The University of Tennessee2013 Institution Survey

Sites of writing--General Description

Does your institution have an official writing program or department? (n=671)

Yes

What is the institutional home of the writing program or department? (n=248)

English Department

Does your institution have first-year writing? (n=673)

Yes

Is first-year writing part of the writing program or department? (n=646)

No

If not part of the writing program or department, what is the institutional home for first-year writing? (n=377)

English department

Does your institution have writing across the curriculum (WAC)? (n=671)

Yes

Is WAC part of the writing program or department? (n=306)

No

If not part of the writing program or department, what is the institutional home for WAC? (n=227)

English department

Does your institution have writing in the disciplines (WID)? (n=674)

No

Does your institution have an undergraduate writing major? (n=673)

Yes

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)

English department

Does your institution have an undergraduate writing minor? (n=676)

No

Does your institution have a graduate program in writing/rhetoric? (n=677)

Yes

Is the graduate program part of the writing program or department? (n=157)

No

If not part of the writing program or department, what is the institutional home for the graduate writing program? (n=114)

English department

Does your institution have a writing center or learning center with writing tutors? (n=679)

Yes

Is the writing center part of the writing program or department? (n=654)

No

If not part of the writing program or department, what is the institutional home for the writing center? (n=487)

English department

Does your institution have a basic writing program? (n=675)

No

Sites of writing--Writing Requirement

Does your institution have a writing requirement? (n=668)

Yes

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)

No

Sites of writing--College Writing Goals

Are there college-wide student writing goals? (n=660)

Yes

Have the goals been influenced by the WPA Outcomes Statement? (n=377)

Yes

How are the college-wide student writing goals assessed? (n=379)

Professors certify for writing proficiency when students take writing-intensive courses.

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.
Writing program director (n=108)
Writing center director (n=37)
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.
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)
Readers outside the institution (n=15)
Associate dean (n=22)
Registrar (n=13)
Other (n=63)Yes

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 for other purposes.

Is your school part of the WPA/NSSE Consortium for the Study of Writing in College? (n=494)

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=666)

Yes

Were there changes to the writing requirement in the past 10 years? (n=585)

Yes

Which changes have taken place in regards to the writing requirement? (n=382)

Writing-intensive courses were added to the writing requirement.

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=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)

No

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)

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 eliminate or consolidate aspects of the writing program or sites of writing on campus

First-year writing/English composition--General Description

Does your institution have a first-year writing requirement whether explicit or embedded? (n=672)

Yes

How many semesters/courses of first-year writing are required? (n=575)

2

By when must the second semester course be completed? (n=316)

Second semester, first year

How would you describe your first-year writing requirement? (n=577)

FYC

First-year writing/English composition--Placement and Transfer

Does your institution allow students to place out of FYC? (n=443)

Yes

What is your program's placement mechanism?

FYWS (n=18)FYC (n=373)
SAT/ACTYes
AP/IBYes
CLEP
In-house exam
Directed self-placement
Portfolio
Dual enrollment/ transfer
Other

Does your institution accept transfer credit for FYC? (n=454)

Yes

Who approves transfer credit for FYW courses? (n=539)

WPA

Registrar

First-year writing/English composition--Goals and Assessment

Are there explicit goals for FYC? (n=463)

Yes

Are FYC goals informed by the WPA Outcomes Statement? (n=416)

Yes

How are the goals for FYW courses assessed?

FYWS (n=66)FYC (n=381)
Paper portfolio
E-portfolio
Random sampleYes
Exam
Professor evaluation
None
Course evaluation
Student survey
Other

Who participates in the assessment of the goals for FYW courses?

