AWP 2015
Survey of Creative Writing Programs
AWP Professional Standards Committee
Whorton Marketing & Research
2016
awpwriter.org
AWP2015SurveyFindings 1
Table of Contents
ExecutiveSummary......................................................................................................................................2
KeyFindings..................................................................................................................................................5
A.ProgramHistory/Administration/Location...........................................................................................................5GeographicLocation......................................................................................................................................................5
ProgramStructure.........................................................................................................................................................5
InstitutionSizes..............................................................................................................................................................6
B.ProgramCharacteristics........................................................................................................................................7EnrollmentTrends,Past2-3Years.................................................................................................................................9
TuitionandBudgetTrends,Past2–3Years.................................................................................................................11
FacultyTrends,Past2Years........................................................................................................................................13
FinancialData..............................................................................................................................................................19
StudentEnrollmentTrends..........................................................................................................................................20
C.Pedagogy&Curriculum......................................................................................................................................21
D.ProgramPerformance........................................................................................................................................30
E.StudentDemographics........................................................................................................................................36
F.GraduateAssistants............................................................................................................................................37G.MFALow-ResidencyPrograms...........................................................................................................................40
H.Co-Curricular/ComplementaryCreativeWritingPrograms.................................................................................42
I.AssociateDegreePrograms.................................................................................................................................44
Appendices..................................................................................................................................................46
SummaryofOpen-EndedSurveyComments...........................................................................................................47
AWPSurveyInstrument.........................................................................................................................................53
AWP2015SurveyFindings 2
Executive Summary Summarizing responses to AWP’s 2014-15 survey from 515 administrators at both undergraduate and graduate
programs of creative writing, this report reflects the continued growth and evolution of programs, which now
feature characteristics and tracks that were nonexistent or rare in the early development of creative writing as
an academic discipline. AWP’s online guide to writing programs catalogs 972 programs. Only 13 programs
(most of them newly established) comprised AWP when our association began operations in 1967. As the
programs grew more numerous, curriculum and areas of specialization became more various. Today, both
faculty and students work in a wider range of literary genres, and more types of classes complement creative
writing workshops and seminars in literature. The student population has grown more diverse. Most residential
graduate programs have now operated for more than twenty years, and the typical low-residency graduate
program has operated for more than ten years.
Students
Growth. The most robust growth in programs was reported among the undergraduate programs. Over the past
five years, AA programs grew from 0.4 students to 13.5, BA from 12.3 to 22.0, and BFA from 20.0 to 30.0. Growth
at the graduate level was modest in comparison to undergraduate programs. Full-residency MFA programs
grew from 26.3 to 29.0 total enrolled students, low-residency MFA from 22 to 28.5, and PhD 17.8 to 19.5. Only MA
programs grew smaller, from 16.0 students to 11.5.
Enrollments. By program type, BFA, AA, and BA programs are most likely to report a net increase in total student
enrollment over the previous year, as a net of 35%, 31%, and 30% in each category of these programs report a
substantial or slight increase. 30% of full-residency MFA programs noted slight or substantial increases in
enrollment, while 28% of full-residency MFA programs noted slight or substantial decreases in enrollment. A
larger percentage of low-residency programs, 46%, reported slight or substantial increases in enrollment, while
34% reported slight or substantial declines in enrollment.
Applications & Selectivity. Regarding the number of applications received from prospective students, each
category of programs had more programs that reported gains than those that reported declines. The largest
margins between programs reporting gains and those reporting losses is as follow: BFA (+39%), PhD (+35%), and
AA programs (+33%). They are also up for BA (+27%) and full-residency MFA programs (+17%), and they are up
slightly for MA and low-residency MFA programs. Selectivity has risen most for PhD (+38%), MFA low- (+33%) and
full-residency programs (+34%). It has risen slightly for AA (+10%), BA (+9%), and BFA programs (13%) and
declined for MA programs (-11%).
Student Demographics by Race. Across all types of creative writing programs, the proportion of white students is
a mean of 75% overall, with an average of 9.2% black non-Hispanic, 6.3% Hispanic, 4.1% Asian, 0.5% American
Indian/Alaskan Native/Pacific Islander, and 4.5% mixed-race.
Minority Student Recruitment. The majority of full-residency MFA programs (67%) use fellowships for minority
recruitment along with tuition waivers (57%), and stipends (52%). 30% use additional teaching assistantships, and
28% use incentives from the dean’s office.
AWP2015SurveyFindings 3
Median Age. Among full-residency MFA students 27.3 is the median age, 35.4 for low-residency MFA students,
and 30.0 for PhD students.
Graduate Student Assistantships. The mean among full-residency MFA programs indicates that 16.7 of enrolled
students were awarded teaching assistantships. Since full-residency programs have a mean of 31 enrolled
students, slightly more than half of the students enrolled in the average full-residency program receive teaching
assistantships, while another two to three students receive research assistantships. For MFA and PhD programs,
the budget of graduate assistantships increased among more programs of each type than those that suffered
budget cuts. 42% of full-residency MFA programs report slight or substantial increases in their budgets for
assistantships; 18% of low-residency MFA programs; and 50% of PhD programs. Decreases in assistantship
budgets were reported at 15% of full-residency MFA programs, 3% of low-residency MFA programs, and 27% of
PhD programs.
Faculty
Tenured Positions. At public colleges and universities, across all levels of higher education, programs saw a
decline in tenured and tenure-track faculty from 6.1 faculty members five years ago to 5.2 at the time of this
survey. At private institutions, program tenure-track faculty grew from 3.8 five years ago to 4.6. For residential
MFA programs, the numbers of tenured faculty held relatively steady, from 5.9 five years ago to 6.0 currently.
The majority of graduate programs report no change in number of current tenured faculty compared to the
previous year.
Career Credentials. 67% of residential MFA programs have no preference between faculty with MFAs and
faculty with PhD (as the record of publication is the most important credential). 67% of PhD programs strongly
prefer faculty with PhDs rather than MFAs. 27% of full-residency MFA programs prefer their faculty to hold the
MFA, and the largest portion of their faculty hold the MFA: 3.5 among their 6.6 tenure-track faculty members,
while 1.3 hold the PhD but no MFA, 0.9 have both PhD and MFA degrees, and another 0.9 hold an MA. AA
programs express a slight net preference for PhDs while BA and MA programs express a stronger net preference
for PhDs, and BFA programs express a slight net preference for MFAs.
Faculty Work Load. Tenure-track creative writing faculty annually teach, in AA programs, 2.5 writing classes and
4.0 other courses; in BFA programs, 4.0 and 2.9; in residential MFA programs, 3.2 and 0.9; in low-residency
programs, 3.0 and 1.7; and in PhD programs, 2.4 and 1.8. At the graduate level, in addition to teaching, a
faculty member typically serves as an advisor to 3 to 4 theses.
Curriculum
Workshop Class Size. The average class size varied from type of program: 14.5 students for AA programs; 14.6
BA; 13.5 BFA; 11.5 MA; 10.2 full-residency MFA; 6.5 low-residency MFA; and 9.5 PhD.
New Areas of Specialization. Programs show greater diversity in genres taught. Screenwriting, playwriting, hybrid
forms, digital or graphic narrative, writing for young adults, and children’s books have joined poetry, fiction, and
nonfiction as areas of specialization.
AWP2015SurveyFindings 4
Trends. The survey indicates greater variety in the courses offered by the creative writing program. Programs
now are more likely to complement writing workshops and courses in literature with these courses: literary
editing (27%) and publishing (25%) were most common, followed by pedagogy or the teaching of creative
writing (15%) and graphic and digital storytelling (12%), and literary citizenship (6%).
Professional Development for Students. A majority of graduate programs offer their students coursework in
academic job searches, vita preparation, pedagogy, publication, editing and non-academic careers: 69% of
full-residency MFA programs and 79% of low-residency MFA programs.
Administration
More Program Autonomy. More MFA programs have more autonomy. In the 1990s, almost all MFA programs
operated as part of an English department. Now, 8% of MFA programs operate as stand-alone units that report
to a college, while 12% operate in another setting outside the English department. 10% of PhD programs
operate in another setting as well.
Program Directors. The typical program director is a faculty member who receives a reduction in annual course
teaching load of 1 to 2 courses per year as well as extra compensation. The graduate program director has
served 5 to 6 years in the role. He or she is a faculty member in 96% of the programs. Full-residency MFA
programs pay the program director an additional $2,367.
Tuition. The majority of graduate programs reported slight increases in tuition compared to the previous year—
67% of residential MFA programs and PhD programs and 74% of low-residency programs. The majority of
undergraduate programs reported slight increases as well, AA 63%, BA 76%, and BFA 68%. Total cost of degree
(tuition and fees) was reported as $20,180 for full-residency MFA programs and $31,184 for low-residency
programs.
Program Finances. Low-residency programs were most likely to see slight increases in their budgets. The
following portions of programs reported slight increases in budgets: AA 24%, BA 16%, BFA 24%, MA 24%, full-
residency MFA 25%, low-residency MFA 41%, and PhD 20%.
Faculty Salaries. Responses to our requests for specific financial data in key areas were too few for us to report
representative data. Program directors, generally, did not show familiarity with their programs’ annual
operating budgets, salaries of their creative writing faculty, or the size of endowments that serve the creative
writing program only. As a result, our data sets in these particular areas are problematic. Open-ended
comments suggest that budgetary matters are mainly the purview of the Department Chair and not the
Program Director.
Response Rate. The general response of 515 administrators provided a representative sample for each type
of program. More than half of all of AWP’s MFA, BFA, and AA programs responded to the survey. Please see the
table of detailed findings for the breakout of response rates. Please see our website’s Guide to writing programs
for more detailed information on our programs.
Future AWP Surveys. AWP has committed to a rotation of annual surveys. In the fall of 2016, we will survey
students and alumni of creative writing programs; in 2017, faculty; in 2018, individual members of AWP; in 2019,
graduate programs; and in 2020, undergraduate programs.
AWP2015SurveyFindings 5
Part of an English Department
74%
Stand-alone program: reports to
English Department
6%
Stand-alone CW Dept. reports to
Liberal Arts, Humanities, Arts &
Sciences, or similar
8%
Other setting 12%
Key Findings
A. Program History/Administration/Location
Geographic Location States that were most represented by programs in
the survey were New York (41), California (36),
Pennsylvania (31), Texas (30), Illinois (23), Ohio (21),
Georgia (20), and Virginia (19). These eight states
accounted for 43% of all respondents, while all
other states combined accounted for 55% and
Canadian programs accounted for 2% of the
total.
By AWP Region, 20% are in the Midwest, while 17%
each are in the Northeast and the Southwest, 16% are
in the South, 15% in the West, and 13% in the Mid-Atlantic.
Program Structure 74% report that their program(s) are housed as part of an English Department, while 6% and 8%, respectively,
are in a stand-alone program that reports to an English Department, or that reports to Liberal Arts, Humanities,
Arts & Sciences, or a similar College.
• Programs in public institutions are more likely to be part of an English Department (80%) than those in a
private institution (69%), while programs in private institutions are more likely to be stand-alone programs
(18%) or in another setting (13%).
• Programs in a college or university are equally likely to be part of an English Department (reported by 76%
of each).
• By program type, 95% of MA and 90% of PhD programs are part of an English Department, compared to
only 17% of MFA low-residency programs and 75% of residential MFA programs. The majority of AA (83%), BA
(82%), and BFA programs (57%) are part of an English Department.
• 12% of residential MFA programs indicate other settings, with statements regarding which college or
administrator they reported into, or that they were a concentration within an English or other major, a
department of writing, or sometimes standalone programs sponsored by a writer’s association, housed in an
interdisciplinary program, etc. Please refer to the summary of open-ended comments, “The Institutional
Situation of Creative Writing Programs,” which is appended to this report.
AWP2015SurveyFindings 6
Where program is housed Overall Public Private College University
Part of an English Department 75% 80% 69% 76% 76%
Stand-alone program that reports to an English Dept. 6% 5% 7% 6% 6%
Stand-alone Creative Writing Dept. that reports to Liberal Arts, Humanities, Arts & Sciences, or similar College
7%
5%
11%
8%
7%
Other setting 12% 10% 13% 9% 11%
Where program is housed AA BA BFA MA-
Full MFA-Full
MFA-Low
PHD
Part of an English Department 83% 82% 59% 95% 75% 17% 90%
Stand-alone program that reports to an English Department 6% 5% 0% 0% 5% 25% 0%
Stand-alone CW that reports to Liberal Arts, Humanities, Arts & Sciences, or similar College
4% 3% 24% 5% 8% 28% 0%
Other setting 7% 10% 17% 0% 12% 31% 10%
Institution Sizes Respondents reported their full-time equivalent student headcounts for their institutions overall, with a mean
average of 11,196 undergraduate and 2,581 graduate students. The median (midpoint) is often a more reliable
measure of the “typical” respondent because it is not distorted by a few large institutions; respondents reported
a median of 6,000 undergraduate and 900 graduate students.
• By program type, Associate Degree programs report a median of 7,300 undergraduates at their institutions.
• BA programs report a median of 3,445 undergraduates and 475 graduate students; while institutions with
BFA programs are about the same size, with 2,800 and 496, respectively.
• MA programs are in larger institutions, with full-residency programs reporting a median of 15,000
undergraduate and 3,500 graduate students.
• MFA programs report very different student headcounts if they are full-residency (median 15,000 and 3,076)
or low-residency (median 2,700 and 650 undergraduate and graduate students).
• PhD programs are present in the largest institutions (median 17,000 undergraduate and 5,000 graduate
students).
Other Profile Data Institution Type—58% are public and 42% are private institutions, while 65% are universities, 33% undergraduate
colleges, 8% 2-year colleges, and 4% other types.
Academic Calendar—Most (92%) are on a semester, while 5% are on quarter/trimester and 3% are on some
other calendar.
• MFA low-residency programs (81%) were least likely to be semester-based and most likely to be
quarter/trimester-based (11%). MA full-residency (95%), MFA full-residency (94%), BFA (93%), BA (92%), and
PhD programs (90%) are all far more likely to be semester-based.
Tenure-track System—91% use this, and 9% do not. Most of the nuances noted concern contracts of varying
durations, generally rolling ones, although some note that they have no employment guarantees.
• MFA low-residency programs (69%) were least likely to be tenure-track while 90% of BFA, 94% of BA, 99% of
MA and 100% of MFA full-residency and PhD programs are tenure-track.
AWP2015SurveyFindings 7
B. Program Characteristics
• History—The creative writing program has existed a mean of 18.6 and a median of 12.5 years.
• Faculty—Programs report a mean/median of tenure-track (4.9 / 3.0), non-tenure-track full-time salaried (1.8
/ 1.0) non-tenure-track part-time salaried (1.3 / 0) and adjunct (3.5 / 1.0).
• Faculty Trends—Respondents report a mean of 5.1 and a median of 3.0 tenure-track faculty five years ago,
indicating a slight shrinkage, particularly in the larger programs.
• Teaching Assistants—A mean of 1.8 and a median of 0.
• Teaching Load—The total courses required per academic year as the regular full-time teaching load for
tenure-track faculty is a mean of 6.2 and a median of 5.0.
• Tenure-Track Courses—A mean of 67% and a median of 80% of creative writing courses in the program are
taught by tenure-track faculty.
• TA Courses—A mean of 2.2 creative writing classes per academic year are taught by TAs as the instructor of
record. A mean of 1.2 additional courses per academic year have TAs specifically assigned to faculty.
• Theses— A creative writing faculty member may advise on a mean of 3.9 and median of 3.0 average
theses in an academic year.
Averages (mean) Overall Public Private College University
Years your CW program existed in your academic setting 18.6 20.0 17.3 16.1 20.5
Total tenure-track faculty 4.9 5.2 4.6 4.5 5.2
Total non-tenure-track full-time salaried faculty 1.8 2.1 1.4 1.5 1.9
Total non-tenure-track part-time salaried faculty 1.3 1.2 1.5 1.3 1.3
Total adjunct faculty 3.5 2.6 4.5 3.9 3.3
Total teaching assistants (TAs) teaching creative writing courses
1.8 2.9 0.6 0.3 2.7
Total courses required per academic year as the regular full-time teaching load (tenure-track faculty)
6.2 5.9 6.6 8.0 5.3
Total tenure-track faculty, five years ago 5.1 6.1 3.8 4.3 5.5
% of total CW courses in program taught by tenure-track faculty
67% 70% 63% 64% 70%
Total creative writing classes per academic year that TAs teach as the instructor of record
2.2 3.4 0.8 0.3 3.3
Total additional courses per academic year for which TAs are specifically assigned to faculty
1.2 1.5 0.7 1.0 1.2
Average number of theses a creative writing faculty member may advise in an academic year
3.9 3.6 4.6 3.4 4.0
Program Characteristics by Type • History—The longest-standing creative writing programs are PhD (mean of 31.2 years), MFA full-residency
(26.9 years), and BFA programs (26.3 years). Newer programs include AA (12.3 years), MFA low-residency
(12.7 years), and BA (17.1 years).
• Tenure-Track Creative Writing Faculty—The oldest programs also have the largest tenure-track creative
writing faculty with PhD (mean of 7.0), MFA full-residency (6.0), and BFA (5.6) reporting the highest numbers.
AWP2015SurveyFindings 8
• Total Faculty—MFA low-residency programs report the highest total faculty (mean of 17.7) due to the
highest number of adjunct faculty, while PhD and MFA full-residency programs (11.7) are the next largest.
The smallest programs are MA programs (6.9 total faculty).
• TAs Teaching Creative Writing—PhD (mean of 7.8) and MFA full-residency programs (6.1) have by far the
largest average number of TAs teaching creative writing courses. BA, BFA, AA, and MFA full- and low-
residency programs each have a mean of 1.0 or fewer.
• Teaching Load—Total courses required per academic year as regular full-time teaching load for tenure-
track faculty is highest for AA (mean of 9.7), BFA (8.8), and BA programs (6.7), while MA (5.3), and
particularly full-residency MFA (4.1), low-residency MFA (3.9), and PhD programs (3.5) are lower.
• Faculty Trends—Although overall results showed little difference in total tenure-track faculty, by program
there are particularly sharp percentage differences in faculty among BFA programs which reported a
mean of 9.3 FTE five years ago but decreased by 3.7 FTE (40%) to 5.6 FTE today, and MA programs with a
mean of 7.0 FTE five years ago, down almost 40% to 4.3 FTE today. Other programs reporting decreases over
the past five years include AA programs (-0.9 FTE) and MFA low-residency (-0.7). PhD and MFA full-residency
programs have remained almost constant, while an increase has been reported by BA (+0.8) programs.
• Courses Taught by Tenure-Track Faculty—The mean proportion of creative writing courses in the program
taught by tenure-track faculty ranges from a high of 90% for the PhD program to a low of 28% for MFA low-
residency programs. In between, a relatively high ratio is reported by MA (82%) and MFA full-residency
(75%), BA (70%), and BFA programs (65%), while AA programs report a smaller majority (56%).
• TA Courses—Having CW courses taught by TAs as instructor of record is far more common within PhD and
MFA full-residency programs, as they report a mean of 9.8 and 7.0 per academic year, respectively. BA
programs (1.4) are the only other category for which it is common, as AA, BFA, MA full-residency and MFA
low-residency programs each report a mean of less than one course per year. TAs are more commonly
specifically assigned to faculty in MFA full-residency programs, which report a mean of 4.4 additional
courses per year.
• Theses—The average theses advised by CW faculty in an academic year is relatively consistent in BA and
MFA full-residency programs (3.9), MA full-residency (3.6) and PhD programs (3.3), and lower in BFA
programs (2.9).
Averages (mean) by program type *per academic year
AA BA BFA MA-Full
MFA-Full
MFA-Low
PHD
Years your CW program existed in your academic setting 12.3 17.1 26.3 21.9 26.9 12.7 31.2
Total tenure-track faculty 3.9 5.2 5.6 4.3 6.0 2.4 7.0
Total non-tenure-track full-time salaried faculty 2.2 1.7 1.4 1.0 1.4 1.6 2.3
Total non-tenure-track part-time salaried faculty 1.5 1.2 0.3 0.3 0.7 4.1 0.3
Total adjunct faculty 3.2 2.8 2.4 1.2 3.5 9.6 2.1
Total teaching assistants (TAs) teaching CW courses 0.6 0.7 0.5 1.0 6.1 0.9 7.8
Total courses required as regular full-time teaching load (tenure-track faculty)*
9.7 6.7 8.8 5.3 4.1 3.9 3.5
Total tenure-track faculty, five years ago 4.8 4.4 9.3 7.0 5.9 3.1 7.2
% of total CW courses in program taught by tenure-track faculty
56% 70% 65% 82% 75% 28% 90%
Total CW classes TAs teach as instructor of record* 0.8 1.4 0.6 0.3 7.0 0.1 9.8
Total additional courses per academic year for which TAs are specifically assigned to faculty
0.6 0.5 0.1 1.0 4.4 0.7 0.0
Average # of theses CW faculty member may advise 0.0 3.9 2.9 3.6 3.9 3.5 3.3
AWP2015SurveyFindings 9
Enrollment Trends, Past 2-3 Years Almost half of responding programs indicate that their total enrolled students has increased substantially (17%)
or slightly (30%) over the past two to three years, while an equal proportion combined indicate that it has
decreased slightly (23%) or has not changed (24%). Another 4% indicate that total enrollment has decreased
slightly and 2% indicated that they don’t know (not displayed in the chart below).
• Selectivity of admissions has generally shown no change (55%) or increased substantially (7%) or slightly
(19%), while 9% indicate that it has decreased slightly and 2% decreased substantially, and 8% don’t know.
• Total applications from prospective students has increased substantially (16%) or slightly (27%) for many,
while 20% report no change, 16% a slight decrease, and 5% a substantial decrease, and 17% don’t know.
BFA Programs
MFA Full-Residency Programs
4%
35%
27%
13%
13%
27%
79%
35%
27%
4%
4%
15%
4%
4%
Selectivity of our admissions
Total applications fromprospective students
Total students enrolled
Increased substantially Increased slightly No change Decreased slightly Decreased substantially
20%
23%
5%
26%
30%
25%
40%
13%
41%
11%
31%
23%
5%
5%
Selectivity of our admissions
Total applications fromprospective students
Total students enrolled
Increased substantially Increased slightly No change Decreased slightly Decreased substantially
AWP2015SurveyFindings 10
MFA Low-Residency Programs
• By program type, BFA, AA, and BA programs are most likely total to report a net increase in total student
enrollment, as a net of 35%, 31% and 30% more programs report a substantial or slight increase compared
to the corresponding number of programs who report a slight or substantial decrease. PhD programs (+24%
increasing compared to decreasing) also show a net increase while MA and MFA full-residency programs
show a roughly equal proportion increasing or decreasing, and MFA low-residency programs (+11%) shows
a slight net increase.
• Applications are particularly higher for BFA (+39%), PhD (+35%), and AA programs (+33%). They are also up
for BA (+27%) and MFA full-residency programs (+17%), and they are up slightly for MA full-residency and
MFA low-residency.
• Selectivity has risen most for PhD (+38%), MFA low- (+33%) and full-residency programs (+34%). It has risen
slightly for AA, BA, and MFA programs (9%-13% each) and declined for MA full-residency programs.
23%
17%
3%
23%
29%
36%
17%
11%
52%
31%
37%
6%
3%
3%
Selectivity of our admissions
Total applications fromprospective students
Total students enrolled
Increased substantially Increased slightly No change Decreased slightly Decreased substantially
AWP2015SurveyFindings 11
AA BA BFA MA-
Full MFA-Full
MFA-Low
PHD
Total students enrolled
Increased substantially 12% 24% 27% 14% 5% 23% 12%
Increased slightly 38% 31% 27% 30% 25% 23% 29%
No change 19% 19% 27% 8% 41% 17% 41%
Decreased slightly 19% 20% 15% 41% 23% 31% 18%
Decreased substantially 0% 5% 4% 3% 5% 3% 0%
Total applications from prospective students
Increased substantially 13% 12% 35% 11% 23% 17% 29%
Increased slightly 23% 29% 13% 26% 30% 29% 24%
No change 33% 17% 35% 23% 13% 11% 29%
Decreased slightly 2% 8% 4% 26% 31% 37% 12%
Decreased substantially 0% 6% 4% 6% 5% 3% 6%
Selectivity of our admissions
Increased substantially 4% 4% 4% 0% 20% 3% 19%
Increased slightly 6% 16% 13% 18% 26% 36% 25%
No change 72% 57% 79% 47% 40% 52% 50%
Decreased slightly 0% 8% 4% 26% 11% 6% 6%
Decreased substantially 0% 3% 0% 3% 1% 0% 0%
Tuition and Budget Trends, Past 2–3 Years Overall, most programs indicate that tuition rates have increased slightly while few indicate a substantial
increase and 19% are unchanged. Budgets show similar patterns for visiting writers, graduate assistantships, and
the overall creative writing program budget—50% or more indicate no change, while 22%-25% indicate a slight
increase, 4%-6% indicate a substantial increase, and 12% to 20% indicate a decrease. Subjective terms were
used in this section on the assumption that many respondents didn’t know exact figures, but it seems promising
to see at least a slight positive number reporting increasing rather than decreasing budgets in a period when
most institutions are also increasing tuition rates.
BFA Programs
4%
8%
4%
24%
33%
24%
68%
44%
67%
56%
20%
20%
8%
4%Overall program budget for thecreative writing program
Program budget for graduateassistantships
Program budget for visitingwriters program
Tuition rates
Increased substantially Increased slightly No change Decreased slightly Decreased substantially
AWP2015SurveyFindings 12
• By program type, tuition rates have shown the largest proportion of BA programs increasing compared to decreasing (+81% net), while AA programs (+61%) show the smallest net difference in programs with increasing rather than decreasing tuition.
• Overall program budgets for the CW program shows the highest recent net increase among MFA low-residency programs (+32%), followed by AA (+14%) and PhD programs (+13%), while the lowest net change is approximately 0% among BA and MFA full-residency programs.
• Program budgets for graduate assistantships show the highest recent net increase among BFA (+33%) and MFA full-residency programs (+29%), while BA, PhD and MFA low-residency programs each have a net of 11%–13% more reporting an increase compared to a decrease.
