Columbia College Chicago2013 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)

Yes

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

No

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

No

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

No

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

No

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

No

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)

Office of Chief Academic Officer

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

Yes

Is the basic writing program part of the writing program or department? (n=357)

Yes

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)

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.

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.
Writing program director (n=108)
Writing center director (n=37)
Associate dean (n=18)Yes
Faculty committee (n=119)
Registrar (n=10)
Chair of the department (n=75)Yes
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)Yes
English department faculty (n=150)Yes
Faculty from other disciplines than writing and English (n=163)Yes
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

How does your writing program use the NSSE data? (n=425)

Data used for assessment.

Data used to promote the writing program.

Data used to support curricular changes.

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 writing requirement in the past 10 years? (n=585)

No

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)

Yes

How did the writing program change? (n=346)

A writing center was merged with a learning commons.

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.

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 the curricular structures or writing requirement

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

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

2

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

By graduation

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

Dean of students

Department chair

Other

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 evaluationYes
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 facultyYes
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)

Writing About Writing (WAW)

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)

15

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

18

What is the enrollment cap for basic writing sections of FYC? (n=286)

12

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%YesYesYesYesYesYesYes
1-5%YesYes
6-15%YesYesYes
16-25%
26-35%
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)

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 courseYes
Optional faculty development workshopsYes
Individual meetings with the WPA/WCDYes
Other

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)

SAT/ ACT scores

Placement test

GPA

Admissions office/ student affairs referral

Advisor referral

Faculty referral

Student self-referral

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

Required basic writing course

Special sections of FYW

Summer bridge program

Peer tutoring

Identifying and supporting diversely-prepared students--Basic Writing

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

Yes

What percentage of the student body is placed into basic writing? See Note 4. (n=164)

5

How are students placed into basic writing? (n=207)

SAT/ACT scores

Placement test

Other

How do students exit basic writing? (n=207)

Passing grade in BW course

Is there a director of basic writing? (n=209)

No

What is the structure of the basic writing program? See Glossary for terms used. (n=205)

Prerequisite model

How many levels of basic writing do you have? (n=197)

1

What is the curriculum of the basic writing courses? (n=203)

Reading and writing

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)

Required basic writing course

Special sections of FYW

Peer tutoring

Professional tutoring, not 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)

SAT/ACT/TOFEL

Admissions office/ atudent affairs referral

Directed self-placement

Faculty referral

Advisor 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)

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)

No

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)

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)

Teaching and learning center

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

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

Yes

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

Face-to-face consultations

Online feedback via e-mail (asynchronous)

Writing centers--Consultants

Are some or all of your writing center consultants undergraduate students? (n=561)

Yes

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)

No

If the FYWD director was not hired for this position, how did he/she assume these responsibilities? (n=128)

The position rotates among faculty in the department.

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

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)

Staff-FT

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

Other

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)

1

What is the teaching load for writing administrators?

Average faculty member (n=501)FYWD (n=265)
0-0
0-1
1-1
1-2 or 2-1Yes
2-2
2-1-2
2-2-2
2-3 or 3-2
3-3Yes
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 programYes
Teach courses in the writing program/department (Not FYW)
Teach courses outside the writing program/departmentYes
Assess all or some aspects of the writing programYes
Assess the development of student writing on campus
Conduct faculty development with faculty across the disciplines
Conduct TA training
Consult with individual faculty across the disciplinesYes
Consult with departments across the disciplinesYes
Supervise professional staff (writing center director, asst.director, admin asst.)YesYes
Supervise tutors (professional and/or peer)Yes
Hire professional staffYes
Hire tutorsYes
Schedule writing coursesYes
Schedule writing centerYes
Place students into writing coursesYes
Facilitate placement examYes
Oversee curriculum developmentYes
Train professional staffYes
Train peer tutorsYes
Advertise programYes
Oversee program budgetYes
Tutor students
Plan eventsYes
Serve on university committeesYes
Maintain program websiteYes
Serve as an academic advisor
Offer student workshops
Oversee exemption and/or transfer creditYes
Other