Drexel University2017 Institution Survey
Institutional requirements and goals--Writing Requirement
What does the writing requirement at your institution consist of?
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?
Yes
What curricular requirements have writing as an explicit goal?
Senior capstone or thesis for some or all students
other requirements
What other curricular requirements have writing as an explicit goal?
Some programs have writing-centric outcomes.
Is oral communication a component of an institutional writing requirement?
Oral communication is not a component of any institution writing requirements.
What are other approaches to oral communication?
There is no universal approach to oral communication; it is a component of some senior thesis requirements, e.g.
Institutional requirements and goals--College Writing Goals
Institutional requirements and goals--National Survey of Student Engagement
Does your institution administer the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)?
No
Institutional requirements and goals--Changes to Writing Program
Which changes took place in regards to the writing requirement?
The writing requirement was changed.
The writing requirement was expanded.
Were there changes to the assessment of writing at your institution since the 2012-13 academic year?
No
Do you foresee changes at the institutional level to the sites of writing on your campus over the next four years?
Yes
What type of changes to the institutional sites of writing do you foresee in the next four years?
Changes to the curricular structures or writing requirement
Changes to assessment
Changes to the administrative structures
Changes to expand the writing program or sites of writing on campus
Changes to the types of staffing
First-Year Writing--General Description
Does your institution have a first-year writing requirement, whether explicit or embedded?
Yes
How would you describe your first-year writing requirement? Check all that apply. See Glossary for definitions.
First-Year Composition (FYC)
First-Year Writing--First-Year Composition: Placement & Transfer
If your institution accepts alternative credit for FYC, which mechanism is used? Check all that apply.
Transfer credit from another institution
AP/IB results
What percentage of students in AY 2016/17 received alternative credit for a FYC course?
15
First-Year Writing--First-Year Composition: Goals
If there are explicit goals for FYC, are the goals informed by the WPA Outcomes Statement?
Yes
How are the FYC goals assessed? Check all that apply.
Random Sample
Course Evaluation or Grades
Student Survey
First-Year Writing--First-Year Composition: Delivery Methods
During the academic year 2016-17, what percentage of sections of FYC were face-to-face?
41
During the academic year 2016-17, what percentage of sections of FYC were online?
57
During the academic year 2016-17, what percentage of sections of FYC were hybrid?
2
First-Year Writing--First-Year Composition: Staffing
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of face-to-face FYC were taught by FT, tenure-line faculty in the English Department?
3
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of face-to-face FYC were taught by FT, tenure-line faculty in the rhetoric/composition department or program?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of face-to-face FYC were taught by FT, tenure-line faculty from departments besides English and rhetoric/composition?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of face-to-face FYC were taught by FT, non-tenure line faculty in the English Department?
46
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of face-to-face FYC were taught by FT, non-tenure line faculty in the rhetoric/composition department or program?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of face-to-face FYC were taught by FT, non-tenure line faculty from departments besides English and rhetoric/composition?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of face-to-face FYC were taught by PT faculty (hired by the English Department)?
50
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of face-to-face FYC were taught by PT faculty (hired by the rhetoric/composition department or program)?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of face-to-face FYC were taught by PT faculty (hired by another department/program)?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of face-to-face FYC were taught by graduate students in English?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of face-to-face FYC were taught by graduate students in rhetoric/composition?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of face-to-face FYC were taught by graduate students from departments outside English and rhetoric/composition?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of face-to-face FYC were taught by the first-year writing director?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of face-to-face FYC were taught by Other?
1
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of online FYC were taught by FT, tenure-line faculty in the rhetoric/composition department or program?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of online FYC were taught by FT, tenure-line faculty from departments besides English and rhetoric/composition?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of online FYC were taught by FT, non-tenure line faculty in the English Department?
15
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of online FYC were taught by FT, non-tenure line faculty in the rhetoric/composition department or program?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of online FYC were taught by FT, non-tenure line faculty from departments besides English and rhetoric/composition?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of online FYC were taught by PT faculty (hired by the English Department)?
85
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of online FYC were taught by PT faculty (hired by the rhetoric/composition department or program)?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of online FYC were taught by PT faculty (hired by another department/program)?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of online FYC were taught by graduate students in English?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of online FYC were taught by graduate students in rhetoric/composition?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of online FYC were taught by graduate students from departments outside English and rhetoric/composition?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of online FYC were taught by the first-year writing director?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of online FYC were taught by Other?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of hybrid FYC were taught by FT, tenure-line faculty in the English Department?
1
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of hybrid FYC were taught by FT, tenure-line faculty in the rhetoric/composition department or program?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of hybrid FYC were taught by FT, tenure-line faculty from departments besides English and rhetoric/composition?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of hybrid FYC were taught by FT, non-tenure line faculty in the English Department?