• Program budgets for visiting writers programs showed the highest net number of programs showing increases among BFA (+24%) and MFA full-residency programs (+19%). BA (+9%) and MA full-residency programs (+6%) had the fewest programs reporting increases relative to those reporting decreases.
MFA Full-Residency Programs
MFA Low-Residency Programs
7%
8%
10%
6%
25%
34%
28%
67%
37%
44%
40%
22%
24%
9%
8%
7%
4%
11%
Overall program budget for thecreative writing program
Program budget for graduateassistantships
Program budget for visitingwriters program
Tuition rates
Increased substantially Increased slightly No change Decreased slightly Decreased substantially
6%
9%
74%
26%
12%
41%
23%
56%
76%
29%
6%
3%
9%
9%
9%
Overall program budget for thecreative writing program
Program budget for graduateassistantships
Program budget for visitingwriters program
Tuition rates
Increased substantially Increased slightly No change Decreased slightly Decreased substantially
AWP2015SurveyFindings 13
AA BA BFA MA-
Full MFA-Full
MFA-Low
PHD
Tuition rates
Increased substantially 0% 7% 4% 9% 6% 0% 0%
Increased slightly 63% 76% 68% 64% 67% 74% 67%
No change 22% 14% 20% 21% 22% 23% 25%
Decreased slightly 2% 1% 0% 3% 1% 0% 0%
Decreased substantially 0% 2% 0% 0% 1% 0% 0%
Program budget for visiting writers program
Increased substantially 4% 4% 8% 13% 10% 0% 7%
Increased slightly 16% 21% 24% 19% 28% 26% 20%
No change 53% 57% 56% 44% 40% 56% 53%
Decreased slightly 8% 7% 8% 19% 8% 6% 13%
Decreased substantially 12% 9% 0% 6% 11% 9% 0%
Program budget for graduate assistantships
Increased substantially 0% 0% 0% 0% 8% 6% 13%
Increased slightly 0% 22% 33% 14% 34% 12% 27%
No change 0% 67% 67% 71% 44% 76% 27%
Decreased slightly 0% 0% 0% 11% 9% 3% 20%
Decreased substantially 0% 11% 0% 4% 4% 0% 7%
Overall program budget for the creative writing program
Increased substantially 2% 3% 4% 3% 7% 9% 7%
Increased slightly 24% 16% 24% 24% 25% 41% 20%
No change 53% 60% 44% 48% 37% 29% 60%
Decreased slightly 4% 11% 20% 12% 24% 9% 7%
Decreased substantially 8% 7% 4% 9% 7% 9% 7%
Faculty Trends, Past 2 Years The survey report discusses actual headcounts elsewhere for current faculty and for historical tenure-track
faculty. In this section, program directors overwhelmingly indicated no change in their faculty with the largest
proportion of programs reporting changes doing so for tenure track faculty (26% increasing and 15%
decreasing) and for part-time/adjunct faculty paid per course (23% increasing and 8% decreasing). The
number of full-time non-tenure track salaried faculty showed a net gain with 19% of programs reporting an
increase and 7% reporting a decrease.
• By program type, BFA and MFA low-residency programs show a slight net decrease in tenure-track faculty,
while PhD, MA full residency, BA and AA programs each show a net difference of +15% to +20% programs,
showing an increase relative to those undergraduate programs showing a decrease.
• Non-tenure-track salaried faculty are increasing in +14% to +18% more BFA, BA, MA, and MFA full-residency
programs compared to the number of programs showing decreases. MFA low-residency and PhD programs
show comparatively little net change while AA programs show a slight net increase (+7%).
• For adjunct faculty, MFA low-residency (+32%) and AA programs (+28%) show the greatest net difference in
number of programs with increasing numbers compared to programs with decreasing numbers in this
faculty category. BA and MA full-residency programs are also showing a net increase while PhD programs
show no net change and BFA and MFA full-residency programs show a slight net increase in programs with
more adjuncts.
AWP2015SurveyFindings 14
BFA Programs
MFA Full-Residency Programs
MFA Low-Residency Programs
4% 22%
32%
17%
52%
55%
63%
13%
9%
17%
9%
5%
4%
Number of adjunct faculty
Number of non-tenure-tracksalaried faculty
Number of tenure-track faculty
Increased substantially Increased slightly No change Decreased slightly Decreased substantially
4%
12%
15%
22%
82%
74%
56%
4%
4%
16% 4%
Number of adjunct faculty
Number of non-tenure-tracksalaried faculty
Number of tenure-track faculty
Increased substantially Increased slightly No change Decreased slightly Decreased substantially
9%
6%
3%
32%
75%
80%
52%
9%
20%
6%
Number of adjunct faculty
Number of non-tenure-tracksalaried faculty
Number of tenure-track faculty
Increased substantially Increased slightly No change Decreased slightly Decreased substantially
AWP2015SurveyFindings 15
Faculty Trends AA BA BFA MA-Full
MFA-Full
MFA-Low
PHD
Number of tenure-track faculty
Increased substantially 2% 4% 0% 0% 2% 0% 7%
Increased slightly 22% 26% 17% 26% 22% 3% 20%
No change 65% 54% 63% 62% 56% 84% 67%
Decreased slightly 4% 11% 17% 9% 16% 6% 7%
Decreased substantially 4% 5% 4% 3% 4% 3% 0%
Number of non-tenure-track salaried faculty
Increased substantially 4% 0% 4% 4% 9% 0%
Increased slightly 11% 21% 32% 11% 15% 3% 9%
No change 76% 64% 55% 85% 74% 75% 82%
Decreased slightly 2% 7% 9% 0% 4% 9% 9%
Decreased substantially 2% 2% 5% 0% 1% 0% 0%
Number of adjunct faculty
Increased substantially 6% 3% 4% 0% 0% 6% 0%
Increased slightly 26% 22% 22% 16% 12% 32% 10%
No change 60% 66% 52% 80% 82% 52% 80%
Decreased slightly 2% 6% 13% 0% 4% 6% 10%
Decreased substantially 2% 2% 9% 4% 1% 0% 0%
AWP2015SurveyFindings 16
Annual Course Load Overall, the total courses taught by the typical creative writing teacher in each category in an academic year
is a mean average of 3.1 CW and 3.0 other courses among tenure-track faculty, a mean 1.7 CW and 2.0 other
courses by non-tenure-track salaried faculty, and a mean of 1.4 CW courses and 1.5 other courses taught by
adjunct faculty.
• By program type, the mean number of courses taught annually by tenure-track faculty is highest in AA
programs (7.4 CW and other courses), and almost as many in BFA (6.9) and BA programs (6.8). Fewer are
taught annually in the MFA low-residency (4.7) and MA full-residency (4.6) programs, and the fewest are
taught by tenure-track faculty in MFA full-residency (4.1) and PhD programs (4.2).
• The mean number of courses taught by non-tenure track salaried faculty is highest in PhD programs (7.8)
followed by similar numbers reported in MFA low-residency (4.2), MA full-residency (3.8), BA (3.8), and MFA
full-residency programs (3.7). Fewer are reported in BFA (3.3) and AA programs (2.7).
• Mean number of courses taught by adjuncts is highest in AA (4.4) and BFA programs (4.2), with the fewest in
MFA full-residency (1.9), PhD and MA full-residency (2.3), and BA programs (2.6).
Faculty Course Load AA BA BFA MA-
Full MFA-Full
MFA-Low
PHD
Tenure-track faculty
Total CW Courses Taught 2.5 3.3 4.0 2.7 3.2 3.0 2.4
Total Other Courses Taught 4.9 3.5 2.9 1.9 0.9 1.7 1.8
Non-tenure-track salaried faculty
Total CW Courses Taught 1.0 1.6 1.5 1.6 2.3 2.5 2.8
Total Other Courses Taught 1.7 2.2 1.8 2.2 1.4 1.7 5.0
Adjunct faculty
Total CW Courses Taught 1.3 1.1 2.6 1.0 1.3 2.9 1.3
Total Other Courses Taught 3.0 1.5 1.6 1.3 0.5 0.5 1.0
AWP2015SurveyFindings 17
Support Staff Program Associate or Assistant Director—When this position exists (N=118 programs), it is full-time in 64% of
programs and part-time in 36%.
• The mean salary for full-time is $59,630 and the median (midpoint) is $50,000. The range of values reported
ran from a minimum of $30,000 to a maximum of $145,000.
• The mean salary for part-time is $31,643 and the median is $34,000. The range of responses reported include
a minimum of $4,000 and a maximum of $70,000.
Program Assistant—When this position exists (N=143 programs), it is full-time in 37% of programs and part-time in
63%.
• The mean salary for full-time is $39,042 and the median (midpoint) is $38,500. The range of values reported
ran from a minimum of $23,000 to a maximum of $76,000.
• The mean salary for part-time is $16,649 and the median is $14,000. The range of responses reported include
a minimum of $1,200 and a maximum of $45,000.
Program Director—Generally, the holder of this position is faculty rather than staff with 96% of the 475 programs
indicating faculty.
• Among the few who are staff, only one is part time. A total of 37 programs (8%) indicate that the position is
compensated, 318 programs (67%) indicate that the position holder has tenure, and 228 programs (48%)
receive a course release.
• The total course load of the Program Director (total courses taught per academic year) is a mean of 4.6
courses and the total course release per year when it is granted to the Program Director’s normal load is a
mean of 1.1 courses.
• By program, the annual course load is greatest for Program Directors in AA (mean of 6.9 courses), BA (5.4),
and BFA programs (4.6). The load is between 2.9 to 3.1 for MFA full- and low-residency and PhD programs,
while MA full-residency programs have an average load of 3.9 courses.
• The course release is largest for Program Directors in MFA low-residency (1.9) and AA programs (1.7).
Program Director Profile Overall AA BA BFA MA-
Full MFA-Full
MFA-Low
PHD
Course load of Program Director per academic year
4.6 6.9 5.4 4.6 3.9 3.1 2.9 3.0
How many courses per year are released from the Programs Director’s normal load
1.1 1.7 0.7 1.1 1.2 1.4 1.9 1.1
Average term served by Creative Writing Program Directors at your institution
6.4 4.9 7.6 6.7 7.8 5.2 5.9 4.3
How long has Program Director served in this role to date
6.1 5.5 7.0 5.8 5.0 5.5 5.8 5.0
• The additional compensation granted for the position (when there is additional compensation, omitting the
$0 responses) is a mean of $7,855 and a median of $5,000.
• Total observations for many cells is small, but the median compensation is highest for MFA low-residency
($10,000) and full residency programs ($5,000), and it is lower for BA ($2,650), AA ($1,640), and BFA programs
($1,150).
• Overall length of service is a mean of 6.1 years and a median of 3.7 years. The average term was a mean
of 6. 4 years and a median of 4.0 years. This was reported for far fewer programs because (as noted in
open-ended comments) that there may have been only one program director historically or there wasn’t
sufficient succession to define a normal term.
• If staff, the mean annual pay is $68,930 and the median is $65,000 with a range of $16,250 to $118,000.
AWP2015SurveyFindings 18
Creative Writing Faculty Overall, about half of respondents indicate that they have no preference between MFA or PhD as a credential
for those in faculty positions. Almost one-third prefer the PhD, almost evenly split between preferring it to a
considerable or to some extent, while almost one-fifth prefer the MFA.
• Logically, PhD programs place the greatest emphasis on PhD faculty, while MFA programs often have no
preference and some prefer the MFA. AA programs express a slight net preference for PhDs while BA and
MA programs express a stronger net preference for PhDs, and BFA programs express a slight net preference
for MFAs.
Extent Overall AA BA BFA MA-
Full MFA-Full
MFA-Low
PHD
Prefer PhD to a considerable extent 17%
19% 24% 13% 13% 2% 0% 67%
Prefer PhD to some degree 15% 7% 24% 7% 13% 5% 4% 33%
No preference between PhD and MFA 49%
51% 41% 53% 60% 67% 54% 0%
Prefer MFA 19% 23% 11% 27% 13% 27% 42% 0%
A mean average of 6.7 staff were identified in three categories of faculty, classified by their educational
attainment. The table below shows the average that fall in each category of degrees attained.
Average Faculty Holding Overall AA BA BFA MA-Full
MFA-Full
MFA-Low
PHD
Tenure-Track
An MFA but no PhD 1.6 1.0 1.1 1.0 1.8 3.5 0.9 2.1
A PhD and an MFA 0.8 0.3 0.6 0.9 1.1 0.9 1.9 1.5
A PhD but no MFA 1.2 1.0 0.7 1.0 0.8 1.3 N/A 0.9
An MA but no PhD or MFA 0.7 0.4 0.8 0.5 0.6 0.9 0.5 0.4
Non-Tenure-Track Salaried
An MFA but no PhD 0.3 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.8 0.1
A PhD and an MFA 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.8 0.4
A PhD but no MFA 0.9 0.8 1.0 2.0 0.5 0.9 0.6 0.7
An MA but no PhD or MFA 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.4 0.0
Adjuncts
An MFA but no PhD 0.3 0.3 0.1 0.4 0.1 0.1 2.2 0.1
A PhD and an MFA 0.2 0.9 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.2 0.1 0.1
A PhD but no MFA 0.2 0.3 0.1 0.6 0.1 0.0 0.6 0.1
An MA but no PhD or MFA 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.1 0.3 0.1
Total 6.7 5.6 5.1 7.1 5.6 8.4 13.8 6.3
AWP2015SurveyFindings 19
Financial Data Data regarding budgets and tuition were available from a smaller subset of respondents, with a maximum of
172 programs reporting total estimated cost of a degree, and fewer reporting other statistics.
• Because of lower participation in this question, the difficulties that respondents indicated providing budget
estimates for their creative writing program inside larger departments, and the presence of a few high
responses distorting the averages, we report medians rather than the mean for total department budget to
better reflect the typical department.
• BFA programs report a mean total departmental budget of $120,000 and MFA full-residency programs
report a mean of $475,000.
• The mean tuition per semester/quarter for BFA programs: Our data in this area are less reliable. BFA program
directors report a mean of 21.4 and a median of 15.0 applications for program entry in the most recent
year. MFA full-residency program directors report a mean of 56.0 and a median of 58.0.
Overall By Program Type Budget and Tuition N Mean Median AA BA
Estimated total departmental budget (incl. payroll)* 149 $539k $235k $58k $150k
Estimated total departmental budget for faculty/staff development opportunities***
171 $9,821 $4,000 $3,153 $6,296
Tuition per semester/quarter, in-state** 131 $5,956 $4,000 $1,731 $6,234
Tuition per semester/quarter, out-of-state** 105 $8,570 $8,161 $3,380 $8,958
Tuition per semester/quarter, full rate** 74 $14,230 $14,624 $5,243 $19,008
Tuition per credit hour, in-state** 80 $396 $350 $132 $405
Tuition per credit hour, out-of-state** 77 $1,105 $665 $240 $1,426
Tuition per credit hour, full rate** 41 $940 $730 $5,100 $1,119
Total estimated cost of a degree (in-state tuition/fees) 172 $27,619 $23,467 $18,677 $34,414
*median reported rather than mean to control for extremely high responses. **if applicable. ***such as conferences and workshops, excluding reading series ***if there is no in-state/out-of-state differentiation Budget and Tuition
BFA MA MFA full MFA low PhD
Estimated total departmental budget (incl. payroll) $120k $200k $475k $469k $300k Estimated total departmental budget for
faculty/staff development opportunities* $7,778 $20,822 $20,093 $9,050 $4,800
Tuition per semester/quarter, in-state** $10,586 $4,972 $5,780 $5,503 $2,911
Tuition per semester/quarter, out-of-state** $11,615 $9,117 $9,347 $10,081 $5,853
Tuition per semester/quarter, full rate**** $17,138 N/A $8,218 $9,789 N/A
Tuition per credit hour, in-state** $256 $464 $527 $441 $275
Tuition per credit hour, out-of-state (if applicable) $525 $2,857 $1,018 $693 $675
Tuition per credit hour, full rate**** $1,212 $660 $656 $650 N/A
Total estimated cost of degree (in-state tuition/fees) $22,731 $21,020 $20,180 $31,184 $18,737
AWP2015SurveyFindings 20
Student Enrollment Trends • BFA program directors report a mean of 21.4 and a median of 15.0 applications for program entry in the
most recent year. MFA full-residency program directors report a mean of 56.0 and a median of 58.0.
• The average number of acceptances (program enrollees) over the past three admissions cycles was a
mean of 9.5 and a median of 9.5 in BFA programs and a mean of 9.8 and a median of 7.5 in MFA full-
residency programs.
• An average undergraduate grade point average of 3.35 was reported for incoming students (also
measured over the past 3 cycles to provide a more typical value). The base is small, but BA (3.13), MFA low-
residence (3.27) and MA (3.33) are lower than BFA (3.43), MFA full residency (3.46), or PhD program entrant
GPAs (3.87).
Medians Over
all AA BA BFA MA-
Full MFA-Full
MFA-Low
PHD
Total applications received for program entry, most recent year
15.0 4.0 10.3 15.0 11.5 58.0 29.6 45.0
Average # of acceptances per academic year, past 3 cycles**
10.2 4.5 9.9 9.5 7.5 11.7 18.5 5.5
Total full-time creative writing students in program today 22.5 13.5 22.0 36.0 11.5 29.0 28.5 19.5
Total part-time students in program 0.4 2.5 0.3 0.3 0.5 1.0 0.5 0.3
Total students in minor (if applicable) 9.5 15.5 11.5 5.5 29.5 0.4 0.3 0.3
Total CW program students (FT/PT) five years ago 18.1 0.4 12.3 20.0 16.0 26.3 22.0 17.8
Average workshop size 11.9 14.5 14.6 13.5 11.5 10.2 6.5 9.5
Class-size limit, if applicable 15.3 23.5 15.4 16.0 14.6 14.8 9.5 12.3
Number of students who hold scholarships 3.8 1.8 4.0 7.8 3.5 6.0 3.0 4.0
Number of students who hold fellowships 1.2 0.0 0.3 0.3 0.4 2.6 0.3 4.5
Number of students who hold teaching assistantships* 8.5 0.0 0.3 0.3 6.6 14.5 0.3 16.0
Number of students who hold research assistantships* 0.5 0.0 0.3 0.3 1.1 1.0 0.3 0.4
*program enrollees, not total acceptances sent to students; **if applicable.
Means Overall AA BA BFA MA-
Full MFA-Full
MFA-Low
PHD
Total applications received for program entry, most recent year
28.2 31.0 15.2 21.4 20.8 56.0 34.4 34.7
Average # of acceptances per academic year, past 3 cycles**
16.3 14.2 15.5 9.5 9.8 18.5 25.4 6.7
Total full-time creative writing students in program today 27.9 19.1 28.5 35.1 12.5 31.0 38.5 19.2
Total part-time students in program 5.2 6.9 4.0 3.0 2.0 5.7 6.1 0.4
Total students in minor (if applicable) 15.2 12.3 17.0 11.4 31.3 11.5 0.0 0.0
Total CW program students (FT/PT) five years ago 25.0 2.4 23.8 31.1 21.8 30.4 29.4 17.2
Average workshop size 12.2 14.2 14.3 13.5 10.9 10.7 6.6 9.2
Class-size limit, if applicable 16.8 21.3 17.1 17.9 13.8 14.5 11.3 13.2
Number of students who hold scholarships 8.4 3.2 9.5 9.2 3.5 11.6 5.5 7.4
Number of students who hold fellowships 4.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 6.7 0.3 8.5
Number of students who hold teaching assistantships* 11.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 6.7 16.7 0.9 15.9
Number of students who hold research assistantships* 1.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.9 2.7 0.5 1.0
AWP2015SurveyFindings 21
C. Pedagogy & Curriculum Genres Offered—Fiction and poetry are the genres offered most often in creative writing programs, almost universally, while 84% offer creative nonfiction. In a second tier of availability, fewer than 40% each offer playwriting, screenwriting, or hybrid forms. Fewer than 15% each offer digital/graphic narrative, writing for young adults, children’s books, and other genres.
BFA Programs
MFA-Full Residency Programs
29%14%
19%19%19%
48%52%
90%95%95%
OtherWriting for young adultsDigital/graphic narrative
Children’s booksHybrid forms
PlaywritingScreenwriting
Creative nonfictionFictionPoetry
10%10%10%
6%22%24%24%
71%98%
95%
OtherWriting for young adultsDigital/graphic narrative
Children’s booksHybrid forms
PlaywritingScreenwriting
Creative nonfictionFictionPoetry
AWP2015SurveyFindings 22
MFA-Low Residency Programs
Genres Offered Overall Public Private College University
Fiction 98% 98% 98% 97% 99%
Poetry 96% 96% 96% 95% 96%
Digital/graphic narrative 14% 14% 13% 12% 15%
Creative nonfiction 84% 81% 87% 88% 82%
Screenwriting 32% 32% 30% 37% 29%
Playwriting 37% 37% 36% 45% 33%
Writing for young adults 14% 12% 16% 14% 13%
Children’s books 10% 9% 10% 13% 8%
Hybrid forms 23% 25% 21% 21% 24%
Other 13% 10% 16% 18% 10%
• By type of institution, there are relatively minor differences except that private institutions are slightly more
likely to feature creative nonfiction and YA writing as genres and public institutions are more likely to offer
hybrid forms.
• Colleges are more likely to offer creative nonfiction, screenwriting, children’s books, and particularly
playwriting. Universities are slightly more likely to offer digital/graphic narrative and hybrid forms as genres.
• By type of program, BFA programs offer a slightly wider range of genres and are most likely to offer
playwriting, children’s books, and other genres (not mentioned in this list). BFA and AA programs are far
more likely to feature screenwriting. BFA, AA and BA programs are all twice as likely as graduate programs
to feature playwriting.
• MFA low-residency programs are by far most likely to feature writing for young adults. AA and BFA programs
are more likely to feature digital/graphic narrative than graduate programs are. MA full-residency programs
are most likely to feature hybrid forms.
16%13%
16%16%
23%29%
32%84%
90%97%
OtherDigital/graphic narrative
Hybrid formsChildren’s books
PlaywritingScreenwriting
Writing for young adultsCreative nonfiction
PoetryFiction
AWP2015SurveyFindings 23
Genres, by Program Type
AA BA BFA MA-Full
MFA-Full
MFA-Low
PHD
Fiction 95% 100% 95% 97% 98% 97% 100%
Poetry 95% 99% 95% 92% 95% 90% 95%
Digital/graphic narrative 19% 16% 19% 11% 10% 13% 0%
Creative nonfiction 86% 89% 90% 81% 71% 84% 75%
Screenwriting 50% 31% 52% 19% 24% 29% 25%
Playwriting 45% 43% 48% 28% 24% 23% 20%
Writing for young adults 17% 11% 14% 11% 10% 32% 20%
Children’s books 12% 10% 19% 3% 6% 16% 10%
Hybrid forms 17% 20% 19% 33% 22% 16% 40%
Other 19% 13% 29% 6% 10% 16% 5%
• Other Genres—Genres featured by at least one program that were not listed in the survey instrument
include literary translation, intermedia or multimodal with social media/digital or electronic writing/gaming,
nature or travel writing, journalism, business/technical writing, graphic design, popular fiction, young adult,
writing and hybrid forms, women's issues, spiritual autobiography, medieval literature, liturgy for church
settings, argumentation, biography, science fiction or novels through independent study, advanced
Composition, PR/advertising, newswriting, advanced topics, graphic narrative, blogs, comics, professional
writing, documentary poetics, text and image, radio, environmental writing, advanced research writing,
food writing, and television/film/photography/new media.
• Multiple Genres—Students in the program are either permitted (43%) or required (51%) to work in more than
one genre (taking at least one workshop in a different genre), while 6% indicate they are neither permitted
nor required. The requirement is most common in undergraduate programs.
• By program type, PhD (63%), MA (67%) and MFA full-residency (61%), and MFA low-residency programs
(61%) are more likely to permit students to work in more than one genre, while AA (32%), BA (31%), and BFA
(15%) are far less likely.
• Generally the programs least likely to permit students are most likely to require it, so BFA (80%), BA (64%),
and AA programs (60%) are most likely to require students to work in more than one genre; MFA low-
residency programs (26%) are least likely to require it and most likely to neither permit nor require students to
work in multiple genres.
Working in Multiple Genre
AA BA BFA MA-Full
MFA-Full
MFA-Low
PHD
Permitted to 32% 31% 15% 67% 59% 61% 63%
Required to 60% 64% 80% 33% 31% 26% 37%
Neither 8% 5% 5% 0% 10% 13% 0%
AWP2015SurveyFindings 24
• Thesis requirement—Practices vary widely by type of program but for masters’ programs almost half of MA
full-residency programs do not require a thesis, while almost half of MFA full-residency programs require one
advised by a full thesis committee, and 70% of MFA low-residency programs require one individually
directed by a single advisor.
Thesis Requirement MA
(full) MFA Full
MFA Low-res
Yes, individually directed by a single advisor
28% 36% 70%
Yes, advised by a full thesis committee 24% 49% 15%
No 48% 14% 7%
• Thesis defense—If applicable, 73% of MFA full-residency students are required to defend their thesis in front
of their committee, while only 35% of MFA low-residency and 32% of MA full-residency programs require this.
Thesis Defense MA-
Full MFA-Full
MFA-Low
Yes 32% 73% 35%
No 68% 27% 65%
AWP2015SurveyFindings 25
Promoting Student Publication—Overall, almost all programs/faculty promote publication of student work
outside of their institutions by mentoring student submissions for publication (90%), and many provide
coursework on professional literary activity such as job searches, publication, editing, and pedagogy (60%).
Fewer sponsor/include students in panels at major conferences (38%) or use other methods.
• By program type, PhD, MA and MFA full-residency, and BA programs are more likely and AA programs are
least likely to mentor student submissions for publications.
• MFA low-residency, BFA, and MA and MFA full-residency programs are most likely to provide coursework on
professional literary activity, while AA programs are least likely.
• PhD programs are most likely to engage in formal sponsorship/inclusion, followed by MFA full-residency and
BFA programs, while AA and BA programs are least likely.
