Western Washington 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
If not part of the writing program or department, what is the institutional home for WAC? (n=227)
Independent program
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)
Independent program
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
If not part of the writing program or department, what is the institutional home for the basic writing program? (n=249)
English department
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 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)
The goals are not assessed.
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)
We do nothing with the data.
Data used for assessment.
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
Which changes have taken place in regards to the writing requirement? (n=382)
Other
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)
No
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)
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 have a first year writing course which changes curriculum and assignments almost every year;The university requires a WP course in the major. Little changes.
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) | |
|---|---|---|
| SAT/ACT | Yes | |
| AP/IB | Yes | |
| CLEP | ||
| In-house exam | ||
| Directed self-placement | ||
| Portfolio | ||
| Dual enrollment/ transfer | ||
| Other |
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 | Yes | |
| Exam | ||
| Professor evaluation | Yes | |
| None | ||
| Course evaluation | ||
| Student survey | ||
| Other |
Who participates in the assessment of the goals for FYW courses?
| FYWS (n=53) | FYC (n=326) | |
|---|---|---|
| WPA | Yes | |
| Writing faculty | Yes | |
| Institutional faculty | ||
| Outside evaluators | ||
| English faculty | ||
| Department chair | ||
| Other |
First-year writing/English composition--Curriculum
What is the other content of the FYC requirement?
custom based reader of a range of essays that can be sequenced for joing a conversation; some WAW, some V isual texts
First-year writing/English composition--Enrollment Caps
First-year writing/English composition--Staffing
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 | Yes | |
| 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
How does the institution identify these students? (n=483)
Directed self-placement
Student self-referral
What types of supports are available to those students? (n=489)
Targeted optional writing courses
Identifying and supporting diversely-prepared students--Basic Writing
Identifying and supporting diversely-prepared students--Support for English Language Learners
How are students identified and/or placed into ELL writing courses? (n=239)
SAT/ACT/TOFEL
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)
No
Does your institution require ALL students to complete a senior thesis or other writing-intensive capstone experience? (n=306)
Yes
Is the senior thesis an explicit part of the college writing requirement? (n=92)
No
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 are the criteria for a WI course? (n=184)
Number of pages or words written
Other criteria
Is there professional development available for those teaching in the WAC Program? (n=298)
Yes
What form does that faculty development take? (n=216)
Optional faculty workshops
Individual meetings with faculty members
On-campus speakers
If faculty attend a seminar or workshop, how are they compensated? (n=129)
They do not receive compensation.
The undergraduate and graduate writing major and minor--Description of Undergraduate Major
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)
Technical writing
Rhetoric/ composition
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)
Part of another institutional unit
If the writing center is not free-standing, what larger institutional unit is it a part of? (n=379)
Learning commons
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)
Library
How are the goals assessed? (n=423)
Student feedback forms
Faculty feedback
Center usage statistics
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 new media
Other
What other services does the writing center offer?
We offer an integrated, sequenced research-writing workshop series across the curriculum in writing proficiency courses.
Writing centers--Consultations
How many face-to-face consultations were offered in the Fall of 2011? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=225)
1,024
How many face-to-face consultations were offered in the Spring of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=224)
878
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)
740
How many face-to-face consultations were conducted in the Spring of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=440)
508
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)
210
How many online consultations were offered in the Spring of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=222)
210
How many online consultations were conducted in the Fall of 2011? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=427)
206
How many online consultations were conducted in the Spring of 2012? See Note 2b & 4. (n=427)
198
How many online consultations were conducted in the Summer of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=425)
44
How many writing center consultations did your center conduct with graduate students during the 2011-12 academic year? See Notes 2a & 4. (n=184)
90
What is the average length of a consultation or tutorial session offered? (n=574)
Other
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
During the fall of 2011, what percentage of the writing center consultants were undergraduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=449)
95
During the fall of 2011, 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 undergraduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=450)
95
During the spring of 2012, what percentage of the writing center consultants were graduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=228)
5
How many consultants who worked in the writing center during the fall of 2011 were undergraduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=448)
25
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 spring of 2012 were undergraduate students? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=449)
23
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 are consultants working in the writing center initally trained?
| Undergraduate students (n=505) | Graduate students (n=251) | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-credit course | Yes | Yes |
| Half-credit course | ||
| Weekly meetings | ||
| Monthly meetings | ||
| Workshops before the semester | ||
| 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) | |
|---|---|---|
| Attendance at national conferences | ||
| Attendance at regional conferences | Yes | Yes |
| Presenting at national conferences | Yes | |
| Presenting at regional conferences | Yes | |
| Reading professional journals | Yes | Yes |
| Outside speakers | ||
| Weekly meetings | Yes | |
| Semester inservice or workshop | Yes | Yes |
| Written reflections on daily and/or semester work | ||
| Meet with director | Yes | Yes |
| No opportunities available | ||
| Other |
How are consultants working in the writing center compensated?
| Undergraduate students (n=509) | Graduate students (n=263) | |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly wage | Yes | |
| Stipend | Yes | |
| Tuition waver | Yes | |
| 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)
No
Administrative structures
Who has primary responsibility for administering first-year writing requirement? (n=565)
FYWD
If the FYWD director was not hired for this position, how did he/she assume these responsibilities? (n=128)
Other
To whom does the WAC director report? (n=65)
chair of the department
associate dean or provost
If the WAC director was not hired for this position, how did he/she assume these responsibilities? (n=26)
Other
Who has primary responsibility for administering the writing center? (n=546)
Separate writing center director or coordinator (WCD)
If the WCD or LCD director was not hired for this position, how did he/she assume these responsibilities? (n=104)
Previous director retired or left the position.
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 | Yes | |||
| 1-2 or 2-1 | ||||
| 2-2 | ||||
| 2-1-2 | Yes | |||
| 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 | |||
| Varies | Yes |
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 | |||
| 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 | ||
| Conduct TA training | Yes | Yes | |
| 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.) | Yes | ||
| Supervise tutors (professional and/or peer) | Yes | ||
| Hire professional staff | Yes | Yes | |
| Hire tutors | Yes | ||
| Schedule writing courses | Yes | ||
| Schedule writing center | Yes | ||
| Place students into writing courses | |||
| Facilitate placement exam | |||
| Oversee curriculum development | Yes | 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 | Yes |
| Maintain program website | Yes | ||
| Serve as an academic advisor | Yes | ||
| Offer student workshops | Yes | Yes | |
| Oversee exemption and/or transfer credit | Yes | ||
| Other | Yes |