52
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of hybrid FYC were taught by FT, non-tenure line faculty in the rhetoric/composition department or program?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of hybrid FYC were taught by FT, non-tenure line faculty from departments besides English and rhetoric/composition?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of hybrid FYC were taught by PT faculty (hired by the English Department)?
47
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of hybrid FYC were taught by PT faculty (hired by the rhetoric/composition department or program)?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of hybrid FYC were taught by PT faculty (hired by another department or program)?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of hybrid FYC were taught by graduate students in English?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage ofsections of hybrid FYC were taught by graduate students in rhetoric/composition?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of hybrid FYC were taught by graduate students from departments outside English and rhetoric/composition?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of hybrid FYC were taught by the first-year writing director?
0
In the 2016-17 academic year, what percentage of sections of hybrid FYC were taught by Other?
0
Upper Level Writing Courses--Senior Culminating Experience
Does your institution require ALL students complete a senior thesis or other writing-intensive capstone experience?
No
Does your institution require SOME students complete a senior thesis or other writing-intensive capstone experience?
Yes
What are the criteria for some students to complete a senior thesis?
The requirements vary by department.
Writing across the curriculum (WAC)--General Description
Has any aspect of the WAC Program been influenced by the Statement of WAC Principles and Practices?
Yes
Is there professional development available for those teaching in the WAC Program or teaching WI courses?
Yes
If faculty attend a seminar or workshop, how are they compensated?
They receive food at the event.
Writing across the curriculum (WAC)--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? See Glossary for definitions.
No
Writing across the curriculum (WAC)--Administration
Who has primary responsibility for administering the WAC Program?
Responsibilities Shared
In addition to the person who has primary responsibility for WAC, how many graduate students, staff members, or faculty members have administrative responsibilities for WAC?
1
Writing across the curriculum (WAC)--Changes to WAC
Since the academic year 2012/13 have there been changes to the WI or WAC program?
Yes
Feel free to explain any upcoming changes.
We are hoping to re-think our three-course required WI approach, moving toward either a Writing-Rich or Writing-Focused curriculum in each program based on programmatic needs.
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? Check all that apply.
Professional writing
Technical writing
Journalism /media writing
The undergraduate and graduate writing major and minor--Description of Graduate Programs
Does your institution offer a masters degree (MA) in writing (not creative writing)?
No
Does your institution have a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program in writing (not creative writing)?
No
The undergraduate and graduate writing major and minor--Changes to the Major, Minor, or Graduate Programs
Since the academic year 2012/13, have there been changes to the undergraduate writing major or minor?
Yes
What were the changes? Check all that apply.
An undergraduate writing minor was created (not including creative writing).
Since the academic year 2012/13, have there been changes to the graduate writing program?
No
Do you foresee changes to the administrative, curricular, or support structures of the writing major, minor, or graduate programs at your institution over the next four years?
Yes
Feel free to explain any forthcoming changes.
We are planning to add a writing concentration to the BA English major effective AY2019-20 (BA in English will have a concentration in Writing and concentration in Literary Studies); a low-residency MFA (focusing on fiction/screenwriting) is also planned for AY2019-20.
Basic or Developmental Writing--Basic or Developmental Writing
Does your institution identify basic writing students who may need additional writing support?
Yes
How does the institution identify basic writers? Check all that apply.
Directed Self-Placement
SAT/ACT scores
Admissions office/Student Affairs referral
Student self-referral
What type of supports are available for basic writers? Check all that apply.
Required basic writing course
Special sections of FYW
Peer tutoring
Tutoring from WPA or WCD
Workshops
Basic or Developmental Writing--Changes to Basic or Developmental Writing
Do you foresee changes to the administrative, curricular, or support structures for helping diversely prepared students at your institution over the next four years?
No
Writing centers--General description
Does your institution have a writing center or learning center with writing tutors?
Yes
Is the writing center free-standing or part of another institutional unit?
Part of another institutional unit
If the writing center is not free-standing, what larger institutional unit is it a part of?
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.
Academic building
What other methods of assessment does the writing center utilize?
client report forms, research projects
In addition to providing support for students writing for their courses, what services does the writing center offer? Check all that apply.
Assistance with writing in a language other than English
Assistance with multimodal assignments
Assistance with online research
Assistance with Powerpoint or other presentation software
Assistance with new media
Assistance with job materials
Assistance with graduate school materials
What events does the writing center offer?
Space for student to come together to write
Writing centers--Consultations
What type of appointments does the writing center offer?
scheduled face-to-face appts
drop-in face-to-face appts
scheduled online appts
drop-in online appts
What is the average length of a consultation or tutorial session offered?