Promoting Student Publication, by Program AA BA BFA MA-Full
MFA-Full
MFA-Low
PHD
Mentoring of student submissions for publication 79% 92% 84% 97% 92% 86% 95%
Coursework on professional literary activity such as job searches, publication, editing, and pedagogy
42% 55% 68% 65% 69% 79% 58%
Formal sponsorship/inclusion of students in panels at major conferences
21% 29% 53% 45% 56% 38% 63%
Other methods 34% 17% 16% 32% 39% 38% 47%
BFA Programs
16%
16%
16%
26%
53%
68%
84%
Other ways/methods
Academic job search workshops
Workshops on non-academic jobs
Vita preparation workshops
Formal sponsorship/inclusion of students in panels atmajor conferences
Coursework on professional literary activity (jobsearches, publication, editing, pedagogy)
Mentoring of student submissions for publication
AWP2015SurveyFindings 26
MFA-Full Residency Programs
MFA-Low Residency Programs
39%
12%
4%
9%
56%
69%
92%
Other ways/methods
Academic job search workshops
Workshops on non-academic jobs
Vita preparation workshops
Formal sponsorship/inclusion of students in panels atmajor conferences
Coursework on professional literary activity (jobsearches, publication, editing, pedagogy)
Mentoring of student submissions for publication
38%
10%
7%
14%
38%
79%
86%
Other ways/methods
Workshops on non-academic jobs
Vita preparation workshops
Academic job search workshops
Formal sponsorship/inclusion of students in panels atmajor conferences
Coursework on professional literary activity (jobsearches, publication, editing, pedagogy)
Mentoring of student submissions for publication
AWP2015SurveyFindings 27
Promoting Student Professional Development The program/faculty is most likely to promote the professional development of students through workshops on
non-academic jobs (52%) but workshops on vita preparation (45%) and academic job search (43%) are almost
as common.
• By program type, MFA full-residency and PhD programs are most likely and AA, BFA, and BA programs are
least likely to offer academic job search workshops.
• MFA full-residency programs are most likely and BFA and AA programs are least likely to offer vita
preparation workshops.
• MFA low-residency and full-residency programs are most likely and AA programs are least likely to offer
workshops on non-academic jobs.
Promoting Professional Development, by Program
AA BA BFA MA-Full
MFA-Full
MFA-Low
PHD
Academic job search workshops 27% 37% 30% 44% 67% 47% 57%
Vita preparation workshops 32% 44% 30% 44% 57% 40% 43%
Workshops on non-academic jobs 18% 52% 50% 56% 63% 73% 43%
Other 68% 38% 40% 22% 43% 53% 0%
BFA Programs
MFA-Full Residency Programs
MFA-Low Residency Programs
40%
30%
30%
50%
Other
Academic job search workshops
Vita preparation workshops
Workshops on non-academic jobs
43%
67%
57%
63%
Other
Academic job search workshops
Vita preparation workshops
Workshops on non-academic jobs
53%
40%
47%
73%
Other
Vita preparation workshops
Academic job search workshops
Workshops on non-academic jobs
AWP2015SurveyFindings 28
Undergraduate Curriculum Characteristics Overall, program directors are most likely to report that some courses incorporate in-class writing, lecture,
quizzes, and critical writing; require portfolios; or are workshop-based (indicated by 62% to 67%).
• The intro course is multi-genre (57%) and is a required prerequisite for all other creative writing classes
(54%) for a majority of respondents while fewer indicate that it counts as a GE/core requirement (39%).
• Fewer respondents indicate that their program has a stand-alone creative writing minor and few have
courses that are all workshop-based (35% each).
• Key portfolio questions show that they are rarely at least half the course grade for any course (27%) or all
courses require portfolios (22%), while few (25%) indicate that an entrance portfolio or application is
required.
• Very few (17%) indicate that all their courses incorporate in-class writing, lecture, quizzes, and critical
writing.
Program's Undergraduate Curriculum Characteristics AA BA BFA
Intro course counts as a GE/core requirement 52% 52% 68%
The intro course is multi-genre 85% 69% 100%
Intro course is a required prerequisite for all other CW classes
45% 70% 84%
Some courses are workshop-based 38% 57% 63%
All courses are workshop-based 57% 40% 37%
Some courses incorporate in-class writing, lecture, quizzes, and critical writing
60% 76% 68%
All courses incorporate in-class writing, lecture, quizzes, and critical writing
35% 13% 32%
Some courses require portfolio 52% 67% 84%
All courses require portfolio 47% 27% 16%
If so, is portfolio 50% or more of course grade for any courses
30% 30% 47%
Program has a stand-alone CW minor 20% 52% 47%
Portfolio of creative work required 10% 4% 26%
Describe reading component 30% 35% 32%
BFA Programs
32%
16%26%
47%32%
37%47%
68%84%
100%63%
84%68%
All incorporate in-class writing/lecture/quizzes/critical writingAll courses require portfolio
Application or entrance portfolio requiredIf so, is portfolio 50% or more of course grade for any courses
Describe reading componentAll courses are workshop-based
Program has a stand-alone creative writing minorIntro course counts as a GE/core requirement
Intro course is a required prerequisite for all other CW classesThe intro course is multi-genre
Some courses are workshop-basedSome courses require portfolio
Some courses incorporate in-class writing/lecture/quizzes/CW
AWP2015SurveyFindings 29
Curriculum Details Electives, Credit Hours, Students (mean) Overall AA BA BFA MA-
Full MFA-Full
MFA-Low
PHD
How many levels of genre-specific courses* follow the introductory creative writing course
2.3 1.8 2.1 3.6 2.0 2.1 4.2 2.3
How many different elective classes are offered annually
6.0 3.9 6.1 4.9 3.2 7.9 12.0 4.7
Total credit hours required for creative writing minor 17.4 13.5 17.6 19.6 20.1 15.9 28.3 12.0
Students currently pursuing creative writing minor 15.7 9.7 16.9 9.7 29.7 17.9 14.3 12.5
* (i.e. “Intermediate Fiction Writing” and “Advanced Fiction Writing”) Courses Offered—Overall, most specific courses listed in the survey instrument were relatively rare: literary
editing (27%) and publishing (25%) were most common, followed by teaching of creative writing (15%), graphic
and digital storytelling (12%), and literary citizenship (6%), although several were regarded as inapplicable to
several program types.
• By program type, courses in the teaching of creative writing are more common in MFA full- and low-
residency and PhD programs, and less common in MA full-residency programs.
• MFA full-residency and BFA programs are most likely to offer a course regarding literary editing.
• MFA full- and low-residency and BFA programs are most likely to offer a course regarding publishing.
• Some MFA programs offer a course on literary citizenship but it is rare otherwise.
Courses Offered Overall
AA BA BFA MA-
Full MFA-Full
MFA-Low
PHD
Graphic and digital storytelling 27% 13% 10% 21% 8% 14% 11% 10%
Literary editing 25% 19% 26% 31% 25% 38% 22% 14%
Publishing 6% 17% 24% 31% 20% 32% 31% 10%
Literary citizenship 15% 0% 1% 3% 5% 13% 19% 5%
Teaching of creative writing 13% 0% 2% 3% 25% 38% 39% 33%
Other 12% 7% 12% 7% 8% 19% 17% 5%
Student Preparation—Program directors generally see that post-graduate work is meant to prepare students for
graduate study (22%), careers in the creative industries (26%), or career fields (53%). This question has lower
applicability of course for some of the more advanced degrees, but for AA and BA programs graduate study is
a goal for about 20% of their students, and more BA and particularly BFA students are preparing for a creative
industry career.
Students Preparing for Careers (mean proportion of total)
Overall AA BA BFA MA-Full
MFA-Full
MFA-Low
PHD
Graduate study (especially the MFA) 22% 19% 21% 28% 23% 20% 19% 60%
Careers in the creative industries (editing, publishing, advertising, etc.)
26% 16% 28% 35% 21% 24% 24% 28%
Other careers 53% 65% 51% 44% 56% 56% 57% 13%
AWP2015SurveyFindings 30
D. Program Performance • Overall, programs are most pleased with the potential for growth in students—51% indicate that their
program is excellent, while 30% regard it as good, 11% average, 3% fair, and 2% poor.
• Programs are also rated very well for their ability to attract instructors: part-time/adjunct teachers (44%
excellent, 26% good), qualified full-time tenure-track professors (38% excellent, 29% good), and guest
presenters (29% excellent, 25% good).
• They also rate their programs’ performance highly for ability to prepare students for productive careers as
authors (32% excellent, 32% good) but less so for preparing them as professors (22% excellent, 33% good).
• Relative points of institutional weakness particularly appear with regard to sufficiency of funding/budget
(51% fair or poor compared to only 25% excellent or good), visibility with prospective students (36% fair or
poor compared to 36% excellent or good). Degree of support for the program within the administration is
stronger (32% fair or poor, with 46% excellent or good), but it is still rated far lower than most of the other
qualities rated by program directors. BFA Programs
6%
13%
18%
24%
25%
56%
67%
69%
71%
24%
35%
44%
35%
41%
33%
19%
17%
19%
29%
29%
35%
31%
35%
12%
8%
6%
6%
29%
6%
6%
12%
12%
18%
12%
6%
12%
Sufficiency of funding/budget
Visibility of the program with prospectivestudents
Ability to prepare students for productivecareers as professors
Ability to prepare students for productivecareers as authors
Degree of support for your program withinthe administration
Ability to attract teachers paid per course(e.g., adjuncts)
Ability to attract qualified full-time tenure-track professors
Ability to attract qualified full- and part-timenon-tenure-track salaried faculty
Ability to attract guest presenters
Potential for growth in studentsExcellent Good Average Fair Poor
AWP2015SurveyFindings 31
MFA Full-Residency Programs
11%
17%
23%
34%
40%
42%
52%
56%
63%
65%
18%
29%
23%
28%
45%
33%
23%
27%
19%
29%
22%
23%
20%
10%
12%
11%
5%
5%
5%
25%
24%
18%
5%
5%
23%
8%
14%
6%
Sufficiency of funding/budget: rating
Visibility of the program with prospective students:rating
Degree of support for your program within theadministration: rating
Ability to attract teachers paid per course (e.g.,adjuncts): rating
Ability to prepare students for productive careers asprofessors: rating
Ability to attract qualified full- and part-time non-tenure-track salaried faculty: rating
Potential for growth in students: rating
Ability to attract qualified full-time tenure-trackprofessors: rating
Ability to attract guest presenters: rating
Ability to prepare students for productive careers asauthors: rating
Excellent Good Average Fair Poor
AWP2015SurveyFindings 32
MFA Low-Residency Programs
Converting the percentage responses to an average score allows us to more readily compare how ratings of
program performance vary by factors such as type of program, type of institution, and geographic area. We
use a five-point scale where 5=excellent and 1=poor, omitting those who indicate having no opinion from the
calculation.
• Naturally, more advanced education programs rate themselves higher for their ability to prepare students
for productive careers as authors: PhD programs rate their performance highest (4.67 average score)
followed by MFA full residency (4.62) and low-residency programs (4.52). MA (full-residency) programs rate
their performance lower (3.94) while BA (3.69), BFA (3.58), and particularly AA programs (3.25) rate their
ability much lower.
• Ability to prepare students for productive careers as professors is rated lower by all advanced education
programs compared to ability to prepare authors. Although the difference is marginal for PhD programs
(4.60), it is much more pronounced for MFA full-residency (4.29), MA (3.68), and particularly MFA low-
residency programs (3.79). Both BFA and AA programs rate their performance higher here than for
preparing authors while BA programs rate their ability lower, with all reporting scores in a positive 3.5 to 3.7
range.
• Sufficiency of funding/budget is rated very low in general, but MFA low-residency programs (2.75) are
comparatively most satisfied, followed closely by BFA (2.60) and MFA full-residency programs (2.57). AA
programs (1.75) are overwhelmingly most pessimistic regarding the sufficiency of their funding/budgets.
• Program visibility with students was the second-lowest rated area yet it is rated considerably higher by
program directors in all program types. Program visibility is highest among PhD (3.40), BFA (3.33), and MFA
full-residency programs (3.30) and lowest for AA (2.58) and MA full-residency programs (2.39).
8%
12%
20%
24%
35%
28%
50%
52%
65%
68%
27%
15%
5%
23%
28%
31%
36%
27%
28%
35%
31%
20%
19%
15%
16%
15%
8%
4%
4%
19%
19%
60%
27%
16%
12%
23%
29%
8%
Visibility of the program with prospective students:rating
Sufficiency of funding/budget: rating
Ability to attract qualified full- and part-time non-tenure-track salaried faculty: rating
Ability to attract qualified full-time tenure-trackprofessors: rating
Degree of support for your program within theadministration: rating
Ability to prepare students for productive careers asprofessors: rating
Ability to prepare students for productive careers asauthors: rating
Ability to attract teachers paid per course (e.g.,adjuncts): rating
Potential for growth in students: rating
Ability to attract guest presenters: ratingExcellent Good Average Fair Poor
AWP2015SurveyFindings 33
• Degree of support for the program within administration is highest among BFA (3.86) and MFA low-residency
programs (3.83), and is reasonably high among PhD (3.63) and MA programs (3.50). It is regarded as
weakest among MFA full-residency (3.35) and particularly BA (3.17) and AA programs (3.13).
• Potential for growth in students is seen as consistently high for all program types, although it is higher among
all graduate (4.5 to 4.6 scores) and BFA programs (4.65), and is slightly lower among BA (4.35) and AA
programs (4.38).
• Ability to attract qualified full-time tenure-track professors is very high among PhD, MFA full-residency, MA,
and BFA programs (4.5 to 4.65) but is lower in BA (4.04), AA (3.21), and perhaps oddly in MFA low-residency
programs (3.00).
• Ability to attract non-tenure-track salaried faculty including full- and part-time is rated about the same for
each type of program except for two exceptions: MFA low-residency programs rate themselves even lower
(2.33) and BA programs rate themselves considerably higher (4.44) relative to full-time tenure track
professors.
• Ability to attract part-time/adjunct teachers is seen as a great strength of MFA-low residency programs
(4.54), while PhD (4.60), MFA full-residency (4.38), and BFA programs (4.25) also rate their ability very highly.
AA programs (3.50) rate themselves lowest, while BA (3.88) and MA programs (4.00) rate themselves
adequate but lower than most of the graduate program directors.
• Ability to attract presenters shows another variable pattern compared to various faculty categories: PhD,
MFA, BFA, and MA programs all rank themselves very high (4.55 to 4.70), BA programs are also high (4.28),
while AA programs (3.63) bring up with rear with what is nonetheless a respectable self-rating.
Ratings (5-1 scale) by program type Overall AA BA BFA MA Full
MFA Full
MFA Low
PhD
Ability to prepare students for productive careers as authors
4.03 3.25 3.69 3.58 3.94 4.62 4.52 4.67
Ability to prepare students for productive careers as professors
3.82 3.50 3.55 3.64 3.68 4.29 3.79 4.60
Sufficiency of funding/budget 2.41 1.75 2.38 2.60 2.07 2.57 2.75 2.25
Visibility of the program with prospective students
2.98 2.58 3.03 3.33 2.39 3.30 3.06 3.40
Degree of support for your program within the administration
3.38 3.13 3.17 3.86 3.50 3.35 3.83 3.63
Potential for growth in students 4.52 4.38 4.35 4.65 4.58 4.54 4.62 4.60
Ability to attract qualified full-time tenure-track professors
4.21 3.21 4.04 4.64 4.50 4.59 3.00 4.61
Ability to attract qualified full- and part-time non-tenure-track salaried faculty
4.52 N/A 4.44 4.69 4.50 4.55 2.33 4.70
Ability to attract part-time/adjunct teachers 4.09 3.50 3.88 4.25 4.00 4.38 4.54 4.60
Ability to attract guest presenters 4.52 3.63 4.28 4.66 4.55 4.63 4.63 4.69
Examining all programs combined but stratified by public or private suggests that there is little significant
difference in perceived performance. The largest differences appear to be among private institutions who rate
their ability to attract qualified non-tenure-track salaried faculty (+0.2) and ability to prepare students as
professors (+0.1) higher than their public counterparts, and public institutions who rate their ability to attract
qualified tenure-track professors (+0.16) and visibility with prospective students (+0.1) higher than public
institutions do. These are very small differences with only one being large enough to be almost statistically
significant at a 4% difference in score.
AWP2015SurveyFindings 34
In contrast, there are significant differences between colleges and universities. Universities rate their
performance higher for all but potential growth in students and ability to attract non-tenure-track salaried
faculty. The differential is particularly higher for ability to attract tenure-track professors and sufficiency of
funding/budget (+0.4 each) but ability to attract part-time/adjunct teachers and guest presenters and
preparing students for careers as authors (+0.3 each) also show a sharp difference.
Ratings (5-1 scale) by program characteristics Public Private College University
Ability to prepare students for productive careers as authors 4.06 3.99 3.82 4.15
Ability to prepare students for productive careers as professors
3.78 3.88 3.77 3.85
Sufficiency of funding/budget 2.39 2.43 2.17 2.55
Visibility of the program with prospective students 3.03 2.92 2.86 3.07
Degree of support for your program within the administration
3.34 3.40 3.24 3.40
Potential for growth in students 4.53 4.50 4.48 4.53
Ability to attract qualified full-time tenure-track professors 4.27 4.11 3.97 4.33
Ability to attract qualified full- and part-time non-tenure-track salaried faculty
4.47 4.67 4.50 4.53
Ability to attract part-time/adjunct teachers 4.12 4.06 3.88 4.20
Ability to attract guest presenters 4.51 4.53 4.23 4.55 Regionalpatternsaresomewhatmoredifficulttogeneralize.Averagingacrossallnineareasofassessmentprovidesaneatshorthandforperceivedstrengths:programdirectorsintheNortheastgivetheirprogramsahigheraggregatescore(4.04)thanthoseintheMidwest(3.97),West(3.92),orMid-Atlantic(3.86).ProgramsintheSouth(3.63)andSouthwest(3.54)ratetheirprogramsmuchlower.AmongthemoststrikingpatternsintheSouthwestisaremarkablylowscoreforsufficiencyoffunding/budget(1.68),visibility(2.45),andabilitytoattracttenure-trackprofessors(3.58);intheSouth,funding/budget(2.12)andpreparingstudentsasauthors(3.71)aretheweakestratingscomparedtoprogramdirectorselsewhere.
Ratings (5-1 scale) by geographic area NE Mid-Atl
Mid- West
South South West
West
Ability to prepare students for productive careers as authors
4.19 3.95 4.25 3.71 3.97 3.97
Ability to prepare students for productive careers as professors
3.90 3.82 3.86 3.93 3.75 3.67
Sufficiency of funding/budget 2.85 2.75 2.71 2.12 1.68 2.42
Visibility of the program with prospective students 3.60 3.00 2.94 2.95 2.45 3.07
Degree of support for your program within the administration
4.13 3.27 3.25 3.06 3.06 3.38
Potential for growth in students 4.53 4.56 4.59 4.38 4.36 4.53
Ability to attract qualified full-time tenure-track professors
4.55 4.11 4.53 3.92 3.58 4.42
Ability to attract qualified full- and part-time non-tenure-track salaried faculty
3.88 4.60 4.63 4.38 4.17 4.67
Ability to attract part-time/adjunct teachers 4.22 4.04 4.41 3.72 3.82 4.50
Ability to attract guest presenters 4.59 4.53 4.57 4.13 4.53 4.52
AWP2015SurveyFindings 35
Program Completion Overall, program directors indicate that a median of 8.3 and a mean of 12.6 students graduated from their
program in the last twelve months.
• By program type, volume was highest for MFA programs: full-residency MFA (median of 10.2 and mean of
14.5) and MFA low-residency programs (median of 14.5 and mean of 18.0), followed by BFA (median of 9.5
and mean of 12.3) and BA programs (median of 8.0 and mean of 13.1). AA (median of 5.0 and mean of
6.8), MA full-residency (median of 10.2 and mean of 14.5) and PhD programs (median of 4.8 and mean of
4.4) report the fewest graduating students.
• The average number of years students take to compare a program ranges from a mean of 4.0 years for BA
and 3.9 years for BFA students to 2.0 for MA full-residency. Program directors report a mean of 2.4 years for
AA students, 2.8 years for MFA low-residency, and 3.0 years for full-residency MFA students to graduate from
their programs.
Program completion/graduation Overall AA BA BFA MA-
Full MFA-Full
MFA-Low
PhD
How many students graduated from your program in last 12 months? Median
8.3 5.0 8.0 9.5 4.8 10.2 10.3 4.8
Mean 12.6 6.8 13.1 12.3 7.6 14.5 18.0 4.4
Approximately how many years on average has it taken students to graduate from your program? Median
4.4 2.8 4.6 4.5 2.5 3.3 3.5 2.8
Mean 3.6 2.4 4.0 3.9 2.0 2.8 3.0
• In an unfortunate example of us not sufficiently customizing the final questionnaire, we also asked program
directors of all types what percentage of matriculated students complete their program in four years:
overall, a mean of 74% and a median of 90% indicated this. The question was most appropriate for
Bachelor’s programs, where a mean of 79% of BA and 87% of BFA programs indicated their students
completed in four years, while a mean of 100% of MA and MFA full-residency programs did and (oddly) a
mean of only 41% of AA programs did.
AWP2015SurveyFindings 36
E. Student Demographics • Age—The average age of students in programs is a mean of 24.7 and a median of 22 years.
• Gender—The mean percentage of students is 64% female and 34% male, with the remainder other genders.
Age and Gender Overall AA BA BFA MA-
Full MFA-Full
MFA-Low
PHD
Average age, median 22.1 21.5 20.1 20.2 24.5 27.3 35.4 30.0
Mean age 24.7 23.5 20.5 20.3 24.9 27.9 35.7 31.0 Female 63.9% 62% 66% 69% 69% 60% 65% 57%
Male 34.1% 35% 32% 31% 30% 39% 33% 39%
• Race—The proportion of white students is a mean of 73% overall, with an average of 10% black non-
Hispanic, 7% Hispanic, 4% Asian, 1% American Indian/Alaskan Native/Pacific Islander, and 4% mixed-race.
Race Overall AA BA BFA MA-
Full MFA-Full
MFA-Low
PhD
White, not Hispanic 73% 68% 76% 77% 80% 75% 68% 50%
Black, not Hispanic 10% 9% 11% 13% 8% 9% 9% 23%
Hispanic 7% 11% 6% 4% 6% 6% 5% 8%
Asian 4% 3% 3% 4% 4% 6% 2% 8%
American Indian, Alaskan Native, or Pacific Islander
1% 3% 1% 0% 0% 1% 5% 1%
Mixed-race 4% 6% 2% 1% 3% 3% 13% 11%
AWP2015SurveyFindings 37
F. Graduate Assistants • Average Compensation—Annual value per student for teaching assistants (N=44) is a mean of $10,000 and
a median of $9,950; and for research assistants (N=13), it is a mean of $10,465 and a median of $9,000.
• Total Teaching Assistants—A mean of 16.4 and a median of 15.5 (N=56).
• Total Research Assistants—A mean of 3.8 and a median of 3.0 (N=17). Note from the differences in N that
some respondents indicated their total assistants without knowing or sharing compensation levels (12 and 4,
respectively, for TAs and RAs and of course far more programs have TAs but not RAs).
• Total Scholarships—A mean of 7.8 and a median of 4.0 are reported (N=33), with a mean annual value per
student of $10,802 and a median value of $10,000 (N=23).
• Other Program/Departmental Employees—A mean of 3.9 and a median of 2.0 are reported (N=7) with a
mean of $10,350 and a median of $11,000 (N=4).
Teaching Assistant Compensation & Responsibilities Graduate teaching assistants (in a question answered by 109 MA, MFA, and PhD programs) most frequently
have responsibility for having the opportunity to teach First-Year Writing (78%) or Creative Writing (66%), while
relatively few (35%) have an opportunity to teach Literature.
• Their funding most often includes a full tuition waiver (71%), funding by the graduate school (53%) or
department (51%). About half of graduate TAs receive health insurance (51%). Far fewer are funded by
endowment/scholarship money (26%), pay in-state tuition for out of state students (24%), or have a partial
tuition waiver (20%).
68%
26%
28%
24%
12%
48%
54%
54%
24%
68%
16%
33%
20%
24%
26%
35%
51%
51%
53%
66%
71%
78%
Other responsibilities
Include a partial tuition waiver
Pay in-state tuition for out of state students
Funded by endowment/scholarship money
Opportunity to teach Literature
Receive health insurance
Funded by the department
Funded by the graduate school
Opportunity to teach Creative Writing
Include a full tuition waiver
Opportunity to teach First-Year Writing
Teaching AssistantsResearch Assistants
AWP2015SurveyFindings 38
Research Assistant Compensation & Responsibilities • In comparison, most graduate research assistants have a broader range of responsibilities. There are
considerably fewer of them compared to TAs (N=50).
• Most receive a full tuition waiver (68%), and some receive a partial tuition waiver. A slight majority are
funded by the graduate school (54%) and/or the department (54%), and almost half receive health
insurance (48%). Some pay in-state tuition for out of state students (28%) and are partially funded by
endowment/scholarship money (24%). Some RAs also have the opportunity to teach Creative Writing (24%),
First-Year Writing (16%), or Literature (12%).
Other TA Responsibilities These included:
− Assist faculty with courses
− Assist regular faculty in teaching a course in Creative Writing, Literature, or First-Year Writing
− Departmental research, institutional research, departmental publications
− Edit journal, print and online, and host reading series
− Editor of literary magazine and serve as program assistant
− Editorial and Writing Center tutoring positions are available
− Editorial positions at the literary journal
− Helps teach creative writing and literature courses
− Teach a breakout workshop in a large-lecture Introduction to CW course
− Work as office staff
− Work in performing arts marketing and outreach/education
− Assist in large lecture classes with tenured professors
− Opportunity to run literature discussion sections
− Produce journals and research
− Provide assistance to readings series and other program assistance
− Work as writing center tutors or tutors for athletes
− Work at a local domestic violence shelter
− Work on one’s own creative writing—one poet every other year is given a stipend without being
required to teach First-Year Writing
− Teach Essay Writing, an undergrad creative non-fiction course
− Attend a one-week training and enroll in a one semester teaching course
− Assist program director with literary award competitions
− Attend a three-unit pedagogy course while teaching their first course, with follow-up one-unit course
required the following semester
− Tutor at writing center
− Take year of training before they enter their own classrooms
− Work in media lab or computer lab
− Assist program director with the program’s newsletters and posts on social media
− Work with film company or publisher housed in department
AWP2015SurveyFindings 39
Other RA responsibilities These included:
− Teaching children's literature
− Assist in program administration
− Assist reading series directors, website development, etc.