FYWS (n=53)FYC (n=326)
WPAYes
Writing faculty
Institutional faculty
Outside evaluators
English faculty
Department chair
Other

First-year writing/English composition--Curriculum

What is the content of the FYC requirement? See Note 5. (n=456)

WAC/Topic Based

Other

What is the other content of the FYC requirement?

rhetoric, genres, argument

Is there a common syllabus for FYC courses? (n=457)

Yes

First-year writing/English composition--Enrollment Caps

What is the enrollment cap for honors sections of FYC? (n=261)

23

What is the enrollment cap for regular sections of FYC? (n=451)

23

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 FacultyFull-Time, Tenure Track Writing FacultyFull-Time, Tenure Track Other FacultyFull-Time, Non-Tenure Track English FacultyFull-Time, Non-Tenure Track Writing FacultyFull-Time, Non-Tenure Track Other FacultyPart-time English FacultyPart-time Writing FacultyEnglish Graduate TAsWriting Graduate TAsOther Graduate TAsWPAOther
0%YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
1-5%
6-15%
16-25%
26-35%Yes
36-50%
51-60%
61-75%Yes
76-85%
86-99%
100%

Is there faculty or professional development available for those teaching FYC? (n=457)

Yes

What form does the faculty development take for FYW faculty?

FYWS (n=70)FYC (n=373)
Requried pedagogy course taught by the WPAYes
Required faculty development workshopsYes
Optional graduate pedagogy course
Optional faculty development workshopsYes
Individual meetings with the WPA/WCDYes
Other

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)

SAT/ ACT scores

Placement test

What types of supports are available to those students? (n=489)

Special sections of FYW

Tutoring from the WPA or WCD

Identifying and supporting diversely-prepared students--Basic Writing

Does your institution have a formal basic writing program? (n=493)

No

Identifying and supporting diversely-prepared students--Support for English Language Learners

Is there support for English Language Learners (ELLs)? (n=484)

Yes

Is support for ELLs separate from basic writing? (n=417)

Yes

What type of supports are available for ELLs? (n=412)

Special sections of FYW

Tutoring from the WPA or WCD

Does your institution offer ELL writing classes? (n=408)

Yes

What percentage of the student body is placed into ELL writing courses? See Note 4. (n=160)

2

How are students identified and/or placed into ELL writing courses? (n=239)

Placement test

What is the institutional home of the ELL writing courses? (n=241)

English department

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.

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)

Yes

How long has the WI requirement been in existence? (n=186)

5-10 years

How many WI courses are required beyond the first-year requirement? (n=185)

1

When do WI courses need to be completed? (n=187)

By graduation

Are there explicit goals for the WI courses? (n=189)

Yes

Have the goals been influenced by the WPA Outcomes Statement? (n=151)

Yes

What form of assessment takes place of the WI goals? (n=149)

Professor evaluation

Who participates in WAC assessment?

Paper PortfolioElectronic PortfolioRandom Sample of Student WritingWriting ExamProfessor Evaluation
WPA (n=25)
Writing program faculty (n=23)
Faculty from across the institution, via committee or ad hoc group (n=77)Yes
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)

Curriculum committee

Writing committee

WPA/WAC director

Is there professional development available for those teaching in the WAC Program? (n=298)

No

The undergraduate and graduate writing major and minor--Description of Undergraduate Major

Does your institution have a writing major? See Note 3. (n=656)

Yes

What areas of writing can students specialize in as part of the major? (n=230)

Professional writing

Technical writing

Rhetoric/ composition

Creative writing

In which department is the major housed? (n=245)

English

The undergraduate and graduate writing major and minor--Description of Undergraduate Minor

Does your institution have a writing minor? (n=656)

No

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

In which department is the masters program housed? (n=100)

English

Does your institution have a Ph.D. program in writing, other than creative writing? (n=654)

Yes

In which department is the Ph.D. program housed? (n=47)

English

Does the graduate coursework include a course on writing program administration? (n=47)

No, not offered

Does the graduate coursework include a course on writing center studies? (n=47)

No, not offered

Roughly how many graduate students in your program complete their Ph.D.s each year? (n=40)

1-3

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)

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=612)

Academic building

Multiple locations

Is there a mission statement for the writing center? (n=610)

Yes

Are there explicit goals for the writing center? (n=610)

No

What services does the writing center offer? (n=610)

Face-to-face consultations

Assistance with how to prepare a poster presentation

Tutoring in other subject areas

Writing centers--Consultations

How many face-to-face consultations were offered in the Fall of 2011? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=225)

5,000

How many face-to-face consultations were offered in the Spring of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=224)

