Westminster College (UT)2013 Institution Survey

Sites of writing--General Description

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

No

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)

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)

Other

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)

No

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

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 in the major

Portfolio

Senior thesis or capstone experience

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

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

Yes

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

No

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

Students submit a portfolio.

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.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)
Registrar (n=10)
Chair of the department (n=75)
Other (n=121)YesYesYes

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)
English department faculty (n=150)YesYesYes
Faculty from other disciplines than writing and English (n=163)YesYesYes
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 assessment.

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

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)

Other

Were there changes to the assessment of writing at your institution over the past 10 years? (n=589)

Yes

Which changes have taken place in regards to assessment? (n=437)

A college-wide assessment was added.

A college-wide assessment was expanded.

A required portfolio was added for all students.

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)

A full-time WPA or WCD position was added.

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 added.

A writing center was merged with a learning commons.

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)

Full-time, non-tenure-line teaching positions were added.

Peer tutoring positions were added.

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 assessment

Changes to expand the writing program or sites of writing on campus

If you foresee changes to the administrative, curricular, or support structures of the sites of writing at your institution over the next five years feel free to explain.

We are beginning a process of evaluating and change our core curriculum (Liberal Education requirements) and are likely moving toward writing-intensive cross-disciplinary first-year seminars coupled with increased focus on writing in the majors.

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)

1

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/ACT
AP/IBYes
CLEP
In-house exam
Directed self-placement
Portfolio
Dual enrollment/ transfer
OtherYes

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

Yes

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

Registrar

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)

No

How are the goals for FYW courses assessed?

FYWS (n=66)FYC (n=381)
Paper portfolio
E-portfolioYes
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)
WPA
Writing faculty
Institutional facultyYes
Outside evaluators
English facultyYes
Department chair
Other

First-year writing/English composition--Curriculum

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

Genre/Modes

Writing About Writing (WAW)

WAC/Topic Based

Other

What is the other content of the FYC requirement?

Information literacy

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

No

First-year writing/English composition--Enrollment Caps

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

20

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

15

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 WPA
Required faculty development workshops
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

Advisor referral

Faculty referral

Student self-referral

TOEFL

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

Required basic writing course

Summer bridge program

Peer tutoring

Tutoring from the WPA or WCD

Other

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)

13

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

SAT/ACT scores

Placement test

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)

Grammar

Sentence writing

Paragraph writing

Reading and writing

Other

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

Targeted optional writing courses

Summer bridge program

Peer tutoring

Tutoring from the WPA or WCD

Other

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)

1

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

SAT/ACT/TOFEL

Placement test

Directed self-placement

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)

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)

Library

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

Yes

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

Yes

How are the goals assessed? (n=423)

Student feedback forms

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 Powerpoint or other presentation software

Assistance with new media

Assistance with how to prepare a poster presentation

Writing centers--Consultations

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

1,098

How many face-to-face consultations were conducted in the Spring of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=440)

946

How many face-to-face consultations were conducted in the Summer of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=428)

157

How many online consultations were conducted in the Fall of 2011? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=427)

2

How many online consultations were conducted in the Spring of 2012? See Note 2b & 4. (n=427)

2

How many online consultations were conducted in the Summer of 2012? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=425)

3

What percentage of the undergraduate student body had a writing center consultation during the 2011-12 academic year? See Notes 2a & 4. (n=316)

23

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)

193

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

12

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)

No

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

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)

Yes

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

93

During the fall of 2011, what percentage of the writing center consultants were other personnel? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=36)

0

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

62

During the spring of 2012, what percentage of the writing center consultants were other writing personnel? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=36)

37

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

13

How many consultants who worked in the writing center during the fall of 2011 were other personnel? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=37)

0

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

15

How many consultants who worked in the writing center during the spring of 2012 were other personnel? See Notes 2b & 4. (n=37)

9

How are consultants working in the writing center initally trained?

Undergraduate students (n=505)
Full-credit courseYes
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)
Attendance at national conferencesYes
Attendance at regional conferencesYes
Presenting at national conferencesYes
Presenting at regional conferencesYes
Reading professional journalsYes
Outside speakers
Weekly meetings
Semester inservice or workshopYes
Written reflections on daily and/or semester work
Meet with directorYes
No opportunities available
OtherYes

How are consultants working in the writing center compensated?

Undergraduate students (n=509)
Hourly wageYes
Stipend
Tuition waver
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)

Chair of the English 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)