− Assist senior level faculty grade students and prepare course materials
− Assistantships in the community
− Community outreach
− Conduct research for individual professor, department, or institution
− Edit literary journal
− Lead positions in our internship programs of teaching, publishing and arts administration.
− Work in the MFA office on publicity and marketing
− RAs either work for specific professors or work in arts management in our creative writing center on
campus.
− RAs for university press, literary magazine, faculty
− Serve as TAs for large lecture courses, Writing Center
− Tutor in writing center; assist professors with research; work on literary magazine, blog, etc.
− Edit program’s small-press books
− Assist with program’s literary competition
AWP2015SurveyFindings 40
G. MFA Low-Residency Programs • Faculty—A mean of 4.6 and a median of 2 are tenure-track faculty employed at the home institution, a
mean of 2.1 and a median of 1 are tenure-track faculty who are core low-res program faculty, and a mean
of 12.4 and a median of 11 are other faculty. A mean and median of 7.0 total faculty in the program also
work in another creative writing program at an undergraduate or graduate residency level.
• Faculty Responsibility—A mean of 2.5 teach seminars/classes during the residency, 2.8 offer lectures/craft
seminars during the residency, 2.2 conduct workshops during the residency, and 2.9 offer readings during
the residency (the median was 3.0 for each of these activities).
• Tuition/Fees—The average total cost of a degree is estimated to be $30,000. Tuition per online semester is a
mean of $5,767 and a median $6,300 with tuition per credit hour a mean $1,016 and a median $460.
• Residency Tuition/Fees— Total tuition for a residency including workshops and classes is a mean of $1,795
and a median of $1,550 (N=16). Total residency fee if it includes room and board is a mean of $3,512 and a
median $3,416 (N=7). Cost of room and board for a residency is a mean of $993 or a median $950.
• Location/Source of Students—A mean of 52% of students who are in-state, 26% are from non-bordering
states, 20% are from bordering states, and 2% are from other countries.
• Online Faculty Salary Average—For online per semester/quarter at a flat rate is a mean of $11,350 and a
median of $8,500 (N=4). If pay varies by total students, average faculty salary for online per
semester/quarter per student is a mean of $3,391 and a median $2,000 (N=13).
• Salary for Thesis & Residency—Faculty compensation per student for thesis direction is a mean $2,024 and a
median $2,000 (N=12). Salary for residency at a flat rate is a mean of $1,988 and a median of $1,750 (N=12).
Salary per low-residency student is a mean of $2,033 and a median of $2,000 (N=3).
• Financial Aid—Sources of financial aid granted to students in the program generally include graduate
assistantships funded by the graduate school or college (47%), graduate assistantships funded by
government loans (33%), or graduate assistantships funded by named university funds (27%). Other sources
(40%) included partial tuition or room and board waivers, scholarships (university funded and funded by
program fundraising efforts), and Title IV student loans.
• Emphasis—The typical ratio between creative and critical writing is a 3:1 ratio (59%), with 32% indicating a
4:1 ratio and 10% combined indicating a 2:1 or 5:1 ratio.
• Minimum Requirements—Students are required to read a mean of 16 or a median of 12 books each
semester. A mean of 65 and a median of 60 pages of original work are required during each online
semester.
• Residencies—75% require two, 20% require one, and 5% require none each year. A mean of 15.7 and a
median of 17 days of total residency are required each year.
• Curriculum Delivery—50% use a combination while 38% rely on online discussion boards and email and 13%
use mailed packets to deliver the curriculum between residencies.
• Title IV—37% indicate that their university is seeking state-by-state approval or registration while 63% are not.
The responsible parties indicated include Assistant Provost, Compliance Officer reporting to Provost,
Distance Education Administrator, or Program Director through SARA.
AWP2015SurveyFindings 41
• Graduation Requirements—Forms of critical writing in the program include packet annotations, critical
annotations (5–7 page annotations with outside sources), extended annotation (serves as intro to thesis: 15–
20 pages, 5–7 outside sources); writing critical papers in each Directed Reading class (three classes
required); a 35+ page research paper; craft or theory paper, critical response to readings; a 25–40 page
thesis essay, a literary essay, critical essay to deliver at residency to peers and faculty mentors, a 10–15-
page close-reading paper plus 30 very short essays, a 25 page critical essay during third term, thesis
introduction, 10–15 pages critical writing for two semesters; 20–25 page critical essay for one semester; no
critical writing requirement during thesis semester; critical essays in readings courses, creative thesis, critical
introduction and oral defense; a 20–25 page Critical Essay, determined by course requirements, short craft
analyses in early semesters with a critical thesis in semester 3, and short writing responses for all reading, long
critical paper for MFA.
• Applicable features—Student meetings with visiting writers, student presentations of their own work in
formally scheduled public forums, and visiting writers offering lectures/craft seminars in addition to
reading—these are all universal features, while students also typically complete a graduating MFA thesis
and have access to publishing professionals via panel discussions.
• Other common features present in at least two-thirds of programs include student presentation of their own
work less in informal "open mike" or similar forums, compilation of a completed book list or annotated
bibliography of students’ work, required attendance at all residency events, and a system for tracking
alumni success.
• About half report that students work in cohorts/online classrooms during the online semesters, while around
40% indicate that their programs have alumni organization. Each genre in the program offers students a
reading list assembled by current teaching faculty, and students have deeper access to an editor or agent
who will have read their work.
4%
38%
42%
42%
54%
67%
71%
71%
79%
96%
96%
100%
100%
100%
Students may attend a partial residency
Students have deeper access to an editor or agent who willhave read their work
Each genre in the program offers students a book list that’s been assembled by current teaching faculty
Program has an alumni organization
Students work in cohorts/online classrooms during theonline semesters
Program has a system for tracking alumni success
Students are required produce/complete a book list orannotated bibliography of their work
Students are required to attend all residency events
Program allows students to present their own work lessformally in an "open mike" or similar forum
Students have access to learning from/interacting withpublishing professionals (such as a panel)
Students complete a graduating MS/MFA thesis
Students meet with visiting writers
Visiting writers offer lectures/craft seminars in addition toreading
Program allows students to present their own work in aformally scheduled public forum
AWP2015SurveyFindings 42
H. Co-Curricular Complements to Programs • Common Features of Program—A reading series is the most common feature of co-
curricular/complementary creative writing programs, mentioned by 84% of respondents (the question had
an N of 232). Other common features included being affiliated with the undergraduate CW program (54%)
and producing a literary journal (52%).
• Almost half indicated that other professional organizations offer their students opportunities for internships,
they publish an internal literary magazine, and they collaborate with other institutions and/or community
partners (46%–48% each).
• External literary magazines (31%) or being associated with a literary press or journal (39%) are less common.
• Faculty running the program (30%) or the faculty advisor (22%) is granted a course release and/or
compensation, and 11% note that the reading series host is granted a course release.
11%
22%
25%
30%
31%
39%
46%
47%
48%
52%
54%
84%
Course release for reading series host (if applicable)
Compensation/course release for faculty member servingas the advisor?
Program is affiliated with our graduate creative writingprogram
Compensation/course release is provided for the facultymember running the program
Program publishes an external literary magazine
Program is associated with a literary press or journal
Program publishes an internal literary magazine
Program collaborates with other institutions and/orcommunity partners
Other professional organizations offer your studentsopportunities for internships
Program produces a literary journal
Program is affiliated with our undergraduate creativewriting program
Program hosts a reading series
AWP2015SurveyFindings 43
• Size of Endowment—The mean average reported was very high—$33.5 million driven by a number of high
responses reflecting the overall institution’s endowment. The median figure of $800 thousand seems more
reasonable (N=17).
• Program Budget—The annual mean was $249,900 and the median was $35,000 (N=60).
• Development Revenue—The annual raised was a mean of $44,350 and a median of $17,500 (N=18).
• Reading Series—The annual budget is a mean of $12,592 and a median of $6,000 (N=103).
• Magazine Budget—The annual budget for the magazine is a mean of $6,571 and a median of $3,200
(N=85).
• Annual Fund—8% run an annual fund. Those who report an annual fund (16 total programs) report much
higher average annual budgets for the magazine, reading series, and co-curricular/complementary
creative writing programs but their median annual development revenue raised is identical to the overall
results.
AWP2015SurveyFindings 44
I. Associate Degree Programs • Program Features—A median of 60 total credits are required to complete a degree including 15 credits in
creative writing in 5 courses. A median of 2.0 or a mean of 4.3 total literature courses are required.
• Program Size—A median of 5.5 students have graduated from an AA program in the past twelve months.
• Creative Writing Classes—A slight majority (54%) indicate that they are a program/department
independent of the literature program, while 46% are offered as a track within a literature program.
• Activities—Students writing poems, short stories, creative nonfiction essays, or plays is the one universal
feature of associates’ degree creative writing programs.
• Other very common features include a multi-genre (88%) and/or a single-genre creative-writing workshop
being offered outside of literature class (74%), and a literary magazine published in hard copy (71%). Less
common features include students engaging in interdisciplinary work such as combining language and
visual arts or language and music (53%), or having an online edition for the school’s literary magazine (35%),
• Other Activities—These included campus-wide contests or short story and poetry competitions, hosting
open mic nights or clubs, guest speakers, moving their journal to hard-copy issues, offering Internships at a
national literary magazine, holding literary readings, partnerships for students to curate pieces for a museum
website, having some students be invited to local writers' conferences, visiting writer programs, and poetry
slams.
• Literary Magazine—A mean of 8.8 and a median of 5.0 students are on the literary magazine’s staff and the
mean length per issue is 63 pages.
AWP2015SurveyFindings 45
• Frequency of Publication –75% indicate that they publish an annual edition, while 13% publish twice, 4%
each publish three times, or one or two times depending on the year, and one does so online only.
• Additional Study—The most common areas of additional study to which student writers and/or editors have
advanced are creative writing as undergraduates (79%) and MFA programs in creative writing (71%).
• Workshop Genre—Students are most frequently encouraged to explore fiction (41%), poetry (44%), creative
non-fiction (38%), or screenwriting (9%). Other Details of AA Programs as Reported by Respondents These are representative comments on the various ways in which two-year colleges implement courses in creative writing:
• Currently, we only offer a minor in Creative Writing; therefore, we don't have useful data for section 10. We
are in the process of developing a major.
• Our intro Creative Writing course is required to have a limit of 24 students; however, we are allowed to have
a limit of 12 in the other courses. Usually, administration wants 10 in a class for it to be considered "making."
So far, in our other courses we've been allowed to go forward with a couple less, but I worry that may
change with financial issues.
• Since the program operates within the English department, there really is no budget.
• The AA degree here includes the possibility of a creative writing emphasis. The actual degree doesn't
provide any kind of distinction from the general AA degree. There's no application process to get into the
creative writing program. The students simply register for courses.
• We are an independent department with our budget; we have a twice yearly published student-run
journal; we bring in writers from around the state; we host a national poetry and fiction prize; we have one
full-time professor with runs the department, with a part-time assistant (but she is a full-time employee—she
is the admin for the Dance, Drama, and Creative Writing departments). The Creative Writing department
has a limited budget ($2,000) for hourly help; we have requested and been approved for two federal work-
study students who help run events and manage websites and social media. Many of our students get the
two-year degree and transfer to a 4 year institution; a fair portion of students takes the courses to
strengthen their MFA application submissions; others take the classes for discipline and community. We
have requested, several years running, for a shared faculty position between Creative Writing and English,
but with a budget freeze, it has never been approved. We continue to build community partnerships with
local literary organizations.
• We are an open-admissions public community college who only began a creative writing AA three years
ago. Only three of us (two with PhDs in creative writing, one who is ABD) teach workshops, but several of our
colleagues teach one or two of the required literature classes for majors.
• We are not given information about our finances. Most of our students are part time. I coordinate a
program that offers five classes a semester in Intro to Creative Writing and genre-specific workshops. Most of
our instructors are adjuncts, but all of them hold MFAs and are actively publishing.
• We do not have a creative-writing program or degree; rather, we offer an introductory creative-writing
course once a year. The course can be taken twice for credit as an English elective course. Second-year
students have different course requirements. The course also fulfills our new state-mandated "Creative Arts"
degree requirement, but this has not yet increased enrollment.
• We don't really have a formal program in creative writing—just a set of creative-writing classes available in
English. Students are not required to apply to gain entry to these classes. Thus we have no information on
these students' full-time/part time status or scholarship status.
• We just developed a Minor in Creative Writing a few years ago. It requires 18 credits at the 3rd and 4th year
level (i.e. 6 one-semester courses).
AWP 2015 Survey Findings 46
Appendices
AWP Summary of Open-Ended Survey Comments 47
Summary of Open-Ended Survey Comments This section encapsulates respondents’ comments in survey spaces left for discursive responses to issues outside of those that could be quantified by the survey instrument. The summary reflects the most common issues, challenges, and changes among the creative writing programs responding to the survey. The Institutional Situation of Creative Writing Programs As noted in the section of the survey on “Program Characteristics,” more programs (26%) operate outside an institutional structure that was once almost universal. Formerly, almost all programs operated within a Department of English, where the program director reported to the English Department Chair. The discursive comments indicated that many programs—although they may be technically part of the Department of English—report directly to the deans of their colleges. Written responses also indicated that creative writing programs are now affiliated with units such as:
• Departments of Writing, Communication, Media, or Composition
• Comprehensive Writing Programs (including one in a Writing and Library Science Department)
• Departments of Creative Studies, which includes the visual and performing arts (typical at schools for the arts)
• Schools or departments of Interdisciplinary or Liberal Studies
• Colleges or divisions of continuing education
• Theater Arts Department Problems Linked to the Decline of the English Major A few creative writing programs commented upon a decline in the number of English majors among undergraduates as a cause in the allocation of fewer Teaching Assistantships for their graduate students. Fewer TAs, in turn, diminished the program’s ability to recruit students and maintain enrollment levels. Directors also remarked upon the decline of the English major as a cause of budget constraints that, in turn, stopped the replacement of faculty who had retired or moved on to other institutions. Vacant positions were said to be an impediment to recruiting and maintaining steady enrollment levels. Fluctuations in Enrollments Among the programs that reported declines in their enrollments (21%), some cited the decline of the English major as a problem while others noted these contributing problems:
• Campus-wide declines in enrollment
• Budget deficits and budgets cuts (often attributed to state budget cuts for higher education)
• The university’s preference for promoting science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and business over the liberal arts
AWP Summary of Open-Ended Survey Comments 48
• Changes in university leaders, who set new financial priorities
• Decisions to adopt a more selective admissions process
• Reduction in number of creative writing full-time faculty members
• Elimination of Visiting Writer position
• Proliferation in the number of creative writing programs—more competition
• Increases in cost of tuition
• Low stipends
• The economic downturn Those programs that reported increases in their enrollments (43%) referred to these contributing factors:
• Addition of a minor in literary editing
• New fully funded fellowships or TAs
• Increases in stipends for students
• Cooperation with other art disciplines on campus
• Expansion of visiting writers series and readings
• Endowments and successful fundraising
• Supportive administration
• Supportive department and chair
• Improved marketing
• Establishment of new creative writing major or minor
• Youth of program
• New program director
• Faculty success in publication and awards
• Addition of another literary genre for student specialization Cultivating Diversity Programs implemented the following means to enhance the recruitment of minority students:
• Additional TAs
• Scholarships and fellowships
AWP Summary of Open-Ended Survey Comments 49
• Emergency tuition funds
• Community service workshop in ethnic communities
• Diversifying faculty to attract diverse students
• Internships and practicums
• Diversity in visiting writers and readers
• Needs-based scholarships
• Outreach to historically black colleges and universities
• Special attention to applications and recruitment phone calls
• Summer “bridge” program Changes in Numbers of Full-Time Faculty Directors attributed changes in a program’s number of faculty members to many of the same causes as those for changes in enrollments, listed above. Proliferation of Genres Taught by Programs Whereas the earliest creative writing programs offered courses of study in either the writing of poetry or fiction, with nonfiction becoming more common in the 1990s, more programs noted that they now facilitate specialization in these genres as well:
• Book Art
• Comics
• Professional writing
• Environmental writing
• Game writing
• Digital storytelling
• Multimedia writing
• Screenwriting
• Playwriting
• Dramaturgy
• Genre or popular fiction
• Translation
• Biography
AWP Summary of Open-Ended Survey Comments 50
• Travel writing
• Business writing
• Journalism
• Spiritual writing (liturgies, etc.)
• Writing for Young Adults
• Technical writing
• Grant writing Courses are also offered in arts administration, publishing, graphic design, and teaching creative writing to high school students. Professional Development of Students Program directors noted their use of these activities to help students prepare for professional careers:
• Individual advising, mentoring, and counseling
• Annual sessions with literary editors and agents
• Alumni career panels and alumni mentor program
• Informal “Brown-bag” lunch discussions
• Grad school application workshops and panels
• Town hall meeting on publishing and employment
• Internships and fellowships in teaching
• Internships and fellowship in editing and publishing
• Sending students to AWP conference
• Internships for student magazine
• Introductions to art organizations
• Presentations from campus career center Innovations Program directors recommended to their peers the following innovations in their programs:
• Publishing arts course of study, including all aspects of publishing
• “Immersion” seminar, in which students read four books by one author and writer craft essays on each book
AWP Summary of Open-Ended Survey Comments 51
• Capstone course that requires publication and study of copyright law, self-employment taxes, and working as a freelance writer
• History of the essay seminar
• Pedagogy, at two-year colleges, to prepare students to succeed when the go on to four-year colleges
• BA course of study that integrates cultural studies, creative writing, and professional writing
• Community and Civic Arts course
• Documentary radio writing class
• Environmental writing
• Focus on social justice
• Each workshop as different topic-based course: the fantastic in fiction, poetry and the environment, etc.
• Interdisciplinary courses of study
• Collaboration with other arts programs
• Writers in the Schools program to help MFA students gain additional teaching experience
• Independent study with writers who are not part of the program faculty
• New Play Festival with visiting playwrights and student works
• Vocational training in e-writing, professional writing, and teaching non-traditional student populations
• Pedagogy track that combines the pedagogy of composition and creative writing
• Courses for writing for many types of professional writing and media
• Social media and digital storytelling component to classes
• Exchange program in translation with other universities
• Collaboration with theater or film programs
• Double degree program in publishing and creative writing
• Adjustments to program based on exit surveys
• Half-semester courses: flash fiction, Japanese poetic forms, light verse, etc.
• Creative writing in Spanish and Portuguese Measuring Success Programs used these indicators to measure the success of their programs:
AWP Summary of Open-Ended Survey Comments 52
• Quantification of alumni awards and publications
• Rate of academic job placement in tenure-track positions
• Rate of job placement in professional work of all kinds
• Quantification of theater productions
• Two-year colleges: placement in four-year schools and graduation rates
• Undergraduate programs: placement in graduate programs
• Undergraduate programs: senior portfolio (or capstone project) and exams
• Graduate programs: Quality of thesis work
• Undergraduate programs: quantification of student writing awards in state, regional, or national competitions
• Exit surveys
• Annual internal reviews
• School-wide performance measures Program Finances Many programs directors acknowledged they were unaware of their programs’ allocations in college or
departmental budgets. Relatively few could provide information on faculty salaries. Our queries regarding
faculty salaries, program budgets, and program-supporting endowments received few responses. As a result,
we cannot provide reliable information on these components of our programs.
AWP 2015 Survey Instrument 53
AWP Survey Instrument A. ProgramHistory/Administration/Location
1. Whichcreativewritingprogram(s)doyouhead?Pleasenotethatyourresponsewilltriggertheappropriatesection(s)ofthesurveytodisplay.Thepdfguidethatwasattachedtothesurveyinvitationdisplaysallquestions,whichshouldhelpyouprepareyourresponse.Full-residencyMFAprogramLow-residencyMFAprogramFull-residencyMAprogramLow-residencyMAprogramPhDprogramwithacreativedissertationBachelorofFineArtsprogramBachelorofArtsprogram(major)AssociateofArts/othertwo-yearprogram
2. Whereis/areyourprogram(s)housedwithinyourinstitution?(checkone)[Displayonlyifuniversityprogram]rPartofanEnglishDepartmentrAstand-aloneprogramthatreportstoanEnglishDepartmentrAstand-aloneCreativeWritingDepartmentthatreportstoLiberalArts,Humanities,Arts&Sciences,orsimilarCollegerOthersetting(pleasedescribe)
3. Whatisyourlocationandtotalinstitutionenrollment?(includingoncampusandonlinecombined)Inwhatstateareyoulocated?.................................................................................................................. Howmanytotalfull-timeequivalent(FTE)undergraduatestudentsarestudyingatyourinstitution?.... HowmanytotalFTEgraduatestudentsarestudyingatyourinstitution?................................................
4. Whatis/areyourprogram’sacademiccalendar(s)?qSemester qQuarter/Trimester qOther(pleasedescribe)
5. Doesyouruniversityuseatenure-tracksystem?(checkallthatapply)Pleasenoteifyouhaveasystemthatissimilartotenure,itmaybehelpfultoanswersubsequentquestionsregardingvariousclassesoffacultyasifyouhaveatenure-track.qYes qNo:Ifno,pleasetellusifyouhaveanynuancesinyourprogram(s)
suchasemploymentguarantees: 6. Whatisyourinstitutiontype?(checkallthatapply)
rPublic rPrivate r2-yr.collegerUndergraduatecollege rUniversity rOtherinstitutiontype(pleasedescribe) [Branchlogic:skipSectionsB-FtoappropriatefinalsectionifQ1isoneoflastthreeresponses.Ifmultipleresponsesareindicatedinthatquestion,advancetomatrixversionofB&C]
AWP 2015 Survey Instrument 54
B.ProgramCharacteristics
1. Creativewritingfacultycharacteristics*Pleaseusedecimalswhereappropriate;forexample,ifafacultymemberteachesinavarietyofareas,pleaseestimatehowmuchofhis/hercourseloadiscreative-writingrelated.Howmanyyearshasyourcreativewritingprogramexistedinyouracademicsetting?..................................... Totaltenure-trackfaculty..................................................................................................................................... Totalnon-tenure-trackfull-timesalariedfaculty................................................................................................. Totalnon-tenure-trackpart-timesalariedfaculty................................................................................................ Totaladjunctfaculty............................................................................................................................................. Totalteachingassistants(TAs)teachingcreativewritingcourses........................................................................ Totalcoursesrequiredperacademicyearastheregularfull-timeteachingload(tenure-trackfaculty)............ Totaltenure-trackfaculty,fiveyearsago............................................................................................................. Percentageoftotalcreativewritingcoursesintheprogramtaughtbytenure-trackfaculty.............................. %TotalcreativewritingclassesperacademicyearthatTAsteachastheinstructorofrecord.............................. TotaladditionalcoursesperacademicyearforwhichTAsarespecificallyassignedtofaculty........................... Averagenumberofthesesacreativewritingfacultymembermayadviseinanacademicyear.........................
2. Howhasyourprogram’senrollmentandtuition/budgetchangedoverthepast2-3years?Increasedsubstantially/Increasedslightly/Nochange/Decreasedslightly/Decreasedsubstantially/Don'tknow
EnrollmentTotalstudentsenrolled.......................................................................r r r r r rTotalapplicationsfromprospectivestudents....................................r r r r r rSelectivityofouradmissions..............................................................r r r r r rTuition/BudgetTuitionrates........................................................................................r r r r r rNumberoftenure-trackfaculty..........................................................r r r r r rNumberofnon-tenure-tracksalariedfaculty.....................................r r r r r rNumberofadjunctfaculty..................................................................r r r r r rProgrambudgetforvisitingwritersprogram.....................................r r r r r rProgrambudgetforgraduateassistantships......................................r r r r r rOverallprogrambudgetforthecreativewritingprogram.................r r r r r rPleasedescribethefactorsdrivingthekeychangesyounotedabove:
3. Howmanycoursesdoesthetypicalteacherineachcategoryteachinanacademicyear? TotalCWCoursesTaught TotalOtherCoursesTaughtTenure-trackfaculty.............................................................. .................. Non-tenure-tracksalariedfaculty.......................................... .................. Adjunctfaculty....................................................................... ..................
4. SupportStaff.(Includeifpositionissharedaswell.)Full-time Part-time AnnualSalary
ProgramAssociateorAssistantDirector.....................q q $_________ProgramAssistant........................................................q q $_________
5. ProgramDirector.rFacultyrStaff[Iffaculty,displayfollowingunlabeledquestion;ifstaff,skiptosecondquestionbelow]ProgramDirectorhastenure..............................................................................................rYes rNoProgramDirectorreceivesacourserelease...................................................................rYes rNoTotalcourseloadoftheProgramDirector?(totalcoursestaughtperacademicyear)....................______HowmanycoursesperyeararereleasedfromtheProgramsDirector’snormalload?....................______AmountofadditionalcompensationpaidperacademicyearforservingasProgramDirector?.......$_________HowlonghasProgramDirectorservedinthisroletodate?(indicateyearsandmonths)..................................................................................
AWP 2015 Survey Instrument 55
WhatistheaveragetermservedbyCreativeWritingProgramDirectorsatyourinstitution?(indicateyearsandmonths)....................
6. WhatistheProgramDirector'sstatus?rFull-timeemployee rPart-timeemployee AnnualPay(ifstaffed) $________________
7. Whataretheeducationlevelsofcreativewritingfaculty? Tenure-track Non-Tenure Part-TimePaid TrackSalaried PerCourse(e.g.,Adjuncts)TotalfacultywhoholdanMFAbutnoPhD............................ TotalfacultywhoholdaPhDandanMFA.............................. TotalfacultywhoholdaPhDbutnoMFA.............................. TotalfacultywhoholdanMAbutnoPhDorMFA.................