45 minutes
What percentage of the undergraduate student body had a writing center consultation during the 2016-17 academic year?
5.27
Writing centers--Consultants
How many consultants worked in the writing center during the 2016-17 academic year? UG=undergraduates, GS=graduate students, Fac=faculty, PT=professional tutors, Vol=volunteers
UG-33, GS-6, Fac-1, PT-3
On average, what percentage of a week's consultations are staffed by each group? For example, if your center offers 100 hours of consultations a week and 50 hours are filled by undergraduates and 25 hours by both graduate students and professional tutors, then the percentage would be 50% undergraduate, 25% graduate students, and 25% professional tutors.
UG-59.8, GS-23.2, Fac-4.2, PT-12.8
How are undergraduate consultants initially trained?
Full-credit course
Staff meetings
Workshops before semester begins
How are graduate consultants initially trained?
Staff meetings
Workshops before semester begins
What on-going professional development opportunities are provided undergraduate consultants?
Attend regional conferences
Present at national conferences
Present at regional conferences
Read professional journals
Outside speakers
Staff meetings
Semester inservice or workshop
Reflections
Meeting with Director
What on-going professional development opportunities are provided graduate consultants?
Attend regional conferences
Present at national conferences
Present at regional conferences
Read professional journals
Outside speakers
Staff meetings
Semester inservice or workshop
Reflections
Meeting with Director
What on-going professional development opportunities are provided faculty consultants?
Read professional journals
Outside speakers
Staff meetings
Meeting with Director
What on-going professional development opportunities are provided professional consultants?
Read professional journals
Outside speakers
Staff meetings
Meeting with Director
Writing centers--Administration
Who has primary responsibility for directing the writing center or overseeing the writing tutors if the tutors are part of a different institutional unit?
Writing Center Administrator (WCA)
In addition to the person who has primary responsibility, how many undergraduates, graduate students, staff members, or faculty members have administrative responsibilities for the writing center?
1
Writing centers--Changes
Since the academic year 2012/13 have there been changes to the writing center at your institution (not including staffing)?
Yes
What changes have been made?
Satellite located closed
Added services
Dropped services
Stopped offering workshops
Since the academic year 2012/13 have there been changes to the staffing or administration of the writing center at your institution?
Yes
What changes were made to the staffing or administration of the writing center?
Graduate positions increased
Graduate positions decreased
Professional tutor positions increased
Feel free to explain these upcoming changes.
I am not at all sure about this, but it seems like we might be headed toward a learning commons model.
Writing Fellows (Embedded Writing Tutors)--General information
Does your institution have a writing fellows program? (See glossary for definitions)
No
Multilingual Writing Support--Multilingual Writing Support: General
Is there support for domestic and international English Language Learners (ELLs)?
Yes, for both domestic and international
What percentage of the student body is placed into ELL writing courses, both required and optional?
10
Who has primary responsibility for administering support for English Language Learners?
Full-time non-tenure line director/coordinator
Multilingual Writing Support--Multilingual Writing Support: Domestic Students
Does your institution identify domestic English Language Learners (ELLs) who may need additional writing support?
No
What type of supports are available for domestic English Language Learners (ELLs)? Check all that apply.
Peer tutoring
Multilingual Writing Support--Multilingual Writing Support: International Students
Does your institution identify international English Language Learners (ELLs) who may need additional writing support?
Yes
How does the institution identify International English Language Learners? Check all that apply.
TOEFL scores
Admissions office/Student Affairs referral
Faculty referral
Student self-referral
What type of supports are available for International English Language Learners (ELLs)? Check all that apply.
Special sections of FYW
Peer tutoring
Multilingual Writing Support--Changes to Multilingual Writing Support
Since AY 2012/13, have there been changes to the support for English Language Learners (ELLs)?
No
Do you foresee changes to the administrative, curricular, or support structures for helping diversely prepared students at your institution over the next four years?
No
Administrative positions--Writing Center Administrator (WCA)
How is the Writing Center Administrator position (WCA) classified?
Hybrid Faculty/Staff-FT
If the WCA was not hired for this position, how did they assume these responsibilities?
Previous director retired or left the position.
Which of the following teaching responsibilities does the WCA have? Check all that apply.
Teach courses
Train tutors, TAs, or professional staff
faculty workshops
student workshops
Which of the following are the administrative responsibilities of the WCA?
Develop curriculum
Create Program Documents
Conduct assessment
Consult with individual faculty or departments across the disciplines
Hire (tutors, professional staff, or teaching faculty)
Supervise (tutors, professional staff, or teaching faculty)
Mentor (tutors, professional staff, or teaching faculty)
Schedule writing courses
Advertise program
Oversee program budget
Plan events
Maintain program/department/center website
Serve on university committees