University of California-Irvine2013 Institution Survey
Sites of writing--General Description
What is the institutional home of the writing program or department? (n=248)
English Department
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)
Independent program
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)
Other
What other writing requirements does your institution have?
upper-division writing requirement
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
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
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)
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)
No
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) | FYS (n=13) | Other (n=20) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT/ACT | Yes | |||
| AP/IB | Yes | |||
| CLEP | ||||
| In-house exam | Yes | |||
| Directed self-placement | ||||
| Portfolio | ||||
| Dual enrollment/ transfer | Yes | |||
| Other |
Does your institution accept transfer credit for other first-year writing requirements? (n=41)
Yes
First-year writing/English composition--Goals and Assessment
How are the goals for FYW courses assessed?
| FYWS (n=66) | FYC (n=381) | |
|---|---|---|
| Paper portfolio | Yes | |
| E-portfolio | Yes | |
| Random sample | Yes | |
| Exam | ||
| Professor evaluation | ||
| None | ||
| Course evaluation | Yes | |
| Student survey | Yes | |
| Other | Yes |
Who participates in the assessment of the goals for FYW courses?
| FYWS (n=53) | FYC (n=326) | |
|---|---|---|
| WPA | Yes | |
| Writing faculty | Yes | |
| Institutional faculty | Yes | |
| Outside evaluators | Yes | |
| English faculty | Yes | |
| Department chair | ||
| Other |
First-year writing/English composition--Curriculum
What is the content of the FYC requirement? See Note 5. (n=456)
Literature
Genre/Modes
Writing About Writing (WAW)
Themes
WAC/Topic Based
Other
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 | ||||
| 1-5% | |||||||||||||
| 6-15% | Yes | ||||||||||||
| 16-25% | |||||||||||||
| 26-35% | Yes | ||||||||||||
| 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)
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)
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)
No
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)
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
Library
How are the goals assessed? (n=423)
Student feedback forms
Center usage statistics
External review
Analysis of student papers
Other
What services does the writing center offer? (n=610)
Face-to-face consultations
Online feedback via e-mail (asynchronous)
Assistance with oral presentations
Assistance with Powerpoint or other presentation software
Assistance with new media
Assistance with how to prepare a poster presentation
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)
1,800
How many face-to-face consultations were conducted in the Spring of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=440)
1,800
How many face-to-face consultations were conducted in the Summer of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=428)
500
How many online consultations were conducted in the Fall of 2011? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=427)
700
How many online consultations were conducted in the Spring of 2012? See Note 2b & 4. (n=427)
700
How many online consultations were conducted in the Summer of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=425)
300
What percentage of the undergraduate student body had a writing center consultation during the 2011-12 academic year? See Notes 2a & 4. (n=316)
12
What is the average length of a consultation or tutorial session offered? (n=574)
60 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)
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)
Yes
During the fall of 2011, what percentage of the writing center consultants were undergraduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=449)
50
During the fall of 2011, what percentage of the writing center consultants were graduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=228)
5
During the fall of 2011, what percentage of the writing center consultants were professional tutors? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=113)
50
During the spring of 2012, what percentage of the writing center consultants were undergraduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=450)
50
During the spring of 2012, what percentage of the writing center consultants were graduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=228)
5
During the spring of 2012, what percentage of the writing center consultants were professional tutors? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=112)
50
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 graduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=227)
1
How many consultants who worked in the writing center during the fall of 2011 were professional tutors? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=112)
5
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 graduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=227)
1
How many consultants who worked in the writing center during the spring of 2012 were professional tutors? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=111)
5
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) | Professional tutors (n=113) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-credit course | |||||
| Half-credit course | |||||
| Weekly meetings | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Monthly meetings | |||||
| Workshops before the semester | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| No training required | |||||
| Other | Yes | Yes | Yes |
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) | Professional tutors (n=106) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance at national conferences | Yes | ||||
| Attendance at regional conferences | Yes | Yes | |||
| Presenting at national conferences | Yes | ||||
| Presenting at regional conferences | Yes | Yes | |||
| Reading professional journals | Yes | Yes | |||
| Outside speakers | Yes | ||||
| Weekly meetings | Yes | Yes | |||
| Semester inservice or workshop | Yes | Yes | |||
| Written reflections on daily and/or semester work | |||||
| Meet with director | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| No opportunities available | |||||
| Other | Yes | Yes | Yes |
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) | Professional tutors (n=127) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly wage | Yes | Yes | |||
| Stipend | Yes | ||||
| Tuition waver | |||||
| 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
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
Who has primary responsibility for administering the writing center? (n=546)
Separate writing center director or coordinator (WCD)
To whom does the WCD or LCD report? (n=402)
Chair of the department
CAO
Associate dean or provost
Dean of students
Other
If the WCD or LCD director was not hired for this position, how did he/she assume these responsibilities? (n=104)
The director started the program after being hired.
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 | Yes | |||
| 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 | ||||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | Yes | |
| Conduct faculty development with faculty across the disciplines | Yes | ||
| Conduct TA training | Yes | ||
| Consult with individual faculty across the disciplines | Yes | ||
| Consult with departments across the disciplines | Yes | ||
| Supervise professional staff (writing center director, asst.director, admin asst.) | Yes | Yes | |
| Supervise tutors (professional and/or peer) | |||
| Hire professional staff | Yes | Yes | |
| Hire tutors | |||
| Schedule writing courses | Yes | ||
| Schedule writing center | |||
| Place students into writing courses | Yes | ||
| Facilitate placement exam | Yes | ||
| Oversee curriculum development | Yes | Yes | |
| Train professional staff | Yes | Yes | |
| Train peer tutors | |||
| 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 | Yes | |
| Serve as an academic advisor | Yes | ||
| Offer student workshops | Yes | Yes | |
| Oversee exemption and/or transfer credit | Yes | ||
| Other | Yes | Yes |