8. Inyourprogram,doyoupreferthePhDovertheMFAdegreeinhiring?rPreferPhDtoaconsiderabledegreerPreferPhDtosomedegreerNopreferencebetweenPhDandMFA rPreferMFA
9. FinancialData.PleasereportthetotalCWprogrambudgetifoperatedstandalone,orestimatethebudgetifoperatedwithinanEnglishDepartment.Estimatedtotaldepartmentalbudget(includingpayroll).................................................................$ Estimatedtotaldepartmentalbudgetforfaculty/staffdevelopmentopportunities(suchasconferencesandworkshops,excludingreadingseries).....................................................$
TuitionTuitionpersemester/quarter,in-state(ifapplicable).......................................................................$ Tuitionpersemester/quarter,out-of-state(ifapplicable)................................................................$ Tuitionpersemester/quarter,fullrate(ifthereisnoin-state/out-of-statedifferentiation)............$ Tuitionpercredithour,in-state(ifapplicable)..................................................................................$ Tuitionpercredithour,out-of-state(ifapplicable)...........................................................................$ Tuitionpercredithour,fullrate(ifthereisnoin-state/out-of-statedifferentiation)......................$ Totalestimatedcostofadegree(in-statetuitionandfees).............................................................$ Areyouexpectedtorequiremoreout-of-statetuitionfromfirst-yearstudentsasstatesmakestudentresidencyrequirementshardertomeet? qYesqNo
10.Studentsapplying,accepted,inprogram,graduated.Totalapplicationsreceivedforprogramentry,mostrecentacademicyear...................................... Averagenumberofacceptancesperacademicyearoverthepastthreeadmissionscycles(programenrollees,nottotalacceptancessenttostudents)........................................................... AverageundergraduateGPAforincomingstudentsinthepastthreeadmissionscycles................. Totalfull-timecreativewritingstudentsinprogramtoday................................................................ Totalpart-timestudentsinprogram.................................................................................................. Totalstudentsinminor(ifapplicable)............................................................................................... Totalcreativewritingprogramstudents(full-andpart-time),fiveyearsago................................... Averageworkshopsize....................................................................................................................... Class-sizelimit,ifapplicable............................................................................................................... Howmanystudentsgraduatedfromyourprogram,mostrecentacademicyear?........................... Numberofstudentswhoholdscholarships....................................................................................... Numberofstudentswhoholdfellowships......................................................................................... Numberofstudentswhoholdteachingassistantships(ifavailable)................................................. Numberofstudentswhoholdresearchassistantships(ifavailable)................................................. Pleaseprovideotherdetailsherethatwouldhelpexplainyourprogram'sfinances,faculty,students,orothercharacteristicsmorefully.(Notethatthereismorespacetowritethanitappears.)
AWP 2015 Survey Instrument 56
C.Pedagogy&Curriculum
1. Whichgenresareofferedinyourprogram?(checkallthatapply)rFictionrPoetryrDigital/graphicnarrative
rCreativenonfictionrScreenwritingrPlaywriting
rWritingforyoungadultsrChildren’sbooksrHybridforms
rOther(pleasespecify)
2. Arestudentsinyourprogrampermittedorrequiredtoworkinmorethanonegenre?(i.e.,takeatleastoneworkshopinadifferentgenre)rPermittedto rRequiredto rNeither
3. Programcompletion/graduationHowmanystudentsgraduatedfromyourprograminlast12months?....................................................... Whatpercentageofmatriculatedstudentscompleteyourprogramin4years?*....................................... Approximatelyhowmanyyearsonaveragehasittakenstudentstograduatefromyourprogram?*........
[DisplayforallgraduateprogramsexceptPhD]3b. Isathesisrequired?
rNo rYes,individuallydirectedbyasingleadvisor rYes,advisedbyafullthesiscommittee
3c. Ifapplicable,arestudentsrequiredtodefendthatthesisinfrontoftheircommittee?rNo rYes
[DisplayforPhDprogram]PercentageofstudentsalreadyholdanMAorMFAincreativewriting?...................................................... Dissertationcomponents(i.e.,creativedissertation)..................................................................................... Formatofcomprehensiveexaminations(ifapplicable).................................................................................
4. Inwhatwaysdoesyourprogram/facultypromotepublicationofstudentworkoutsideofyourinstitution?(checkall
thatapply)rMentoringofstudentsubmissionsforpublicationrCourseworkonprofessionalliteraryactivitysuchasjobsearches,publication,editing,andpedagogyrFormalsponsorship/inclusionofstudentsinpanelsatmajorconferencesrOthermethods(specify)
5. Inwhatwaysdoesyourprogram/facultypromotetheprofessionaldevelopmentofstudents?(checkallthatapply)rAcademicjobsearchworkshopsrVitapreparationworkshopsrWorkshopsonnon-academicjobsrOther(pleasespecify)
5b.Pleasedescribeyourprogram'scurriculumcharacteristics[Undergraduateprogramsonly.](checkallthatapply)rIntrocoursecountsasaGE/corerequirementrTheintrocourseismulti-genrerIntrocourseisarequiredprerequisiteforallothercreativewritingclassesrSomecoursesareworkshop-basedrAllcoursesareworkshop-basedrSomecoursesincorporatein-classwriting,lecture,quizzes,andcriticalwritingrAllcoursesincorporatein-classwriting,lecture,quizzes,andcriticalwritingrSomecoursesrequireportfoliorAllcoursesrequireportfoliorIfso,isportfolio50%ormoreofcoursegradeforanycoursesrProgramhasastand-alonecreativewritingminorrApplicationorentranceportfoliorequiredrDescribereadingcomponent
AWP 2015 Survey Instrument 57
5c. CurriculumDetails.[Undergraduateprogramsonly.]Howmanylevelsofgenre-specificcourses(i.e.“IntermediateFictionWriting”and“AdvancedFictionWriting”)followtheintroductorycreativewritingcourse?.................................................... Howmanydifferentelectiveclassesareofferedannually?................................................................. Totalnumberofcredithoursrequiredforcreativewritingminor....................................................... Numberofstudentscurrentlypursuingcreativewritingminor........................................................... Whatotherrequirementsdoyouhaveforthecreativewritingminor? Describetheapplication/entranceportfolio
6. Whichcoursesdoyouofferinyourprogram?(checkallthatapply)rGraphicanddigitalstorytelling rLiteraryediting rPublishing rLiterarycitizenship**rTeachingofcreativewriting**rOther(pleasespecify)
7. Forwhatpost-graduateworkdoesyourundergraduateprogramseeitselfpreparingstudents?Pleaseestimatethepercentageofstudentswhogenerallygoontoeachoftheseroles.Graduatestudy(especiallytheMFA)............................................................... %Careersinthecreativeindustries(editing,publishing,advertising,etc.)......... %Othercareers(pleasedescribebelow)............................................................. %Total.................................................................................................................[Autosum=100%]Othercareers.
8. Ifyourprogramhasaspecialfocus,howwouldyoudescribeit?(suchastranslation,environment,education,publishing,editing,orprofessionalwriting)
9. Whatfeaturesofyourprogramdoyouregardasinnovationsthatyoucouldsharewithyourpeers/colleaguesthrough
thissurvey? D.ProgramPerformance/CriteriaforEvaluation
1. Howwouldyourateyourprogram'sperformanceinthefollowingareas?
Poor Fair AverageGood Excellent NoopinionAbilitytopreparestudentsforproductivecareersasauthors...........r r r r r rAbilitytopreparestudentsforproductivecareersasprofessors......r r r r r rSufficiencyoffunding/budget............................................................r r r r r rVisibilityoftheprogramwithprospectivestudents...........................r r r r r rDegreeofsupportforyourprogramwithintheadministration.......r r r r r rPotentialforgrowthinstudents.........................................................r r r r r rAbilitytoattractqualifiedfull-timetenure-trackprofessors.............r r r r r rAbilitytoattractpart-time/adjunctteachers....................................r r r r r rAbilitytoattractguestpresenters......................................................r r r r r r
AWP 2015 Survey Instrument 58
2. Doesyourprogramhaveaformalsystemfortrackingalumnisuccess?rNorYesrYes:ifso,howmanyofyourstudentswentontoanadditionaldegreeincreativewriting? _________
3. Roughlywhatproportionofyourpastgraduateshaveyoubeenabletotrack?qNonerAquarterorfewerrAquartertoonehalfrOnehalftothree-fourthsrAlloralmostall
4. Howdoyoutendtoevaluateyourprograminternally(formallyorinformally)todetermineifyouaresucceeding?
Pleaseindicatehowwellthesematchtheprocessesyouuse: Yes No UnsureWemeasureperformanceperiodicallyusingaformalassessmentplan/reviewprocess....................................................r r rWemeasureperformanceintheformthathigheradministrationand/orlegislaturesdemand............................................................r r rWemeasureperformancefollowinggoalsoutlinedinastrategicand/ormulti-yearprogramplan....................................r r rWemeasureperformanceonmoreofanadhocbasis,takingintoaccountcurrentexpectationsanddevelopments.........r r rExitsurveysofgraduates..................................................................r r r
5. Howdoyoumeasuresuccessinyourprogram?Pleaseprovidespecificsofyourprogram'sactualperformanceandgoalifithelpsillustratehowyouuseyourcriteria.Notethatouranalystswillremoveanyidentificationofyouremployerinsharingexamplesinthefinalreport. E.StudentDemographics
1. Whatarethedemographicsandrelevantbackground/profileofstudentsinyourprogramtoday?Whatistheaverageageofyourstudents?....................................................................................... GenderHowmanystudentsarefemale?........................................................................................................ Howmanyaremale?.......................................................................................................................... Howmanyareother-gendered(includingagender,androgynous,bigender,cisgender,genderfluid,intersex,transsexual,transgender,oragendernotidentifiedhere)?.................................... Race/EthnicityHowmanystudentsareWhite,notHispanic?.................................................................................. HowmanyareBlack,notHispanic?................................................................................................... HowmanyareHispanic?................................................................................................................... HowmanyareAsian?........................................................................................................................ HowmanyareAmericanIndian,AlaskanNative,orPacificIslander?................................................ Howmanyaremixed-race?................................................................................................................
2. Whichactivitiesdoyoudofocusonforrecruitmentandretentionofminoritystudents?(checkallthatapply)qTuitionwaiversqStipendsqAdditionalTApositionsqFellowshipsqIncentivesfromtheDean’sofficeqOther(pleasedescribe)
AWP 2015 Survey Instrument 59
F.Co-Curricular/ComplementaryCreativeWritingPrograms1. Whichofthefollowingfeaturesapplytoyourprogram?(checkallthatapply)
rProgramhostsareadingseriesrCoursereleaseforreadingserieshost(ifapplicable)rCompensationand/orcoursereleaseisprovidedforthefacultymemberrunningtheprogramrProgramisaffiliatedwithourundergraduatecreativewritingprogramrProgramisaffiliatedwithourgraduatecreativewritingprogramrProgramisassociatedwithaliterarypressorjournalrProgramproducesaliteraryjournalrProgrampublishesanexternalliterarymagazinerProgrampublishesaninternalliterarymagazinerCompensation/coursereleaseforfacultymemberservingastheadvisor?rOtherprofessionalorganizationsofferyourstudentsopportunitiesforinternships(nationallyorlocalcommunity)rProgramcollaborateswithotherinstitutionsand/orcommunitypartners(e.g.,bookstores,presses,libraries,etc.)to
promotelearningorliteraryprogramming
2. Doesyourprogramformallysupportstudentsandalumsinanyofthefollowingways?(checkallthatapply)rPost-gradworkshopsrInterviewtrainingrTeachingfellowshipsrNonerOthersupport(describe)
3. FinancialDataSizeofendowment(ifapplicable).....................................................................................................$ Annualprogrambudget.....................................................................................................................$ Annualdevelopmentrevenueraised................................................................................................$ Whatisyourannualbudgetforthereadingseries?.........................................................................$ Whatisyourannualbudgetforthemagazine.................................................................................$
4. Doyourunanannualfund? qYes qNo
Pleaseprovideotherdetailstohelpdescribeyourco-curricular/complementarycreativewritingprograms.
G.AdditionalLow-ResMFAPrograms
1. Howwouldyoudescribethecompositionofyourfaculty?Howmanyaretenure-trackfacultyemployedatthehomeinstitution.......................... Howmanyaretenure-trackfacultywhoarecorelow-resprogramfaculty................... Howmanyareotherfaculty............................................................................................ Ifapplicable,howmanytotalfacultyintheprogramalsoworkinanothercreativewritingprogram(undergraduateorgraduateresidency)................................
2. Facultyresponsibilities Core Peripheral Bothcore& None: facultyonly facultyonly peripheral N/AWhoteachesseminars/classesduringtheresidency:...................r r r rWhoofferslectures/craftseminarsduringtheresidency:............r r r rWhoconductsworkshopsduringtheresidency:...........................r r r rWhooffersreadingsduringtheresidency:....................................r r r r
AWP 2015 Survey Instrument 60
3. Otherprogramcharacteristics:Location/SourceofStudentsPercentageofyourstudentswhoarein-state:.................................................................................. %Percentageofstudentsfromborderingstates:.................................................................................. %Percentageofstudentsfromother,non-borderingstates................................................................ %Percentageofstudentsfromothercountries:................................................................................... %TuitionandFeesTuitionperonlinesemester:..............................................................................................................$ Tuitionpercredithour:.....................................................................................................................$ Totaltuitionforaresidency(includingworkshopsandclasses):......................................................$ Totalresidencyfee(ifitincludesroomandboard):..........................................................................$ Costofroomandboardforaresidency:...........................................................................................$ Totalcostofadegree:.......................................................................................................................$ FacultySalaryAveragefacultysalaryforonlinepersemester,flatrate(ifapplicable):...........................................$ Averagefacultysalaryforonlinepersemesterinarangeorperstudent(ifpayvariesbytotalstudents):......................................................................................................$ Averagefacultycompensationperstudentforthesisdirection(ifapplicable):................................$ Averagefacultysalaryforresidency,flatrate(ifapplicable):...........................................................$ Averagefacultysalaryperresidency,inarangeorperstudent(ifpayvariesbytotalstudents):....$
4. Whichofthefollowingaresourcesoffinancialaidthatyougranttostudentsinyourprogram?(checkallthatapply)qGraduateassistantshipsfundedbygovernmentloansqGraduateassistantshipsfundedbynameduniversityfundsqGraduateassistantshipsfundedbythegraduateschoolorcollegeqOther(pleasedescribe)
5.Whichofthefollowingfeaturesapplytoyourprogram?(checkallthatapply)rStudentsmeetwithvisitingwritersrVisitingwritersofferlectures/craftseminarsinadditiontoreadingrStudentshaveaccesstolearningfrom/interactingwithpublishingprofessionals(suchasapanel)rStudentshavedeeperaccesstoaneditororagentwhowillhavereadtheirworkrProgramallowsstudentstopresenttheirownworkinaformallyscheduledpublicforumrProgramallowsstudentstopresenttheirownworklessformallyinan"openmike"orsimilarforumrStudentsworkincohorts/onlineclassroomsduringtheonlinesemestersrStudentscompleteagraduatingMS/MFAthesisrStudentsarerequiredproduce/completeabooklistorannotatedbibliographyoftheirworkrEachgenreintheprogramoffersstudentsabooklistthat’sbeenassembledbycurrentteachingfacultyrStudentsarerequiredtoattendallresidencyeventsrStudentsmayattendapartialresidencyrProgramhasasystemfortrackingalumnisuccessrProgramhasanalumniorganization
6. Otherfeaturesofyourprogram'srequirementsandcharacteristics:(indicate"0"ifnone)[Revealuponcondition]Whatistheminimumrequirementfortotalbooks/worksreadforeachsemester?....................... Howmanypagesoforiginalworkisrequiredduringeachonlinesemester?................................... Whatistheratiobetweencreativeandcriticalwriting?(e.g.,“3:1ratio”)....................................... Howmanyresidenciesdoyourequireeachyear?............................................................................ Howmanydaysofresidency(total)doyourequireeachyear?...................................................... *RevealbasedonresponsetoC1.
7.Whatformsofcriticalwritingaregraduationrequirementsinyourprogram?
AWP 2015 Survey Instrument 61
8.Whatmethoddoesyourprogramusetodeliverthecurriculumbetweenresidencies?(checkone)qMailedpacketsqOnlinediscussionboards,emailqAcombinationPleaseprovideotherdetailsherethatwouldhelpexplainyourlow-residencyMFAprogram'sstructure,approach,andotherdetailsnotcoveredinthesurveyabove.
9. Inthepastfewyears,lowresidencyprogramshavebeensweptupintheTitleIVissue,facingalllongdistance
educationprograms.Isyouruniversityseekingstatebystateapprovalorregistration?qNoqYes:ifyes,whoonyourcampusisresponsiblefortrackingthisissue? H.AssociatesDegreeProgramQuestions
1. Howareyourcreativewritingclassesoffered?rAsatrackwithinaliteratureprogramrAsaprogram/departmentindependentoftheliteratureprogram
1b.Ifindependentofaliteratureprogram,approximatelywhatproportionofthecreativewritingisaninformation-basedcurriculum?...........................______________
2. Doyourstudentswritecreativelyinthecontextofliteratureclass? rNo rYes
3.Whichactivitiesdoesyourassociatesdegreecreativewritingprogramhave?(checkallthatapply)rStudentswritepoems,shortstories,creativenonfictionessays,orplaysrStudentsengageininterdisciplinarywork(suchascombininglanguageandvisualarts,languageandmusic,etc.)rAsingle-genrecreative-writingworkshopisofferedoutsideofliteratureclassrAmulti-genrecreative-writingworkshopisofferedoutsideofliteratureclassrSchoolhasaliterarymagazinepublishedinhardcopyrSchoolhasaliterarymagazineonlineeditionrOtheractivities(pleasedescribe)
4. Pleasedescribeotherprogramfeatures.[Userevealuponconditionsfromquestionsabove]Totalcreditsrequiredtocompletethedegree?..................................................................................................... Totalcreditsrequiredincreativewriting?.............................................................................................................. Howmanytotalcreativewritingcoursesarerequiredtocompletethedegree?................................................. Howmanytotalliteraturecoursesarerequiredtocompletethedegree?............................................................ Howmanystudentsgraduatedfromprograminlast12months?........................................................................ Whatgenre(s)arestudentsencouragedtoexploreinthecreative-writingworkshop? LiterarymagazineHowmanystudentsareontheliterarymagazine'sstaff:..................................................................................... Howoftenisitpublishedineachacademicyear:................................................................................................. Howmanypageslongistheaverageissue:.......................................................................................................... Whatkindsofcontentdoesitpublish:
5. Toyourknowledge,haveanystudentwritersand/oreditorsgoneontoadditionalstudyincreativewriting?(checkallthatapply)rConcentratedincreativewritingasundergraduatesrEventuallyenteredanMFAprogramsincreativewritingingraduateschoolrOtherprogramstheyhavepursued(pleasedescribe)
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B.ProgramCharacteristics(m
ultipleprogramrespondents)
Pleasenoteinthefollowingquestions:w
ehaveprovidedamatrixforquestionssoyoucanrespondforeachofprogram
syoudirect.Wehopethisisn’tdistractingtoshow
colum
nsforotherprogramsyoudon’tdirect,butthisw
asthemosteffectiveapproachforoursoftw
aretocollecteveryone’sdata.Specificcolumnsindicateaprogram
type,butourfinalreportw
illcategorizeyourdataaslow-orfull-resM
FAorMA,forexam
ple,basedonyourresponsetothefirstquestioninthesurvey.Ifyoumanagem
ultipleprogram
swithinacategory(suchastw
okindsofMAorM
FAprograms)pleasew
ritemeatinfo@
kwhorton.com
andI’llcreateanewIDthatyoucanusetoansw
erforadditionalprogram
s.Ifyoushareresponsibilityforansweringthesurvey,youcanalw
aysshareyoursurveylinkwithapeerorstaffafteryouhavecom
pletedyourpart—they
mayhavetousethe“Back”buttontoreturntoanappropriatepartofthesurveyinstrum
enttocompletetheirpartsofthesurvey.
1.Creativew
ritingfacultycharacteristicsPleaseusedecimalsw
hereappropriate;forexample,ifafacultym
emberteachesinavarietyofareas,pleaseestim
atehow
muchofhis/hercourseloadiscreative-w
ritingrelated.PRO
GRAM
S:BA(major)BFA(major)
MFA
MA
PhDTotaltenure-trackfaculty.............................................................................................................______........______........______.......______.....______Totalnon-tenure-trackfull-tim
esalariedfaculty.........................................................................______........______........______.......______.....______Totalnon-tenure-trackpart-tim
esalariedfaculty........................................................................______........______........______.......______.....______Totalpart-tim
efacultypaidpercourse(e.g.,adjunctfaculty).....................................................______........______........______.......______.....______Totalteachingassistants(TAs)teachingcreativew
ritingcourses...............................................______........______........______.......______.....______Totalcoursesrequiredperacadem
icyearastheregularfull-timeteachingload
(tenure-trackfaculty).................................................................................................................______........______........______.......______.....______Totaltenure-trackfaculty,fiveyearsago.....................................................................................______........______........______.......______.....______Percentageoftotalcreativew
ritingcoursesintheprogramtaughtbytenure-trackfaculty......_____%
......_____%......_____%
_____%
...._____%
Totalcreativewritingclassesperacadem
icyearthatTAsteachastheinstructorofrecord......______........______........______.......______.....______Totaladditionalcoursesperacadem
icyearforwhichTAsarespecificallyassignedtofaculty...______........______........______.......______.....______
AveragenumberofthesesaCW
facultymem
bermayadviseinanacadem
icyear....................______........______........______.......______.....______
2.How
haveyourprograms’enrollm
entandtuition/budgetchangedoverthepast2-3years?(usedrop-downm
enus)Increasedsubstantially/Increasedslightly/N
ochange/Decreasedslightly/Decreasedsubstantially/Don'tknow
PRO
GRAM
S:BA(major)BFA(major)
MFA
MA
PhDTotalstudentsenrolled................................................................................................................______........______........______.......______.....______Totalapplicationsfrom
prospectivestudents..............................................................................______........______........______.......______.....______Selectivityofouradm
issions........................................................................................................______........______........______.......______.....______Tuitionrates.................................................................................................................................______........______........______.......______.....______Num
beroftenure-trackfaculty...................................................................................................______........______........______.......______.....______Num
beroffull-timenon-tenure-tracksalariedfaculty................................................................______........______........______.......______.....______
Num
berofpart-timenon-tenure-tracksalariedfaculty..............................................................______........______........______.......______.....______
Num
berofpart-timefacultypaidpercourse(e.g.,adjuncts).....................................................______........______........______.......______.....______
Programbudgetforvisitingw
ritersprogram...............................................................................______........______........______.......______.....______
Programbudgetforgraduateassistantships...............................................................................______........______........______.......______.....______
Overallprogram
budgetforthecreativewritingprogram
..........................................................______........______........______.......______.....______Pleasedescribethefactorsdrivingthekeychangesyounotedabove.
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3.How
manycreativew
ritingcoursesdoesthetypicalteacherineachcategoryteachinanacademicyear?
PRO
GRAM
S:BA(major)BFA(major)
MFA
MA
PhDTenure-trackfaculty,creativew
ritingcourses.............................................................................______........______........______.......______.....______Non-tenure-tracksalariedfaculty,creativew
ritingcourses........................................................______........______........______.......______.....______Part-tim
efacultypaidpercourse(e.g.,adjuncts)........................................................................______........______........______.......______.....______4.
SupportStaff.Program
AssociateorAssistantDirector
PRO
GRAM
S:BA(major)BFA(major)
MFA
MA
PhDPart-tim
e......................................................................................................................................r...............r
................r................r
...............r
Full-time.......................................................................................................................................r
...............r................r
................r...............r
Program
AssistantPart-tim
e......................................................................................................................................r...............r
................r................r
...............r
Full-time.......................................................................................................................................r
...............r................r
................r...............r
Program
AssociateorAssistantDirectorAnnualSalary...........................................................$.....$
.......$....$
$
ProgramAssistantAnnualSalary...............................................................................................$
.....$.......$
....$$
5.
ProgramDirector.
PRO
GRAM
S:BA(major)BFA(major)
MFA
MA
PhDFaculty(checkifyes)......................................................................................................................r
..............r................r
................r...............r
Staff(checkifyes)..........................................................................................................................r
...............r................r
................r...............r
Iffaculty,Program
Directorreceivescompensationforservinginthiscapacity(checkifyes).....r
...............r................r
................r...............r
Program
Directorhastenure(checkifyes)...................................................................................r...............r
................r................r
...............r
ProgramDirectorreceivesacourserelease(checkifyes).........................................................r
...............r................r
................r...............r
CourseloadoftheProgram
Director?(totalcoursestaughtperacademicyear).......................______........______........______.......______.....______
How
manycoursesperyeararereleasedfrom
theProgramDirector’snorm
alload?...............______........______........______.......______.....______Am
ountofadditionalcompensationpaidperyearforservingasProgram
Director?.............$_______$_______$_______
$_______$
How
longhasthecurrentProgramDirectorservedinthisroletodate?(years&
months)........______........______........______.......______.....______
Whatistheaverageterm
servedbyCreativeWriting
ProgramDirectorsatyourinstitution?(indicateyears&
months)............................................______........______........______.......______.....______
Ifstaff:ProgramDirectorisafull-tim
eemployeeor.....................................................................r
...............r................r
................r...............r
Program
Directorisapart-timeem
ployee.....................................................................................r...............r
................r................r
...............r
Annualpay(ifstaff)..................................................................................................................$_______$_______$_______
$_______$
6.
Educationlevelsofcreativewritingfaculty.