5,000

How many face-to-face consultations were offered in the Summer of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=223)

300

How many face-to-face consultations were conducted in the Fall of 2011? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=440)

5,000

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)

300

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)

7

Does your writing center work with graduate students? (n=580)

Yes

How many writing center consultations did your center conduct with graduate students during the 2011-12 academic year? See Notes 2a & 4. (n=184)

300

What percentage of the graduate student body had a writing center consultation during the 2011-12 academic year? See Notes 2a & 4. (n=122)

6

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 graduate students? (n=546)

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

Are some or all of your writing center consultants professional tutors? (n=548)

No

Are some or all of your writing center consultants volunteers? (n=543)

No

Do you have others working as writing consultants? (n=531)

No

During the fall of 2011, what percentage of the writing center consultants were undergraduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=449)

5

During the fall of 2011, what percentage of the writing center consultants were graduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=228)

74

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)

21

During the spring of 2012, what percentage of the writing center consultants were undergraduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=450)

5

During the spring of 2012, what percentage of the writing center consultants were graduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=228)

74

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)

21

How many consultants who worked in the writing center during the fall of 2011 were undergraduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=448)

2

How many consultants who worked in the writing center during the fall of 2011 were graduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=227)

25

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)

7

How many consultants who worked in the writing center during the spring of 2012 were undergraduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=449)

2

How many consultants who worked in the writing center during the spring of 2012 were graduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=227)

25

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)

7

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)
Full-credit course
Half-credit course
Weekly meetingsYesYesYes
Monthly meetings
Workshops before the semesterYesYesYes
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)
Attendance at national conferencesYes
Attendance at regional conferences
Presenting at national conferencesYes
Presenting at regional conferences
Reading professional journalsYes
Outside speakers
Weekly meetingsYesYes
Semester inservice or workshopYesYesYes
Written reflections on daily and/or semester workYesYes
Meet with directorYesYesYes
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 wageYes
Stipend
Tuition waver
Course credit
Faculty salary
Release timeYesYes
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)

FYWD

How is the FYWD position classified? (n=274)

TT

Where does the FYWD's tenure line reside? (n=228)

English

To whom does the FYWD report? (n=272)

Chair of the department

Was the FYWD director hired for this position? (n=261)

Yes

Are there others who help to administer the FYW program? (n=586)

Yes

If others help to administer the FYW program, how many? (n=347)

2

Who has primary responsibility for administering the WAC program? (n=263)

Faculty committee

Are there others who help to administer the WAC program? (n=209)

No

Who has primary responsibility for administering the writing center? (n=546)

Separate writing center director or coordinator (WCD)

How is the WCD or LCD position classified? (n=410)

NTT-FT

To whom does the WCD or LCD report? (n=402)

Chair of the department

FYWD

Was the WCD or LCD director hired for this position? (n=401)

Yes

Are there others who help to administer the writing center? (n=403)

Yes

If others help to administer the writing center, how many? (n=326)

4

What is the teaching load for writing administrators?

Average faculty member (n=501)FYWD (n=265)WAC director (n=62)WCD (n=387)
0-0Yes
0-1Yes
1-1
1-2 or 2-1
2-2Yes
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

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
Teach courses in the writing program/department (Not FYW)Yes
Teach courses outside the writing program/department
Assess all or some aspects of the writing programYesYes
Assess the development of student writing on campus
Conduct faculty development with faculty across the disciplinesYesYes
Conduct TA trainingYesYes
Consult with individual faculty across the disciplinesYes
Consult with departments across the disciplinesYes
Supervise professional staff (writing center director, asst.director, admin asst.)
Supervise tutors (professional and/or peer)Yes
Hire professional staff
Hire tutorsYes
Schedule writing courses
Schedule writing centerYes
Place students into writing courses
Facilitate placement exam
Oversee curriculum developmentYes
Train professional staff
Train peer tutorsYes
Advertise program
Oversee program budgetYes
Tutor studentsYes
Plan eventsYesYes
Serve on university committees
Maintain program websiteYesYes
Serve as an academic advisor
Offer student workshops
Oversee exemption and/or transfer creditYes
Other