center | |||
| Place students into writing courses | Yes | Yes | |
| Facilitate placement exam | Yes | Yes | |
| Oversee curriculum development | |||
| Train professional staff | |||
| Train peer tutors | Yes | ||
| Advertise program | Yes | ||
| Oversee program budget | |||
| Tutor students | Yes | Yes | |
| Plan events | Yes | Yes | |
| Serve on university committees | Yes | Yes | |
| Maintain program website | Yes | Yes | |
| Serve as an academic advisor | |||
| Offer student workshops | Yes | Yes | |
| Oversee exemption and/or transfer credit | Yes | ||
| Other |