Tenure-TrackPRO
GRAM
S:BA(major)BFA(major)
MFA
MA
PhDTotaltenure-trackw
hoholdanMFAbutnoPhD........................................................................______........______........______.......______.....______
Totaltenure-trackwhoholdaPhDandanM
FA..........................................................................______........______........______.......______.....______Totaltenure-trackw
hoholdaPhDbutnoMFA..........................................................................______........______........______.......______.....______
Totaltenure-trackwhoholdanM
AbutnoPhDorMFA.............................................................______........______........______.......______.....______
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Full-time&
Part-timeN
on-Tenure-TrackSalaried(combined)
TotalfacultywhoholdanM
FAbutnoPhD..................................................................................______........______........______.......______.....______Totalfacultyw
hoholdaPhDandanMFA...................................................................................______........______........______.......______.....______
TotalfacultywhoholdaPhDbutnoM
FA....................................................................................______........______........______.......______.....______Totalfacultyw
hoholdanMAbutnoPhDorM
FA.......................................................................______........______........______.......______.....______AdjunctTotalfacultyw
hoholdanMFAbutnoPhD..................................................................................______........______........______.......______.....______
TotalfacultywhoholdaPhDandanM
FA...................................................................................______........______........______.......______.....______Totalfacultyw
hoholdaPhDbutnoMFA....................................................................................______........______........______.......______.....______
TotalfacultywhoholdanM
AbutnoPhDorMFA.......................................................................______........______........______.......______.....______
7.
Inyourprogram,doyoupreferthePhD
overtheMFAdegreeinhiring?
PRO
GRAM
S:BABFA
MFA
MA
PhDPreferPhDtoaconsiderabledegree.............................................................................................r
..............r................r
................r...............r
PreferPhDtosom
edegree............................................................................................................r..............r
................r................r
...............r
Nopreferencebetw
eenPhDandMFA..........................................................................................r
..............r................r
................r...............r
PreferM
FA.....................................................................................................................................r..............r
................r................r
...............r
8.
Financialdata.PRO
GRAM
S:BA(major)BFA(major)
MFA
MA
PhDEstim
atedtotaldepartmental/program
budget(includingpayroll).......................$.......$
.......$.....$
....$
Estimatedtotaldepartm
ental/programbudgetforfaculty/staffdevelopm
entopportunities(suchasconferencesandw
orkshops,excludingreadingseries)....$.......$
.......$.....$
....$
PleasereportthetotalCWprogram
budgetifoperatedstandalone,orestimatethebudgetifoperatedw
ithinanEnglishDepartment.
9.Tuition.
PRO
GRAM
S:BA(major)BFA(major)
MFA
MA
PhDTuitionpersem
ester/quarter,in-state(ifapplicable).....................................................$....$
...$.....$
.....$
Tuitionpersemester/quarter,out-of-state(ifapplicable)..............................................$
....$...$
.....$.....$
Tuitionpersem
ester/quarter,fullrate(ifthereisnoin-state/out-of-statedifferentiation).$....$
...$.....$
.....$
Tuitionpercredithour,in-state(ifapplicable)...............................................................$....$
...$.....$
.....$
Tuitionpercredithour,out-of-state(ifapplicable)........................................................$....$
...$.....$
.....$
Tuitionpercredithour,fullrate(ifthereisnoin-state/out-of-statedifferentiation)....$....$
...$.....$
.....$
Totalestimatedcostofadegree(in-statetuitionandfees)...........................................$
....$...$
.....$.....$
Areyouexpectedtorequirem
oreout-of-statetuitionfromfirst-yearstudentsas
statesmakestudentresidencyrequirem
entshardertomeet?(checkifyes)..............................r
................r...................r
....................r......................r
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10.Studentsapplying,accepted,inprogram,andgraduated.
PRO
GRAM
S:BA(major)BFA(major)
MFA
MA
PhDTotalapplicationsreceivedforprogram
entry,mostrecentacadem
icyear.......................................
........
....
Averagenumberofacceptancesperacadem
icyearoverthepastthreeadmissionscycles.........
...........
.......
AverageundergraduateG
PAforincomingstudentsinthepastthreeadm
issionscycles...................
........
....
Totalfull-timecreativew
ritingstudentsinprogramtoday
Totalpart-timecreativew
ritingstudentsinprogram....................................................................
...........
.......
Totalstudentsincreativew
ritingminor(ifapplicable)
Totalcreativewritingprogram
students(full-andpart-time),fiveyearsago...............................
...........
.......
Averagew
orkshopsize.........................................................................................................................
........
....
Class-sizelimit,ifapplicable...........................................................................................................
...........
.......
How
manystudentsgraduatedfrom
yourprogram,m
ostrecentacademicyear?.......................
...........
.......
Num
berofstudentswhoholdscholarships...................................................................................
...........
.......
Num
berofstudentswhoholdfellow
ships..........................................................................................
........
....
Num
berofstudentswhoholdteachingassistantships(ifavailable)............................................
...........
.......
Num
berofstudentswhoholdresearchassistantships(ifavailable)............................................
...........
.......
Pleaseprovideotherdetailsherethatw
ouldhelpexplainyourprogram'sfinances,faculty,students,orothercharacteristicsm
orefully.(Notethatthereism
orespacetow
ritethanitappears.)C.Pedagogy&
Curriculum
1.Whichgenresareofferedinyourprogram
?(checkallthatapply)PRO
GRAM
S:BA(major)BFA(major)
MFA
MA
PhDFiction...................................................................................................................................................r
.............r...........r
.............r.............r
Poetry...................................................................................................................................................r
.............r...........r
.............r.............r
Digital/graphicnarrative......................................................................................................................r
.............r...........r
.............r.............r
Creativenonfiction...............................................................................................................................r
.............r...........r
.............r.............r
Screenw
riting.......................................................................................................................................r.............r
...........r.............r
.............r
Playwriting............................................................................................................................................r
.............r...........r
.............r.............r
Writingforyoungadults......................................................................................................................r
.............r...........r
.............r.............r
Children’sbooks...................................................................................................................................r
.............r...........r
.............r.............r
Hybridform
s.........................................................................................................................................r.............r
...........r.............r
.............r
Othergenre..........................................................................................................................................r
.............r...........r
.............r.............r
Pleasespecifyothergenre(s).
2.Arestudentsinyourprogram
permittedorrequiredtow
orkinmorethanonegenre?(i.e.,takeatleastonew
orkshopinadifferentgenre)
PRO
GRAM
S:BA(major)BFA(major)
MFA
MA
PhDPerm
ittedto.........................................................................................................................................r...............r
..........r...............r
..............r
Requiredto..........................................................................................................................................r...............r
..........r...............r
..............r
Neither.................................................................................................................................................r
...............r..........r
...............r..............r
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3.Program
completion/graduation.
PRO
GRAM
S:BA(major)BFA(major)
MFA
MA
PhDHow
manystudentsgraduatedfrom
programinlast12m
onths?...........................................................
........
.....
Whatpercentageofm
atriculatedstudentscompleteyourprogram
in4years?(UGprogram
sonly).....
........
.....
Approximatelyhow
manyyearsonaveragehasittakenstudentstograduatefrom
yourprogram?
(undergraduateprogramsonly)...........................................................................................................
........
.........
3b.IsathesisrequiredinyourMasters’degreeprogram
s?PRO
GRAM
S:MFA
MA
Yes,individuallydirectedbyasingleadvisor.................................................................................................r
r
Yes,advisedbyafullthesiscommittee..........................................................................................................r
r
No...................................................................................................................................................................r
r
Ifapplicable:Studentsarerequiredtodefendthatthesisinfrontoftheircommittee(checkifyes)..........r
r
3b.PhD
programsonly:
PercentageofstudentsalreadyholdanMAorM
FAincreativewriting?......................................................
Dissertationcom
ponents(i.e.,creativedissertation)....................................................................................
Formatofcom
prehensiveexaminations(ifapplicable).................................................................................
5.
Inwhatw
aysdoesyourprogram/facultyprom
otepublicationofstudentworkoutsideofyourinstitutionandtheprofessionaldevelopm
entofstudents?(checkallthatapply)Publicationofstudentw
orkoutsideofyourinstitutionPRO
GRAM
S:BA(major)BFA(major)
MFA
MA
PhDMentoringofstudentsubm
issionsforpublication..............................................................................r...............r
..........r...............r
..............r
Courseworkonprofessionalliteraryactivity(jobsearches,publication,editing,pedagogy)..............r
...............r..........r
...............r..............r
Form
alsponsorship/inclusionofstudentsinpanelsatmajorconferences.........................................r
...............r..........r
...............r..............r
Otherw
ays/methods...........................................................................................................................r
...............r..........r
...............r..............r
Professionaldevelopm
entofstudentsAcadem
icjobsearchworkshops..........................................................................................................r
...............r..........r
...............r..............r
Vitapreparationw
orkshops.................................................................................................................r...............r
..........r...............r
..............r
Workshopsonnon-academ
icjobs.......................................................................................................r...............r
..........r...............r
..............r
Pleasedescribeotherwaysyouprom
otepublicationofstudentworkoutsideofyourinstitutionandstudentprofessionaldevelopm
ent
6.Pleasedescribeyourprogram
'scurriculumcharacteristics.(checkallthatapply)
PRO
GRAM
S:BA(major)BFA(major)
MFA
MA
PhDIntrocoursecountsasaG
E/corerequirement...................................................................................r
..................r............r
.............r.............r
Theintrocourseism
ulti-genre...........................................................................................................r..................r
............r.............r
.............r
Introcourseisarequiredprerequisiteforallothercreativewritingclasses......................................r
..................r............r
.............r.............r
Som
ecoursesareworkshop-based.....................................................................................................r
..................r............r
.............r.............r
Allcoursesarew
orkshop-based..........................................................................................................r..................r
............r.............r
.............r
Somecoursesincorporatein-classw
riting,lecture,quizzes,andcriticalwriting...............................r
..................r............r
.............r.............r
Allcoursesincorporatein-classw
riting,lecture,quizzes,andcriticalwriting....................................r
..................r............r
.............r.............r
Som
ecoursesrequireportfolio...........................................................................................................r..................r
............r.............r
.............r
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Allcoursesrequireportfolio................................................................................................................r..................r
............r.............r
.............r
Ifso,isportfolio50%orm
oreofcoursegradeforanycourses..........................................................r..................r
............r.............r
.............r
Programhasastand-alonecreativew
ritingminor.............................................................................r
..................r............r
.............r.............r
Applicationorentranceportfoliorequired.........................................................................................r
..................r............r
.............r.............r
7.CurriculumDetails
PRO
GRAM
S:BA(major)BFA(major)
MFA
MA
PhDHow
manylevelsofgenre-specificcourses(i.e.“Interm
ediateFictionWriting”and“Advanced
FictionWriting”)follow
theintroductorycreativewritingcourse?.....................................................
........
.........
How
manydifferentelectiveclassesareofferedannually?...................................................................
........
.........
Totalnum
berofcredithoursrequiredforcreativewritingm
inor............................................................
........
.....
Num
berofstudentscurrentlypursuingcreativewritingm
inor................................................................
........
.....
Pleasedescribetheapplication/entranceportfolio:
Whatotherrequirem
entsdoyouhaveforthecreativewritingm
inor?[DisplayifBAorBFA]
8.
Whichcoursesdoyouofferinyourprogram
?(checkallthatapply)PRO
GRAM
S:BA(major)BFA(major)
MFA
MA
PhDGraphicanddigitalstorytelling............................................................................................................r
...............r..........r
...............r..............r
Literaryediting.....................................................................................................................................r
...............r..........r
...............r..............r
Publishing.............................................................................................................................................r
...............r..........r
...............r..............r
Literarycitizenship...............................................................................................................................r
...............r..........r
...............r..............r
Teachingofcreativew
riting.................................................................................................................r...............r
..........r...............r
..............r
Whatothercoursesdoyouofferineachoftheprogram
sabove(ifapplicable)?BA(major)
BFA(major)
MFA
MA
PhD
9.Forw
hatpost-graduateworkdoyourundergraduateprogram
sseethemselvespreparingstudents?Pleaseestim
atethepercentageofstudentswhogenerallygo
ontoeachoftheseroles.Pleaseanswersothatthetotalforeachprogram
equals100%.
PRO
GRAM
S:BA(major)BFA(major)
Graduatestudy(especiallytheM
FA)................................................................%......
%
Careersinthecreativeindustries(editing,publishing,advertising,etc.).........%......
%
Othercareers(pleasedescribebelow
).............................................................%......
%
Whatothercareersdosom
eofyourstudentsenter?
11.Ifyourprogramshaveaspecialfocus,how
wouldyoudescribethem
?(suchastranslation,environment,education,publishing,editing,orprofessionalw
riting)12.W
hatfeaturesofyourprogram(s)doyouregardasinnovationsthatyoucouldsharew
ithyourpeers/colleaguesthroughthissurvey?
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D.Program
Performance/CriteriaforEvaluation
1.How
wouldyourateyourprogram
'sperformanceinthefollow
ingareas?(usedrop-downm
enus)D
ROPD
OWNS:Poor/Fair/Average/G
ood/Excellent/Noopinion
PRO
GRAM
S:BABFA
MFA
MA
PhDAbilitytopreparestudentsforproductivecareersasauthors...........................................................
............
.........
Abilitytopreparestudentsforproductivecareersasprofessors.......................................................
............
.........
Sufficiencyoffunding/budget.............................................................................................................
............
.........
Visibilityoftheprogram
withprospectivestudents...........................................................................
............
.........
Degreeofsupportforyourprogram
withintheadm
inistration...............................................................
........
......
Potentialforgrowthinstudents.........................................................................................................
............
.........
Abilitytoattractqualifiedfull-tim
etenure-trackprofessors.....................................................................
........
......
Abilitytoattractqualifiedfull-andpart-timenon-tenure-tracksalariedfaculty...............................
............
.........
Abilitytoattractpart-tim
eteacherspaidpercourse(e.g.,adjuncts)........................................................
........
......
Abilitytoattractguestpresenters.............................................................................................................
........
......
2.
Doesyourprogram
haveaformalsystem
fortrackingalumnisuccessandifso,roughlyw
hatproportionofyourpastgraduateshaveyoubeenabletotrack?
PRO
GRAM
S:BABFA
MFA
MA
PhDForm
alsystemfortrackingalum
nisuccess(checkifyes).......................................................................................r..........r
...............r..............r
.............r
None........................................................................................................................................................................r
..........r...............r
..............r.............r
Aquarterorfew
er....................................................................................................................................................r..........r
...............r..............r
.............r
Aquartertoonehalf................................................................................................................................................r..........r
...............r..............r
.............r
Onehalftothree-fourths.........................................................................................................................................r
..........r...............r
..............r.............r
Alloralm
ostall........................................................................................................................................................r..........r
...............r..............r
.............r
Ifyes,how
manyofyourstudentsw
entontoanadditionaldegreeincreativewriting:
BA_________BS_________[displayifU
G]
4.How
doyoutendtoevaluateyourprograminternally(form
allyorinformally)todeterm
ineifyouaresucceeding?Pleaseindicatehowwellthesem
atchtheprocessesyouuse:
PRO
GRAM
S:BABFA
MFA
MA
PhDWeperiodicallyuseaform
alassessmentplan/review
process...............................................................................r..........r
...............r..............r
.............r
Wem
easureperformanceintheform
thathigheradministrationand/orlegislaturesdem
and............................r..........r
...............r..............r
.............r
Wem
easureperformancefollow
inggoalsoutlinedinastrategicand/ormulti-yearprogram
plan......................r..........r
...............r..............r
.............r
Wem
easureonmoreofanadhocbasis,takingintoaccountcurrentexpectationsanddevelopm
ents...............r..........r
...............r..............r
.............r
Exitsurveysofgraduates..........................................................................................................................................r..........r
...............r..............r
.............r
5.
How
doyoumeasuresuccessinyourprogram
(s)?Pleaseprovidespecificsofyourprogram
'sactualperformanceandgoalifithelpsillustratehow
youuseyourcriteria.Notethatouranalystsw
illremoveany
identificationofyouremployerinsharingexam
plesinthefinalreport.
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E.StudentDem
ographics
1.Whatarethedem
ographicsandrelevantbackground/profileofstudentsinyourprogramtoday?
PRO
GRAM
S:BA(major)BFA(major)
MFA
MA
PhDWhatistheaverageageofyourstudents?........................................................................................
............
.........
Gender
How
manystudentsarefem
ale?...............................................................................................................
........
......
How
manyarem
ale?..................................................................................................................................
........
......
How
manyareother-gendered(includingagender,androgynous,bigender,cisgender,gender
fluid,intersex,transsexual,transgender,oragendernotidentifiedhere)?............................................
........
......
Race/EthnicityHow
manystudentsareW
hite,notHispanic?...................................................................................
............
.........
How
manyareBlack,notH
ispanic?..........................................................................................................
........
......
How
manyareH
ispanic?...........................................................................................................................
........
......
How
manyareAsian?.........................................................................................................................
............
.........
How
manyareAm
ericanIndian,AlaskanNative,orPacificIslander?................................................
............
.........
How
manyarem
ixed-race?.......................................................................................................................
........
......
2.W
hichactivitiesdoyoudofocusedonrecruitmentandretentionofm
inoritystudents?(checkallthatapply)
PRO
GRAM
S:BA(major)BFA(major)
MFA
MA
PhDTuitionw
aivers.....................................................................................................................................................r.............r
...............r..............r
.............r
Stipends................................................................................................................................................................r.............r
...............r..............r
.............r
AdditionalTApositions........................................................................................................................................r.............r
...............r..............r
.............r
Fellowships...........................................................................................................................................................r
.............r...............r
..............r.............r
Incentivesfrom
theDean’soffice........................................................................................................................r.............r
...............r..............r
.............r
Otheractivities.....................................................................................................................................................r
.............r...............r
..............r.............r
Otheractivities:
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F.GraduateAssistants[displaynextthreequestionsonlyforgraduateprogram
]
1a.Whichapplytocom
pensationandresponsibilitiesforgraduateteachingassistants?(checkallthatapply)[displayifB10.12>0]Com
pensation
PRO
GRAM
S:MFA
MA
PhDIncludeafulltuitionw
aiver.................................................................................................................................r.............r
...............r
Includeapartialtuitionwaiver...........................................................................................................................r
.............r...............r
Payin-statetuitionforoutofstatestudents.......................................................................................................r
.............r...............r
Receivehealthinsurance.....................................................................................................................................r
.............r...............r
Fundedbythedepartm
ent..................................................................................................................................r.............r
...............r
Fundedbythegraduateschool............................................................................................................................r.............r
...............r
Fundedbyendowment/scholarshipm
oney........................................................................................................r.............r
...............r
ResponsibilitiesOpportunitytoteachFirst-YearW
riting..............................................................................................................r.............r
...............r
OpportunitytoteachLiterature...........................................................................................................................r
.............r...............r
OpportunitytoteachCreativeW
riting................................................................................................................r.............r
...............r
Otherresponsibilities...........................................................................................................................................r
.............r...............r
Describeotherresponsibilities.
1b.Whichapplytocom
pensationandresponsibilitiesforgraduateresearchassistants?(checkallthatapply)[displayifB10.13>0]Com
pensation
PRO
GRAM
S:MFA
MA
PhDIncludeafulltuitionw
aiver.................................................................................................................................r.............r
...............r
Includeapartialtuitionwaiver...........................................................................................................................r
.............r...............r
Payin-statetuitionforoutofstatestudents.......................................................................................................r
.............r...............r
Receivehealthinsurance.....................................................................................................................................r
.............r...............r
Fundedbythedepartm
ent..................................................................................................................................r.............r
...............r
Fundedbythegraduateschool............................................................................................................................r.............r
...............r
Fundedbyendowment/scholarshipm
oney........................................................................................................r.............r
...............r
ResponsibilitiesOpportunitytoteachFirst-YearW
riting..............................................................................................................r.............r
...............r
OpportunitytoteachLiterature...........................................................................................................................r
.............r...............r
OpportunitytoteachCreativeW
riting................................................................................................................r.............r
...............r
Otherresponsibilities...........................................................................................................................................r
.............r...............r
Describeotherresponsibilities.
1c.Pleasedescribetheaveragecompensationforgraduateassistantsandvalueofscholarships(excludingtuitionrem
ission).
PRO
GRAM
S:MFA
MA
PhDAverageannualvalueofstipendforTeachingAssistants...........................................................................$
.....$......$
AverageannualvalueofstipendforResearchAssistants...........................................................................$
.....$......$
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Averageannualamountofscholarshipgranted.........................................................................................$
.....$......$
Averageannualam
ountoffellowship........................................................................................................$
.....$......$
1d.H
owm
anyreceivefullorpartialtuitionremissionandifso,w
hatistheaveragevalueofthetuitiongranted?Num
berwhoreceivetuitionrem
issionPRO
GRAM
S:MFA
MA
PhDTeachingAssistants.....................................................................................................................................
ResearchAssistants.....................................................................................................................................
Scholarshipsand/orfellow
ships..................................................................................................................
Otherprogram
/departmentem
ployees.....................................................................................................
Averageamountoftuitionrem
issionTeachingAssistants.....................................................................................................................................$
.....$......$
ResearchAssistants.....................................................................................................................................$
.....$......$
Scholarshipsand/orfellow
ships..................................................................................................................$.....$
......$
Otherprogram
/departmentem
ployees.....................................................................................................$.....$
......$
2.
Whichofthefollow
ingaresourcesoffinancialaidthatyougranttostudentsinyourprogram?(checkallthatapply)
Graduateassistantshipsfundedbygovernm
entloans........................................................................................r.............r
...............r
Graduateassistantshipsfundedbynam
eduniversityfunds...............................................................................r.............r
...............r
Graduateassistantshipsfundedbythegraduateschoolorcollege.....................................................................r
.............r...............r
Othersources......................................................................................................................................................r
.............r...............r
[BranchlogictoSectionH
]
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Deta
iled
Ta
ble
s
Type of Institution Geographic Region
Program Type
Overall
Public Private
Coll Univ
NEast MidAtl
MWest
South SW
est W
est AA
BA BFA
MA-FullRes
MFA-FullRes
MFA-LowRes
PhD
Total Respondents 515
294 217
171 335
89 66
105 84
88 77
54 220
29 40
95 36
21
A. Program History/Adm
inistration/Location W
hich creative writing program(s) do you head
Full-residency MFA program
26%
34%
15%
12%
33%
19%
14%
22%
38%
24%
38%
0%
9%
28%
3%
99%
8%
24%
Low-residency MFA program 9%
6%
13%
7%
10%
10%
11%
7%
10%
7%
13%
0%
2%
7%
0%
2%
100%
0%
Full-residency MA program
15%
24%
2%
1%
22%
15%
11%
16%
14%
20%
10%
0%
10%
7%
100%
2%
3%
38%
Low-residency MA program 1%
1%
1%
0%
1%
0%
3%
1%
0%
2%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
6%
0%
PhD program with a creative dissertation
10%
15%
3%
2%
14%
3%
2%
9%
14%
22%
6%
0%
6%
3%
20%
6%
0%
100%
Bachelor of Fine Arts program 9%
5%
13%
12%
7%
8%
14%
12%
10%
5%
5%
0%
3%
93%
8%
4%
6%
5%
Bachelor of Arts program (major)
52%
43%
64%
53%
52%
52%
65%
55%
49%
51%
39%
0%
96%
21%
35%
21%
11%
38%
Associate of Arts/other two-year program 11%
16%
2%
27%
2%
8%
3%
9%
6%
22%
14%
100%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
Non-degree arts organization program
1%
0%
2%
1%
0%
2%
0%
0%
0%
1%
1%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
Other 3%
2%
3%
4%
2%
6%
2%
3%
0%
3%
3%
2%
1%
0%
0%
1%
3%
0%
W
here is/area your program(s) housed within your institution
Part of an English Department 75%
80%
69%
76%
76%
69%
79%
81%
76%
81%
65%
83%
82%
59%
95%
75%
17%
90%
A stand-alone program that reports to an English Department
6%
5%
7%
6%
6%
7%
3%
5%
8%
6%
5%
6%
5%
0%
0%
5%
25%
0%
A stand-alone Creative Writing Department that
reports to Liberal Arts, Humanities, Arts & Sciences, or similar
7%
5%
11%
8%
7%
11%
3%
7%
5%
5%
14%
4%
3%
24%
5%
8%
28%
0%
Other setting 12%
10%
13%
9%
11%
13%
15%
8%
11%
9%
16%
7%
10%
17%
0%
12%
31%
10%
W
hat is/are your program’s academ
ic calendar(s) Semester
92%
94%
88%
88%
94%
94%
94%
95%
95%
98%
71%
93%
92%
93%
95%
94%
81%
90%
Quarter/Trimester 5%
5%
6%
6%
5%
2%
0%
4%
2%
1%
25%
6%
4%
3%
5%
6%
11%
10%
Other
3%
0%
6%
6%
1%
3%
6%
1%
2%
1%
4%
2%
4%
3%
0%
0%
8%
0%
Does your university use a tenure-track system
Yes
91%
95%
86%
83%
96%
86%
98%
95%
87%
88%
91%
72%
94%
90%
100%
99%
69%
100%
No 9%
5%
14%
17%
4%
14%
2%
5%
13%
13%
9%
28%
6%
10%
0%
1%
31%
0%
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Type of Institution Geographic Region
Program Type
Your institution type Overall
Public Private
Coll Univ
NEast MidAtl
MWest
South SW
est W
est AA
BA BFA
MA-FullRes
MFA-FullRes
MFA-LowRes
PhD
Public 57%
100%
0%
32%
71%
43%
48%
48%
67%
76%
65%
87%
40%
38%
90%
78%
36%
86%
Private
42%
0%
100%
68%
29%
57%
52%
52%
32%
23%
35%
9%
60%
59%
10%
23%
64%
14%
High school 1%
0%
0%
0%
0%
1%
0%
0%
0%
1%
1%
4%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
2-yr. college
8%
13%
1%
24%
0%
4%
2%
8%
5%
17%
12%
74%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
Undergraduate college 17%
4%
34%
45%
3%
22%
23%
20%
18%
8%
9%
7%
25%
45%
3%
2%
11%
5%
University
40%
49%
28%
2%
60%
34%
45%
40%
44%
35%
44%
7%
41%
34%
55%
46%
42%
52%
Other institution type 4%
2%
6%
5%
3%
1%
8%
5%
2%
5%
4%
2%
4%
7%
0%
3%
8%
5%
B. Program
Characteristics
Creative writing faculty characteristics.
