Western Oregon University2013 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)
English department
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
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
Is the undergraduate writing minor part of the writing program or department? (n=352)
No
If not part of the writing program or department, what is the institutional home for the undergraduate minor? (n=246)
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)
Writing-intensive courses that are located throughout the curriculum (W courses)
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)
A senior capstone/thesis for some or all students has writing as an explicit goal.
Sites of writing--College Writing Goals
How are the college-wide student writing goals assessed? (n=379)
Departments assess majors through a senior-culminating experience.
other
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. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Writing program director (n=108) | ||||
| 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) | Yes | Yes | 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. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Writing program director (n=106) | ||||
| Writing center director (n=65) | ||||
| Writing program faculty (n=105) | Yes | |||
| 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) |
Sites of writing--National Survey of Student Engagement
Does your institution administer the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)? (n=667)
Yes
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
Which changes have taken place in regards to the writing requirement? (n=382)
The writing requirement was changed.
Other
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)
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
How did the writing program change? (n=346)
An undergraduate writing major was added. (not including creative writing)
Other
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)
Part-time teaching positions were added.
Full-time, non-tenure-line teaching positions were added.
Tenure-line teaching positions were added.
Peer tutoring positions were added.
Professional 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)
Changes to assessment
Changes to the administrative structures
Changes to expand 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
By when must the second semester course be completed? (n=316)
Second semester, second year
First-year writing/English composition--Placement and Transfer
What is your program's placement mechanism?
| FYWS (n=18) | FYC (n=373) | |
|---|---|---|
| SAT/ACT | Yes | |
| AP/IB | ||
| CLEP | ||
| In-house exam | ||
| Directed self-placement | ||
| Portfolio | ||
| Dual enrollment/ transfer | Yes | |
| Other | 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 | ||
| E-portfolio | ||
| Random sample | ||
| 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) | |
|---|---|---|
| WPA | ||
| Writing faculty | Yes | |
| Institutional faculty | ||
| Outside evaluators | ||
| 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)
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 | Yes | |||
| 1-5% | |||||||||||||
| 6-15% | |||||||||||||
| 16-25% | |||||||||||||
| 26-35% | |||||||||||||
| 36-50% | Yes | Yes | |||||||||||
| 51-60% | |||||||||||||
| 61-75% | |||||||||||||
| 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 WPA | ||
| Required faculty development workshops | ||
| Optional graduate pedagogy course | ||
| Optional faculty development workshops | ||
| Individual meetings with the WPA/WCD | ||
| Other | Yes |
Do those attending faculty development for FYC receive additional compensation? (n=411)
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)
Yes
What types of supports are available to those students? (n=489)
Required basic writing course
Special sections of FYW
Targeted optional writing courses
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)
Required basic writing course
Special sections of FYW
Peer tutoring
Other
How are students identified and/or placed into ELL writing courses? (n=239)
Admissions office/ atudent affairs referral
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)
No
Does your institution require all students to take a mid-level writing course(s)? (n=304)
Yes
How would you describe the mid-level course? (n=124)
The course is classified as writing in the major.
The course is similar to a writing-intensive course.
Each department determines which course fits this requirement.
Writing goals are embedded into a mid-level foundations course.
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
What form of assessment takes place of the WI goals? (n=149)
No assessment takes place
What are the criteria for a WI course? (n=184)
Number of pages or words written
Revision
Other criteria
Which incentives are offered to faculty to teach WI courses? (n=51)
Smaller class size
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
What areas of writing can students specialize in as part of the major? (n=230)
Professional writing
Creative writing
Digital/ new media 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
Creative writing
Digital/ new media 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
Library
Multiple locations
Administrative structures
Who has primary responsibility for administering first-year writing requirement? (n=565)
Responsibilities shared between more than one person
Who has primary responsibility for administering the writing center? (n=546)
Separate writing center director or coordinator (WCD)
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 program | |||
| Assess the development of student writing on campus | |||
| Conduct faculty development with faculty across the disciplines | Yes | ||
| Conduct TA training | |||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | |||
| Train professional staff | |||
| Train peer tutors | Yes | ||
| Advertise program | Yes | ||
| Oversee program budget | Yes | ||
| Tutor students | Yes | ||
| Plan events | Yes | ||
| Serve on university committees | Yes | ||
| Maintain program website | Yes | ||
| Serve as an academic advisor | Yes | ||
| Offer student workshops | Yes | ||
| Oversee exemption and/or transfer credit | |||
| Other | Yes |