Years CW program has existed in your academic
setting 18.6
20.0 17.3
16.1 20.5
17.4 14.9
20.4 20.4
16.1 21.3
12.3 17.1
26.3 21.9
26.9 12.7
31.2 Total tenure-track faculty
4.9 5.2
4.6 4.5
5.2 5.8
4.3 5.4
5.3 4.4
3.9 3.9
5.2 5.6
4.3 6.0
2.4 7.0
Total non-tenure-track full-time salaried faculty 1.8
2.1 1.4
1.5 1.9
1.4 1.7
1.2 3.1
1.7 1.9
2.2 1.7
1.4 1.0
1.4 1.6
2.3 Total non-tenure-track part-time salaried faculty
1.3 1.2
1.5 1.3
1.3 1.3
0.9 1.2
1.8 1.6
1.4 1.5
1.2 0.3
0.3 0.7
4.1 0.3
Total adjunct faculty 3.5
2.6 4.5
3.9 3.3
5.2 3.1
2.7 3.8
3.2 3.1
3.2 2.8
2.4 1.2
3.5 9.6
2.1 Total teaching assistants (TAs) teaching CW
courses
1.8 2.9
0.6 0.3
2.7 0.9
0.7 1.6
2.9 2.7
2.3 0.6
0.7 0.5
1.0 6.1
0.9 7.8
Total courses required per academic year as the regular full-time teaching load (tenure-track faculty)
6.2 5.9
6.6 8.0
5.3 5.1
7.1 6.1
6.0 6.3
7.1 9.7
6.7 8.8
5.3 4.1
3.9 3.5
Total tenure-track faculty, five years ago 5.1
6.1 3.8
4.3 5.5
4.3 7.8
5.7 5.7
3.9 3.6
4.8 4.4
9.3 7.0
5.9 3.1
7.2 Pct. CW
courses in program taught by tenure-track faculty
67%
70%
63%
64%
70%
61%
66%
70%
70%
70%
66%
56%
70%
65%
82%
75%
28%
90%
CW classes/academic year TAs teach as
instructor of record 2.2
3.4 0.8
0.3 3.3
1.3 1.0
2.0 3.1
4.0 2.0
0.8 1.4
0.6 0.3
7.0 0.1
9.8
Total additional courses per academic year for which TAs are specifically assigned to faculty
1.2 1.5
0.7 1.0
1.2 1.0
0.0 0.4
1.5 1.6
2.9 0.6
0.5 0.1
1.0 4.4
0.7 0.0
Average theses a CW faculty member may
advise/year 3.9
3.6 4.6
3.4 4.0
3.2 4.1
3.9 4.7
3.3 4.3
0.0 3.9
2.9 3.6
3.9 3.5
3.3
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Type of Institution Geographic Region
Program Type
Overall
Public Private
Coll Univ
NEast MidAtl
MWest
South SW
est W
est AA
BA BFA
MA-FullRes
MFA-FullRes
MFA-LowRes
PhD
How program enrollm
ent and tuition/budget changed over past 2-3 years. 5-pt scale Total students enrolled
3.34 3.33
3.34 3.38
3.32 3.25
3.27 3.27
3.40 3.51
3.39 3.48
3.50 3.58
3.11 3.02
3.32 3.35
Total applications from prospective students 3.41
3.46 3.32
3.38 3.40
3.30 3.41
3.35 3.34
3.73 3.35
3.65 3.46
3.76 3.13
3.35 3.21
3.59 Selectivity of our admissions
3.24 3.21
3.28 3.19
3.25 3.12
3.14 3.27
3.21 3.37
3.35 3.18
3.12 3.17
2.84 3.54
3.38 3.56
Tuition rates 3.81
3.80 3.81
3.75 3.83
3.67 3.79
3.87 3.87
3.80 3.82
3.70 3.87
3.83 3.81
3.77 3.76
3.73 Number of tenure-track faculty
3.09 3.06
3.13 3.15
3.06 3.03
3.19 2.99
3.13 3.04
3.27 3.13
3.14 2.92
3.12 3.02
2.90 3.27
Number non-tenure-track full-time salaried faculty
3.15 3.15
3.15 3.07
3.19 2.97
3.19 3.14
3.26 3.12
3.28 3.05
3.19 3.14
3.19 3.16
3.13 3.00
Number non-tenure-track part-time salaried faculty
2.95 2.90
3.11 3.17
2.91 3.00
3.00 2.90
2.43 3.08
3.00 N/A
2.94 3.13
2.92 2.93
2.80 3.00
Number of adjunct faculty 3.16
3.15 3.17
3.21 3.13
3.05 3.25
3.06 3.13
3.30 3.27
3.33 3.18
3.00 3.08
3.05 3.40
3.00 Program budget for visiting writers program
3.09 3.05
3.12 3.01
3.11 2.96
3.14 3.01
3.03 3.42
3.02 2.91
3.04 3.33
3.13 3.18
3.03 3.21
Program budget for graduate assistantships 3.22
3.14 3.41
3.22 3.22
3.30 3.50
3.31 3.15
3.03 3.18
N/A 3.00
3.33 2.96
3.35 3.22
3.21 Overall program budget for the creative writing program
3.03 3.00
3.06 3.00
3.04 2.90
2.93 3.01
2.97 3.14
3.27 3.09
2.95 3.04
3.00 3.01
3.33 3.13
Total students enrolled, change over past 2-3 years Increased substantially
17%
17%
17%
16%
18%
13%
21%
19%
18%
17%
18%
12%
24%
27%
14%
5%
23%
12%
Increased slightly 30%
30%
29%
33%
28%
31%
21%
25%
36%
35%
30%
38%
31%
27%
30%
25%
23%
29%
No change
24%
22%
26%
25%
24%
25%
25%
23%
17%
21%
33%
19%
19%
27%
8%
41%
17%
41%
Decreased slightly 23%
23%
22%
22%
23%
27%
25%
28%
24%
17%
12%
19%
20%
15%
41%
23%
31%
18%
Decreased substantially
4%
4%
4%
2%
5%
2%
7%
4%
4%
2%
7%
0%
5%
4%
3%
5%
3%
0%
Total applications from prospective students, change over past 2-3 years
Increased substantially 16%
18%
13%
10%
19%
13%
15%
17%
12%
23%
18%
13%
12%
35%
11%
23%
17%
29%
Increased slightly
27%
27%
27%
30%
25%
26%
23%
25%
32%
28%
26%
23%
29%
13%
26%
30%
29%
24%
No change 20%
19%
20%
22%
19%
18%
23%
19%
16%
17%
27%
33%
17%
35%
23%
13%
11%
29%
Decreased slightly
16%
16%
15%
12%
17%
22%
8%
19%
17%
10%
13%
2%
8%
4%
26%
31%
37%
12%
Decreased substantially 5%
4%
6%
4%
5%
3%
7%
5%
5%
3%
8%
0%
6%
4%
6%
5%
3%
6%
Selectivity of our adm
issions, change over past 2-3 years Increased substantially
7%
8%
6%
6%
8%
5%
4%
10%
3%
13%
9%
4%
4%
4%
0%
20%
3%
19%
Increased slightly 19%
15%
25%
16%
20%
21%
18%
18%
25%
14%
22%
6%
16%
13%
18%
26%
36%
25%
No change
55%
59%
50%
59%
54%
47%
60%
57%
51%
55%
59%
72%
57%
79%
47%
40%
52%
50%
Decreased slightly 9%
9%
8%
8%
9%
13%
5%
8%
12%
7%
6%
0%
8%
4%
26%
11%
6%
6%
Decreased substantially
2%
2%
2%
1%
2%
4%
4%
2%
0%
0%
0%
0%
3%
0%
3%
1%
0%
0%
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Type of Institution Geographic Region
Program Type
Tuition/Budget Overall
Public Private
Coll Univ
NEast MidAtl
MWest
South SW
est W
est AA
BA BFA
MA-FullRes
MFA-FullRes
MFA-LowRes
PhD
Tuition rates, change over past 2-3 years Increased substantially
5%
6%
4%
2%
7%
1%
8%
4%
6%
5%
8%
0%
7%
4%
9%
6%
0%
0%
Increased slightly 70%
67%
73%
69%
70%
65%
68%
76%
73%
66%
70%
63%
76%
68%
64%
67%
74%
67%
No change
19%
20%
19%
22%
18%
28%
13%
17%
19%
24%
14%
22%
14%
20%
21%
22%
23%
25%
Decreased slightly 1%
1%
0%
1%
1%
2%
0%
0%
0%
0%
3%
2%
1%
0%
3%
1%
0%
0%
Decreased substantially
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
0%
5%
0%
0%
0%
2%
0%
2%
0%
0%
1%
0%
0%
Number of tenure-track faculty, change over past 2-3 years
Increased substantially 3%
3%
2%
1%
3%
1%
3%
4%
3%
0%
5%
2%
4%
0%
0%
2%
0%
7%
Increased slightly
23%
22%
23%
27%
21%
24%
29%
15%
24%
19%
30%
22%
26%
17%
26%
22%
3%
20%
No change 60%
55%
65%
61%
58%
56%
56%
60%
59%
65%
59%
65%
54%
63%
62%
56%
84%
67%
Decreased slightly
11%
12%
8%
7%
13%
14%
10%
18%
11%
8%
0%
4%
11%
17%
9%
16%
6%
7%
Decreased substantially 4%
5%
2%
4%
4%
5%
3%
3%
3%
4%
6%
4%
5%
4%
3%
4%
3%
0%
Num
ber of non-tenure-track full-time salaried faculty, change over past 2-3 years
Increased substantially 3%
4%
3%
2%
4%
0%
5%
6%
5%
1%
3%
0%
4%
0%
4%
4%
9%
0%
Increased slightly
16%
15%
17%
12%
18%
9%
15%
11%
25%
19%
25%
11%
21%
32%
11%
15%
3%
9%
No change 70%
70%
70%
74%
68%
80%
75%
69%
59%
66%
67%
76%
64%
55%
85%
74%
75%
82%
Decreased slightly
6%
6%
7%
8%
5%
9%
3%
7%
6%
5%
3%
2%
7%
9%
0%
4%
9%
9%
Decreased substantially 1%
2%
1%
1%
2%
1%
2%
1%
2%
3%
2%
2%
5%
0%
1%
0%
0%
Number of non-tenure-track part-tim
e salaried faculty, change over past 2-3 years Increased slightly
3%
0%
11%
17%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
8%
0%
0%
3%
13%
0%
0%
0%
0%
No change 89%
88%
89%
83%
90%
100%
100%
90%
43%
92%
92%
0%
84%
88%
92%
93%
80%
100%
Decreased slightly
8%
10%
0%
0%
9%
0%
0%
10%
57%
0%
0%
0%
9%
0%
8%
7%
20%
0%
Number of adjunct faculty, change over past 2-3 years
Increased substantially 3%
2%
3%
3%
2%
1%
3%
2%
5%
3%
2%
6%
3%
4%
0%
0%
6%
0%
Increased slightly
20%
19%
22%
26%
17%
11%
28%
16%
18%
29%
25%
26%
22%
22%
16%
12%
32%
10%
No change 68%
70%
66%
60%
72%
80%
62%
68%
65%
59%
70%
60%
66%
52%
80%
82%
52%
80%
Decreased slightly
6%
5%
7%
6%
5%
6%
3%
10%
8%
3%
2%
2%
6%
13%
0%
4%
6%
10%
Decreased substantially 2%
2%
2%
3%
2%
1%
3%
2%
3%
1%
2%
2%
9%
4%
1%
0%
0%
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Type of Institution Geographic Region
Program Type
Overall
Public Private
Coll Univ
NEast MidAtl
MWest
South SW
est W
est AA
BA BFA
MA-FullRes
MFA-FullRes
MFA-LowRes
PhD
Program budget for visiting writers program
, change over past 2-3 years Increased substantially
6%
6%
5%
3%
7%
6%
6%
1%
4%
15%
5%
4%
4%
8%
13%
10%
0%
7%
Increased slightly 22%
21%
23%
21%
23%
19%
15%
28%
26%
23%
20%
16%
21%
24%
19%
28%
26%
20%
No change
52%
50%
55%
54%
51%
50%
63%
51%
48%
45%
55%
53%
57%
56%
44%
40%
56%
53%
Decreased slightly 8%
9%
8%
11%
7%
13%
8%
8%
10%
3%
9%
8%
7%
8%
19%
8%
6%
13%
Decreased substantially
9%
10%
7%
8%
10%
11%
3%
11%
11%
6%
9%
12%
9%
0%
6%
11%
9%
0%
Program budget for graduate assistantships, change over past 2-3 years
Increased substantially 6%
6%
5%
0%
7%
3%
11%
5%
3%
9%
6%
0%
0%
0%
0%
8%
6%
13%
Increased slightly
25%
23%
32%
33%
24%
26%
39%
30%
29%
14%
21%
0%
22%
33%
14%
34%
12%
27%
No change 56%
56%
55%
50%
56%
65%
44%
51%
50%
60%
59%
0%
67%
67%
71%
44%
76%
27%
Decreased slightly
8%
10%
4%
13%
7%
3%
0%
11%
15%
0%
15%
0%
0%
0%
11%
9%
3%
20%
Decreased substantially 4%
5%
0%
0%
4%
0%
6%
0%
3%
14%
0%
0%
11%
0%
4%
4%
0%
7%
Overall program
budget for the creative writing program, change over past 2-3 years
Increased substantially 4%
3%
5%
3%
4%
2%
5%
6%
3%
4%
5%
2%
3%
4%
3%
7%
9%
7%
Increased slightly
23%
22%
23%
20%
23%
23%
17%
19%
21%
27%
32%
24%
16%
24%
24%
25%
41%
20%
No change 50%
49%
52%
54%
49%
47%
49%
51%
55%
51%
45%
53%
60%
44%
48%
37%
29%
60%
Decreased slightly
13%
14%
13%
12%
14%
16%
14%
18%
15%
4%
12%
4%
11%
20%
12%
24%
9%
7%
Decreased substantially 7%
8%
7%
7%
7%
11%
10%
6%
7%
9%
2%
8%
7%
4%
9%
7%
9%
7%
How m
any courses does the typical creative writing teacher in each category teach in an academic year
Tenure-track faculty CW Courses Taught
3.1 3.1
3.0 3.0
3.1 3.5
3.4 2.8
3.0 2.9
3.0 2.5
3.3 4.0
2.7 3.2
3.0 2.4
Non-tenure-track salaried faculty CW Courses
Taught 3.0
2.8 3.2
3.8 2.5
2.7 3.5
3.1 2.6
2.9 2.8
4.9 3.5
2.9 1.9
0.9 1.7
1.8 Adjunct faculty CW
Courses Taught 1.7
1.7 1.7
1.4 1.9
1.7 2.0
1.5 1.6
1.9 1.8
1.0 1.6
1.5 1.6
2.3 2.5
2.8 Tenure-track faculty CW
Courses Taught 2.0
2.0 1.9
1.6 2.2
0.9 2.3
2.1 2.5
2.1 1.9
1.7 2.2
1.8 2.2
1.4 1.7
5.0 Non-tenure-track salaried faculty CW
Courses Taught
1.4 1.4
1.3 1.4
1.3 1.6
1.1 1.1
1.2 1.6
1.6 1.3
1.1 2.6
1.0 1.3
2.9 1.3
Adjunct faculty CW Courses Taught
1.5 2.0
1.1 1.8
1.4 0.9
1.5 1.4
0.9 2.6
1.9 3.0
1.5 1.6
1.3 0.5
0.5 6.0
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Type of Institution Geographic Region
Program Type
Support Staff Overall
Public Private
Coll Univ
NEast MidAtl
MWest
South SW
est W
est AA
BA BFA
MA-FullRes
MFA-FullRes
MFA-LowRes
PhD
PT/FT Program Associate or Assistant Director
Part-time staff 36%
32%
43%
48%
32%
44%
60%
29%
18%
38%
31%
43%
46%
75%
63%
16%
43%
20%
Full-time staff
64%
68%
57%
52%
68%
56%
40%
71%
82%
63%
69%
57%
54%
25%
38%
84%
57%
80%
PT/FT Program Assistant
Part-time staff 63%
73%
51%
50%
68%
52%
67%
59%
67%
71%
65%
62%
63%
50%
78%
66%
44%
100%
Full-time staff
37%
27%
49%
50%
32%
48%
33%
41%
33%
29%
35%
38%
37%
50%
22%
34%
56%
0%
Program Director
Faculty 96%
95%
96%
98%
94%
98%
90%
97%
94%
95%
97%
96%
98%
92%
97%
94%
89%
100%
Staff
4%
4%
4%
2%
5%
2%
10%
3%
6%
2%
3%
4%
2%
8%
3%
6%
9%
0%
Program Director has tenure
Yes 61%
59%
64%
76%
56%
67%
69%
62%
66%
47%
60%
78%
65%
60%
41%
69%
38%
39%
No
18%
11%
27%
19%
16%
15%
14%
18%
18%
18%
23%
22%
19%
10%
6%
9%
46%
6%
Program Director receives a course release
Yes 61%
68%
51%
46%
67%
69%
55%
56%
56%
66%
64%
39%
43%
67%
74%
91%
72%
94%
No
39%
32%
49%
54%
33%
31%
45%
44%
44%
34%
36%
61%
57%
33%
26%
9%
28%
6%
What is the Program
Director's status (if staff) Part-time
5%
0%
11%
0%
6%
50%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
Full-time 95%
100%
89%
100%
94%
50%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
0%
Averages (*per year) Total course load of the Program Director*
4.6 4.4
4.9 5.6
4.2 4.3
4.9 4.6
4.7 5.0
4.1 6.9
5.4 4.6
3.9 3.1
2.9 3.0
How many courses are released from the PD's normal load*
1.1 1.2
1.0 1.1
1.1 1.1
1.0 0.9
1.1 1.5
1.2 1.7
0.7 1.1
1.2 1.4
1.9 1.1
Amount of additional compensation paid for serving as PD*
$1,496 $1,048
$2,026 $886
$1,303 $2,221
$1,150 $1,023
$1,109 $845
$2,271 $235
$228 $953
$1,408 $2,367
$8,707 $2,182
How long has Program Director served in this role to date
6.1 5.5
7.0 6.4
6.0 5.3
5.4 5.5
6.9 7.4
5.8 5.5
7.0 5.8
5.0 5.5
5.8 5.6
What is the average term served by CW
Program Directors
6.4 5.6
7.1 6.8
6.1 7.3
5.5 6.0
6.2 6.7
5.8 4.9
7.6 6.7
7.8 5.2
5.9 4.3
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Type of Institution Geographic Region
Program Type
Education levels of creative writing faculty Overall
Public Private
Coll Univ
NEast MidAtl
MWest
South SW
est W
est AA
BA BFA
MA-FullRes
MFA-FullRes
MFA-LowRes
PhD Tenure-Track
Total faculty who hold an MFA but no PhD 1.6
2.1 0.9
0.9 1.9
1.3 1.4
1.7 1.9
1.8 1.4
1.0 1.1
1.0 1.8
3.5 0.9
2.1 Total faculty who hold a PhD and an MFA
0.8 0.9
0.8 0.5
0.9 1.2
0.6 0.8
0.7 0.7
0.9 0.3
0.6 0.9
1.1 0.9
1.9 1.5
Total faculty who hold a PhD but no MFA 1.2
1.1 1.3
1.2 1.2
2.3 1.0
0.7 0.6
0.9 1.8
1.0 0.7
1.0 0.8
1.3 4.8
0.9 Total faculty who hold an MA but no PhD or MFA
0.7 0.6
0.7 0.6
0.7 0.6
0.9 0.7
0.6 0.7
0.6 0.4
0.8 0.5
0.6 0.9
0.5 0.4
Non-Tenure-Track Salaried Total faculty who hold an MFA but no PhD
0.3 0.3
0.2 0.2
0.3 0.2
0.3 0.3
0.2 0.3
0.4 0.1
0.3 0.3
0.1 0.2
0.8 0.1
Total faculty who hold a PhD and an MFA 0.1
0.1 0.2
0.1 0.2
0.1 0.1
0.1 0.1
0.2 0.4
0.2 0.1
0.0 0.1
0.1 0.8
0.4 Total faculty who hold a PhD but no MFA
0.9 0.9
1.0 1.0
0.9 1.0
1.1 1.2
0.8 0.6
0.8 0.8
1.0 2.0
0.5 0.9
0.6 0.7
Total faculty who hold an MA but no PhD or MFA 0.2
0.2 0.1
0.1 0.2
0.1 0.2
0.2 0.1
0.2 0.2
0.1 0.2
0.1 0.1
0.1 0.4
0.0 Part-tim
e Paid Per Course (e.g., Adjuncts) Total faculty who hold an MFA but no PhD
0.3 0.3
0.4 0.2
0.4 0.5
0.7 0.1
0.1 0.3
0.4 0.3
0.1 0.4
0.1 0.1
2.2 0.1
Total faculty who hold a PhD and an MFA 0.2
0.3 0.1
0.4 0.1
0.3 0.1
0.1 0.2
0.2 0.4
0.9 0.1
0.1 0.0
0.2 0.1
0.1 Total faculty who hold a PhD but no MFA
0.2 0.1
0.3 0.2
0.1 0.2
0.1 0.2
0.2 0.2
0.3 0.3
0.1 0.6
0.1 0.0
0.6 0.1
Total faculty who hold an MA but no PhD or MFA 0.2
0.2 0.3
0.3 0.2
0.2 0.3
0.5 0.0
0.1 0.2
0.2 0.1
0.1 0.3
0.1 0.3
0.1 In your program
, do you prefer the PhD over the MFA degree in hiring Prefer PhD to a considerable degree
17%
15%
19%
17%
17%
15%
24%
14%
21%
16%
10%
19%
24%
13%
13%
2%
0%
67%
Prefer PhD to some degree 15%
11%
19%
14%
17%
12%
19%
21%
12%
18%
12%
7%
24%
7%
13%
5%
4%
33%
No preference between PhD and MFA
49%
53%
45%
50%
48%
50%
43%
49%
50%
44%
56%
51%
41%
53%
60%
67%
54%
0%
Prefer MFA 19%
21%
17%
19%
18%
23%
14%
16%
17%
22%
23%
23%
11%
27%
13%
27%
42%
0%
Are you expected to require m
ore out-of-state tuition from first-year students as states m
ake student residency requirements harder to m
eet? Reported total
6.7 7.2
6.2 5.9
7.1 7.9
6.7 6.7
5.5 6.1
7.8 5.6
5.1 7.1
5.6 8.4
13.8 6.3
Yes 19%
31%
5%
15%
21%
10%
11%
18%
20%
32%
21%
31%
15%
17%
38%
20%
13%
29%
No
78%
68%
90%
80%
77%
88%
86%
80%
75%
60%
79%
69%
80%
75%
62%
80%
88%
57%
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Type of Institution Geographic Region
Program Type
Overall
Public Private
Coll Univ
NEast MidAtl
MWest
South SW
est W
est AA
BA BFA
MA-FullRes
MFA-FullRes
MFA-LowRes
PhD
More program characteristics (*per academ
ic year; **if available) Total applications received for program entry, most recent year
27.8 32.7
21.8 19.4
30.9 23.5
25.5 24.5
29.8 26.0
40.9 5.4
15.2 21.4
20.8 56.0
34.4 34.7
Average # acceptances over past three admissions cycles (program enrollees, not total acceptances sent to students)*
16.3 16.6
15.9 14.7
16.7 20.0
16.2 15.9
12.8 13.8
20.3 14.2
15.5 9.5
9.8 18.5
25.4 6.7
Avg. UG GPA for incoming students, past 3 admissions cycles
0.4 0.2
0.9 0.7
0.4 0.8
0.6 0.0
0.0 0.6
0.4 0.0
0.0 0.0
0.0 0.6
0.6 0.0
Total full-time creative writing students in program today
27.9 29.4
26.0 22.1
30.0 28.6
25.1 30.3
27.8 24.6
31.3 19.1
28.5 35.1
12.5 31.0
38.5 19.2
Total part-time students in program 5.2
4.0 6.7
6.1 4.7
8.7 4.6
6.1 1.3
3.5 5.4
6.9 4.0
3.0 2.0
5.7 6.1
0.4 Total students in minor (if applicable)
15.2 21.1
10.4 11.5
17.6 21.4
14.7 16.2
11.5 16.3
13.8 12.3
17.0 11.4
31.3 11.5
0.0 0.0
Total CW program students (full- and part-time),
five years ago 25.0
27.0 23.3
16.6 29.2
29.2 25.3
29.1 18.3
18.9 29.1
2.4 23.8
31.1 21.8
30.4 29.4
17.2
Average workshop size 12.2
12.8 11.3
12.3 12.2
12.3 12.6
11.7 12.0
11.9 12.7
14.2 14.3
13.5 10.9
10.7 6.6
9.2 Class-size limit, if applicable
16.8 17.7
16.0 17.6
16.3 17.6
16.5 16.3
15.9 16.7
18.9 21.3
17.1 17.9
13.8 14.5
11.3 13.2
Number of students who hold scholarships 8.4
6.5 10.6
9.3 8.0
8.8 5.8
10.4 7.6
9.8 7.3
3.2 9.5
9.2 3.5
11.6 5.5
7.4 Number of students who hold fellowships
4.4 4.6
4.0 2.7
4.7 5.3
3.0 4.7
6.6 1.8
4.8 0.0
0.0 0.0
1.0 6.7
0.3 8.5
Number of students who hold teaching assistantships**
11.6 12.8
7.1 8.1
12.2 3.8
8.6 13.9
15.5 14.1
11.2 0.0
0.0 0.0
6.7 16.7
0.9 15.9
Number of students who hold research assistantships**
1.9 2.2
1.3 1.4
2.0 2.1
1.9 1.8
4.4 0.8
0.9 0.0
0.0 0.0
2.9 2.7
0.5 1.0
C. Pedagogy & Curriculum
Which genres are offered in program
Fiction
98%
98%
98%
97%
99%
100%
100%
94%
97%
99%
100%
95%
100%
95%
97%
98%
97%
100%
Poetry 96%
96%
96%
95%
96%
94%
100%
93%
92%
99%
100%
95%
99%
95%
92%
95%
90%
95%
Digital/graphic narrative
14%
14%
13%
12%
15%
13%
19%
15%
15%
12%
10%
19%
16%
19%
11%
10%
13%
0%
Creative nonfiction 84%
81%
87%
88%
82%
87%
89%
84%
78%
81%
86%
86%
89%
90%
81%
71%
84%
75%
Screenwriting
32%
32%
30%
37%
29%
27%
35%
34%
32%
36%
25%
50%
31%
52%
19%
24%
29%
25%
Playwriting 37%
37%
36%
45%
33%
45%
48%
29%
34%
37%
32%
45%
43%
48%
28%
24%
23%
20%
W
riting for young adults 14%
12%
16%
14%
13%
17%
17%
11%
8%
16%
14%
17%
11%
14%
11%
10%
32%
20%
Children’s books
10%
9%
10%
13%
8%
18%
15%
5%
5%
13%
3%
12%
10%
19%
3%
6%
16%
10%
Hybrid forms 23%
25%
21%
21%
24%
23%
20%
24%
16%
25%
30%
17%
20%
19%
33%
22%
16%
40%
Other
13%
10%
16%
18%
10%
15%
11%
10%
11%
11%
19%
19%
13%
29%
6%
10%
16%
5%
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Type of Institution Geographic Region
Program Type
Overall
Public Private
Coll Univ
NEast MidAtl
MWest
South SW
est W
est AA
BA BFA
MA-FullRes
MFA-FullRes
MFA-LowRes
PhD
Students in program are perm
itted or required to work in more than one genre (i.e., take at least one workshop in a different genre)
Permitted to 43%
44%
42%
34%
47%
49%
39%
39%
42%
54%
35%
32%
31%
15%
67%
59%
61%
63%
Required to
51%
50%
51%
57%
48%
44%
54%
55%
51%
44%
55%
60%
64%
80%
33%
31%
26%
37%
Neither 6%
6%
6%
9%
5%
7%
7%
6%
7%
1%
10%
8%
5%
5%
0%
10%
13%
0%
Program
completion/graduation
Students graduated from your program, last 12 months
12.3 12.2
12.7 5.7
13.3 14.8
15.7 12.2
11.9 7.6
18.3 0.0
20.5 13.8
5.9 14.2
14.0 3.4
What pct. of matriculated students complete
program in 4 years 74%
61%
82%
69%
76%
74%
77%
81%
71%
75%
58%
41%
79%
87%
100%
100%
0%
0%
How many avg. years has it taken students to graduate
3.6 3.4
3.8 3.3
3.9 3.5
3.9 3.7
4.0 3.3
3.4 2.4
4.0 3.9
2.0 2.8
3.0 N/A
Is a thesis required
No
21%
27%
9%
12%
23%
17%
8%
24%
24%
35%
14%
100%
50%
0%
48%
14%
7%
0%
Yes, individually directed by a single advisor 43%
30%
68%
65%
38%
48%
42%
44%
36%
40%
43%
0%
50%
0%
28%
36%
70%
0%
Yes, advised by a full thesis committee
34%
42%
18%
24%
36%
30%
33%
32%
40%
25%
43%
0%
0%
0%
24%
49%
15%
0%
If applicable, are students required to defend that thesis in front of their comm
ittee Yes
54%
65%
30%
40%
57%
30%
55%
55%
70%
56%
54%
0%
0%
0%
32%
73%
35%
0%
No 46%
35%
70%
60%
43%
70%
45%
45%
30%
44%
46%
0%
100%
0%
68%
27%
65%
0%
In what ways does your program
/faculty promote publication of student work outside of your institution
Mentoring of student submissions for publication 90%
89%
91%
86%
92%
92%
84%
94%
92%
92%
84%
79%
92%
84%
97%
92%
86%
95%
Coursework on professional literary activity (job searches, publication, editing, pedagogy)
60%
62%
58%
45%
68%
52%
63%
61%
62%
63%
60%
42%
55%
68%
65%
69%
79%
58%
Formal sponsorship/inclusion of students in panels at major conferences
38%
39%
38%
33%
42%
31%
37%
31%
46%
47%
40%
21%
29%
53%
45%
56%
38%
63%
Other ways/methods 27%
32%
19%
25%
27%
26%
18%
29%
28%
36%
27%
34%
17%
16%
32%
39%
38%
47%
Academic job search workshops
11%
13%
8%
8%
12%
5%
16%
8%
11%
22%
4%
0%
5%
16%
26%
12%
14%
42%
Vita preparation workshops 11%
13%
8%
6%
13%
5%
14%
9%
6%
22%
9%
0%
7%
26%
23%
9%
7%
42%
W
orkshops on non-academic jobs 7%
10%
4%
3%
10%
5%
16%
8%
5%
13%
0%
5%
16%
23%
4%
10%
16%
In what ways does your program/faculty prom
ote the professional development of students
Academic job search workshops 43%
51%
36%
38%
47%
42%
40%
37%
68%
37%
39%
27%
37%
30%
44%
67%
47%
57%
Vita preparation workshops
45%
46%
44%
37%
50%
42%
40%
41%
59%
47%
39%
32%
44%
30%
44%
57%
40%
43%
Workshops on non-academic jobs
52%
51%
53%
41%
58%
47%
63%
59%
49%
43%
45%
18%
52%
50%
56%
63%
73%
43%
Other 42%
43%
40%
49%
37%
47%
33%
51%
30%
37%
48%
68%
38%
40%
22%
43%
53%
0%
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Type of Institution Geographic Region
Program Type
Describe your program's curriculum
characteristics
Overall Public
Private Coll
Univ NEast
MidAtl MW
est South
SWest
West
AA BA
BFA MA-
FullRes MFA-
FullRes MFA-
LowRes PhD
Intro course counts as a GE/core requirement 39%
38%
40%
46%
37%
37%
51%
53%
30%
31%
33%
52%
52%
68%
17%
16%
18%
21%
The intro course is multi-genre
57%
55%
61%
66%
54%
57%
71%
62%
51%
57%
49%
85%
69%
100%
27%
29%
29%
36%
Intro course required prereq. for CW classes
54%
50%
60%
57%
53%
51%
59%
59%
54%
62%
40%
45%
70%
84%
33%
32%
36%
29%
Some courses are workshop-based 62%
64%
60%
49%
68%
56%
59%
71%
57%
63%
68%
38%
57%
63%
63%
78%
75%
93%
All courses are workshop-based
35%
34%
37%
47%
30%
40%
41%
27%
41%
32%
30%
57%
40%
37%
37%
19%
21%
7%
Some courses incorporate in-class writing, lecture, quizzes, and CW
67%
70%
63%
66%
69%
75%
61%
71%
65%
72%
60%
60%
76%
68%
67%
65%
39%
64%
All incorporate in-class writing/lecture/ quizzes/critical writing
17%
14%
20%
26%
12%
8%
25%
15%
11%
22%
19%
35%
13%
32%
7%
10%
36%
7%
Some courses require portfolio 64%
68%
60%
66%
64%
70%
53%
58%
71%
66%
67%
52%
67%
84%
67%
68%
43%
71%
All courses require portfolio
22%
18%
28%
27%
20%
16%
33%
23%
19%
29%
16%
47%
27%
16%
13%
7%
14%
7%
Is portfolio 50%+ of course grade for any courses
27%
22%
33%
35%
23%
29%
33%
29%
21%
28%
18%
30%
30%
47%
23%
16%
21%
7%
Program has a stand-alone creative writing minor 35%
30%
42%
35%
34%
35%
41%
40%
35%
34%
26%
20%
52%
47%
27%
19%
14%
7%
Application or entrance portfolio required
25%
27%
21%
17%
28%
32%
22%
19%
29%
23%
28%
10%
4%
26%
33%
56%
68%
50%
Describe reading component 32%
24%
42%
31%
32%
29%
33%
40%
24%
29%
35%
30%
35%
32%
13%
31%
50%
14%
Curriculum
Details How many levels of genre-specific courses follow the introductory CW
writing course 2.3
2.2 2.4
2.1 2.4
2.0 2.1
2.8 2.5
2.3 1.7
1.8 2.1
3.6 2.0
2.1 4.2
2.3 Different elective classes are offered annually
6.0 5.5
6.6 5.8
6.1 7.9
5.0 4.7
4.5 6.4
7.9 3.9
6.1 4.9
3.2 7.9
12.0 4.7
Total credit hours required for CW minor
17.4 17.3
17.6 15.6
18.5 18.0
16.0 17.3
17.7 15.8
22.2 13.5
17.6 19.6
20.1 15.9
28.3 12.0
Number of students currently pursuing CW minor
15.7 20.9
10.6 9.1
19.7 20.5
15.8 22.2
11.4 10.3
11.5 9.7
16.9 9.7
29.7 17.9
14.3 12.5
Which courses do you offer in your program
Graphic and digital storytelling 12%
12%
12%
11%
13%
7%
17%
13%
13%
13%
9%
13%
10%
21%
8%
14%
11%
10%
Literary editing
27%
28%
26%
19%
31%
16%
30%
28%
30%
32%
27%
19%
26%
31%
25%
38%
22%
14%
Publishing 25%
26%
24%
18%
28%
17%
30%
23%
26%
28%
27%
17%
24%
31%
20%
32%
31%
10%
Literary citizenship
6%
5%
7%
4%
7%
1%
5%
4%
7%
11%
6%
0%
1%
3%
5%
13%
19%
5%
Teaching of creative writing 15%
18%
10%
6%
19%
9%
18%
14%
15%
18%
14%
0%
2%
3%
25%
38%
39%
33%
Other
13%
11%
15%
12%
13%
17%
14%
10%
14%
6%
16%
7%
12%
7%
8%
19%
17%
5%
For what post-graduate work does your undergraduate program see itself preparing students. Average percentage of students.
Graduate study (especially the MFA) 22%
23%
21%
20%
23%
17%
19%
21%
25%
23%
24%
19%
21%
28%
23%
20%
19%
60%
Careers in creative industries (editing/pubs. /ads)
26%
23%
29%
27%
26%
26%
26%
26%
30%
22%
23%
16%
28%
35%
21%
24%
24%
28%
Other careers 53%
55%
51%
54%
52%
59%
55%
53%
47%
54%
54%
65%
51%
44%
56%
56%
57%
13%
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Type of Institution Geographic Region
Program Type
Overall
Public Private
Coll Univ
NEast MidAtl
MWest
South SW
est W
est AA
BA BFA
MA-FullRes
MFA-FullRes
MFA-LowRes
PhD
D. Program Perform
ance/Criteria for Evaluation How would you rate your program
's performance in the following areas. Average, 5-pt scale: 5=Excellent, 4=Good, 3=Average, 2=Fair, 1=Poor.
Ability to prepare students for productive careers as authors
3.90 3.89
3.91 3.72
3.99 4.06
3.86 4.12
3.73 3.80
3.82 3.19
3.62 3.59
3.84 4.58
4.36 4.71
Ability to prepare students for productive careers as professors
3.69 3.62
3.77 3.61
3.74 3.69
3.76 3.76
3.72 3.59
3.59 3.27
3.52 3.50
3.45 4.23
3.54 4.50
Sufficiency of funding/budget 2.54
2.48 2.63
2.37 2.61
2.82 2.70
2.75 2.27
2.23 2.48
2.18 2.52
2.59 2.38
2.69 2.73
2.59 Visibility of the program with prospective students
2.98 3.01
2.94 2.88
3.03 3.30
3.00 3.01
2.98 2.62
3.02 2.61
3.01 3.19
2.42 3.23
3.00 3.35
Degree of support for program in administration 3.22
3.20 3.21
3.13 3.22
3.75 3.22
3.14 3.04
2.88 3.31
3.06 3.08
3.53 3.38
3.23 3.65
3.18 Potential for growth in students
4.28 4.24
4.31 4.18
4.31 4.31
4.35 4.34
4.20 4.14
4.33 4.17
4.20 4.71
4.33 4.14
4.54 4.44
Ability to attract qualified full-time tenure-track professors
3.90 4.00
3.75 3.67
4.01 4.26
3.93 4.04
3.73 3.37
4.19 3.23
3.78 4.62
4.35 4.44
2.94 4.35
Ability to attract qualified FT/PT non-tenure-track salaried faculty
4.23 4.22
4.25 4.00
4.27 3.80
4.63 4.40
4.33 3.58
4.63 N/A
4.24 4.80
4.20 4.56
2.80 4.83
Ability to attract teachers paid per course/adjuncts 3.87
3.87 3.87
3.63 3.98
4.09 3.88
3.94 3.57
3.56 4.24
3.30 3.69
4.25 3.78
4.20 4.46
4.25 Ability to attract guest presenters
4.18 4.13
4.24 3.94
4.27 4.26
4.38 4.27
3.96 4.06
4.20 3.44
4.01 4.67
4.41 4.42
4.64 4.67
Ability to prepare students for productive careers as authors: rating Excellent
32%
33%
31%
23%
37%
38%
23%
39%
30%
33%
28%
14%
17%
18%
30%
65%
50%
76%
Good 32%
31%
34%
35%
32%
31%
42%
37%
25%
25%
38%
24%
38%
35%
30%
29%
31%
18%
Average
21%
18%
25%
23%
20%
21%
21%
17%
32%
21%
17%
22%
30%
35%
22%
5%
15%
6%
Fair 7%
8%
6%
10%
6%
6%
4%
1%
12%
11%
11%
19%
7%
12%
11%
2%
0%
0%
Poor
2%
3%
1%
2%
2%
0%
2%
3%
0%
3%
2%
8%
3%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
Ability to prepare students for productive careers as professors: rating Excellent
22%
20%
25%
23%
22%
24%
23%
24%
26%
20%
16%
8%
17%
13%
8%
40%
28%
63%
Good 33%
33%
33%
27%
36%
30%
30%
35%
37%
33%
31%
28%
28%
44%
42%
45%
28%
25%
Average
21%
20%
21%
19%
22%
14%
26%
24%
14%
16%
29%
17%
27%
31%
15%
12%
16%
13%
Fair 10%
10%
11%
11%
10%
12%
6%
7%
14%
20%
2%
14%
13%
6%
19%
0%
16%
0%
Poor
3%
4%
1%
5%
2%
4%
2%
3%
4%
0%
6%
6%
2%
6%
0%
2%
8%
0%
Sufficiency of funding/budget: rating Excellent
8%
8%
9%
5%
10%
11%
8%
10%
4%
10%
2%
6%
7%
0%
7%
11%
12%
12%
Good 17%
16%
19%
16%
17%
21%
13%
23%
11%
14%
23%
14%
15%
24%
19%
18%
15%
29%
Average
21%
23%
18%
17%
23%
25%
33%
20%
21%
9%
23%
14%
23%
29%
11%
22%
31%
6%
Fair 24%
20%
29%
27%
21%
19%
19%
21%
37%
19%
25%
17%
27%
29%
26%
25%
19%
12%
Poor
27%
31%
21%
28%
27%
21%
19%
23%
26%
45%
26%
42%
24%
18%
33%
23%
23%
41%
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Type of Institution Geographic Region
Program Type
Overall
Public Private
Coll Univ
NEast MidAtl
MWest
South SW
est W
est AA
BA BFA
MA-FullRes
MFA-FullRes
MFA-LowRes
PhD Visibility of the program
with prospective students: rating Excellent
9%
9%
8%
8%
10%
9%
6%
15%
9%
7%
4%
3%
9%
6%
0%
17%
8%
12%
Good 27%
28%
25%
20%
30%
44%
27%
20%
21%
20%
34%
16%
30%
35%
15%
29%
27%
35%
Average
25%
24%
27%
31%
23%
20%
29%
24%
34%
22%
26%
32%
21%
35%
31%
23%
35%
29%
Fair 26%
25%
27%
25%
26%
15%
27%
27%
27%
32%
28%
32%
28%
6%
35%
24%
19%
24%
Poor
10%
10%
10%
12%
10%
9%
6%
11%
7%
20%
6%
13%
10%
12%
19%
8%
12%
0%
Degree of support for your program within the adm
inistration: rating Excellent
19%
17%
21%
19%
19%
39%
17%
14%
14%
15%
19%
19%
14%
24%
15%
23%
35%
29%
Good 27%
28%
27%
25%
29%
28%
25%
30%
23%
28%
27%
22%
27%
41%
33%
23%
23%
24%
Average
20%
22%
17%
18%
21%
9%
23%
20%
30%
15%
23%
22%
22%
12%
30%
20%
15%
6%
Fair 19%
17%
21%
21%
18%
13%
21%
24%
19%
13%
23%
16%
20%
12%
11%
18%
27%
18%
Poor
13%
13%
13%
14%
13%
9%
8%
10%
14%
28%
6%
19%
14%
12%
7%
14%
0%
24%
Potential for growth in students: rating Excellent
51%
52%
50%
48%
52%
53%
55%
61%
45%
43%
52%
43%
44%
71%
59%
52%
65%
63%
Good 30%
28%
34%
26%
32%
31%
26%
24%
36%
35%
31%
32%
35%
29%
26%
23%
27%
25%
Average
11%
11%
12%
18%
8%
11%
13%
7%
13%
10%
13%
14%
15%
0%
7%
11%
4%
6%
Fair 3%
4%
3%
4%
3%
0%
4%
6%
4%
5%
3%
3%
0%
4%
5%
4%
6%
Poor 2%
4%
1%
2%
3%
4%
0%
3%
2%
3%
2%
3%
1%
0%
4%
6%
0%
0%
Ability to attract qualified full-tim
e tenure-track professors: rating No opinion
1%
0%
1%
3%
2%
2%
2%
3%
1%
2%
Excellent 38%
40%
34%
29%
42%
48%
30%
51%
27%
25%
42%
19%
30%
56%
48%
56%
24%
65%
Good
29%
31%
26%
30%
29%
24%
39%
20%
35%
22%
37%
17%
38%
19%
37%
27%
5%
12%
Average 11%
12%
9%
12%
10%
6%
11%
9%
18%
19%
2%
19%
11%
6%
7%
5%
19%
18%
Fair
8%
6%
10%
9%
8%
4%
7%
9%
9%
12%
6%
19%
9%
0%
4%
3%
0%
6%
Poor 7%
5%
9%
10%
5%
4%
4%
7%
5%
14%
4%
8%
8%
0%
0%
2%
29%
0%
Ability to attract qualified full- and part-tim
e non-tenure-track salaried faculty: rating No opinion
2%
3%
1%
3%
2%
2%
2%
2%
3%
2%
5%
2%
3%
Excellent
44%
40%
75%
50%
43%
0%
50%
59%
36%
29%
75%
0%
42%
67%
38%
42%
20%
71%
Good 26%
30%
0%
25%
27%
80%
30%
18%
36%
18%
13%
0%
33%
17%
31%
33%
0%
14%
Average
4%
5%
0%
0%
5%
20%
0%
0%
9%
0%
13%
0%
8%
0%
0%
0%
20%
0%
Fair 6%
3%
25%
25%
3%
0%
0%
12%
0%
12%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
60%
0%
Poor
3%
3%
0%
0%
3%
0%
0%
0%
0%
12%
0%
0%
4%
0%
8%
0%
0%
0%
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Type of Institution Geographic Region
Program Type
Overall
Public Private
Coll Univ
NEast MidAtl
MWest
South SW
est W
est AA
BA BFA
MA-FullRes
MFA-FullRes
MFA-LowRes
PhD Ability to attract teachers paid per course (e.g., adjuncts): rating No opinion
8%
6%
12%
11%
6%
14%
9%
4%
5%
8%
10%
17%
4%
19%
4%
8%
24%
Excellent
29%
28%
31%
23%
31%
33%
22%
34%
12%
29%
44%
22%
24%
25%
28%
34%
52%
45%
Good 25%
25%
25%
28%
23%
31%
29%
16%
31%
21%
27%
19%
23%
33%
16%
28%
36%
9%
Average
13%
11%
17%
14%
14%
14%
13%
9%
17%
15%
13%
14%
17%
8%
16%
10%
8%
9%
Fair 7%
6%
8%
9%
6%
6%
2%
6%
10%
12%
2%
16%
9%
0%
8%
0%
0%
9%
Poor
4%
5%
3%
7%
3%
0%
4%
6%
2%
10%
2%
11%
4%
0%
4%
3%
0%
0%
Ability to attract guest presenters: rating Excellent
50%
49%
51%
41%
54%
59%
51%
56%
33%
52%
50%
27%
42%
69%
56%
63%
68%
80%
Good 26%
25%
26%
25%
27%
17%
34%
21%
40%
16%
29%
22%
30%
19%
30%
19%
28%
13%
Average
12%
11%
12%
17%
9%
15%
6%
10%
12%
18%
8%
22%
14%
6%
15%
5%
4%
0%
Fair 5%
5%
5%
8%
4%
4%
4%
6%
7%
4%
6%
8%
7%
0%
0%
5%
0%
7%
Poor
4%
5%
2%
5%
4%
4%
0%
3%
4%
7%
4%
14%
4%
0%
0%
3%
0%
0%
Does your program have a form
al system for tracking alum
ni success No opinion
16%
16%
17%
19%
15%
16%
20%
18%
27%
6%
13%
19%
18%
25%
8%
21%
9%
Yes
28%
27%
29%
21%
30%
27%
25%
28%
31%
12%
40%
8%
18%
33%
39%
39%
59%
56%
No 72%
73%
71%
79%
70%
73%
75%
72%
69%
88%
60%
92%
82%
67%
61%
61%
41%
44%
Roughly what proportion of your past graduates have you been able to track None
10%
13%
5%
16%
6%
7%
5%
7%
6%
16%
17%
32%
7%
0%
18%
0%
4%
11%
A quarter or fewer 26%
27%
23%
32%
22%
27%
31%
15%
24%
35%
26%
39%
35%
8%
24%
10%
4%
11%
A quarter to one half
24%
22%
27%
16%
29%
20%
26%
27%
29%
27%
19%
18%
28%
33%
24%
22%
24%
11%
No opinion 3%
4%
3%
6%
2%
2%
4%
4%
4%
2%
4%
8%
3%
6%
5%
One half to three-fourths 22%
19%
26%
18%
24%
25%
31%
35%
6%
5%
24%
5%
17%
42%
6%
39%
40%
11%
All or almost all
18%
18%
18%
16%
19%
20%
8%
16%
33%
16%
15%
5%
12%
17%
29%
27%
28%
56%
How do you tend to evaluate your program internally (form
ally or informally) to determ
ine if you are succeeding? Yes
We measure performance periodically using a
formal assessment plan/review process 81%
80%
82%
76%
83%
83%
78%
80%
81%
84%
80%
61%
82%
86%
95%
84%
96%
75%
W
e measure performance in the form that higher administration and/or legislatures demand
65%
62%
69%
67%
64%
66%
70%
72%
61%
56%
64%
56%
73%
46%
53%
69%
50%
56%
We measure performance following goals outlined
in a strategic and/or multi-year program plan 58%
55%
62%
63%
55%
62%
49%
53%
69%
52%
60%
69%
64%
33%
44%
56%
58%
33%
W
e measure performance on more of an ad hoc basis, taking into account current expectations and developments
55%
49%
62%
59%
52%
62%
41%
53%
50%
57%
66%
58%
59%
55%
29%
63%
35%
44%
Exit surveys of graduates 47%
43%
53%
51%
45%
50%
43%
51%
63%
39%
40%
24%
54%
54%
40%
49%
60%
0%
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Type of Institution Geographic Region
Program Type
E. Student Demographics
Overall Public
Private Coll
Univ NEast
MidAtl MW
est South
SWest
West
AA BA
BFA MA-
FullRes MFA-
FullRes MFA-
LowRes PhD
What are the dem
ographics and relevant background/profile of students in your program today
Mean age of students 24.7
25.6 23.7
23.1 25.3
24.1 24.3
24.0 24.4
25.5 25.9
23.5 20.5
20.3 24.9
27.9 35.7
31.0 Median age of students
22.1 25.1
20.3 20.3
24.5 20.4
20.9 21.2
23.8 25.0
24.5 21.5
20.1 20.2
24.5 27.3
35.4 30.0
Gender How many students are female
64%
61%
67%
65%
64%
63%
65%
66%
64%
63%
64%
62%
66%
69%
69%
60%
65%
57%
How many are male 34%
37%
31%
33%
35%
34%
34%
32%
35%
36%
34%
35%
32%
31%
30%
39%
33%
39%
How many are other-gendered
2.1%
1.9%
1.7%
2.6%
1.4%
2.9%
0.9%
1.9%
1.5%
1.6%
1.9%
2.8%
2.1%
0.5%
1.8%
1.2%
1.6%
3.7%
Race/Ethnicity W
hite, not Hispanic 73%
77%
75%
76%
77%
67%
80%
81%
80%
73%
76%
68%
76%
77%
80%
75%
68%
50%
Black, not Hispanic
10%
N/A N/A
N/A N/A
N/A N/A
N/A N/A
N/A N/A
9%
11%
13%
8%
9%
9%
23%
Hispanic 7%
N/A
N/A N/A
N/A N/A
N/A N/A
N/A N/A
N/A 11%
6%
4%
6%
6%
5%
8%
Asian
4%
N/A N/A
N/A N/A
N/A N/A
N/A N/A
N/A N/A
3%
3%
4%
4%
6%
2%
8%
American Indian, Alaskan Native, or Pacific Islander 1%
N/A
N/A N/A
N/A N/A
N/A N/A
N/A N/A
N/A 3%
1%
0%
0%
1%
5%
1%
Mixed-race
4%
N/A N/A
N/A N/A
N/A N/A
N/A N/A
N/A N/A
6%
2%
1%
3%
3%
13%
11%
Which activities do you do focus on for recruitm
ent and retention of minority students
Tuition waivers 43%
45%
40%
40%
44%
45%
40%
39%
39%
57%
38%
57%
29%
50%
36%
57%
25%
57%
Stipends
33%
38%
25%
24%
36%
27%
27%
36%
22%
48%
33%
14%
11%
50%
36%
52%
33%
43%
Additional TA positions 18%
22%
13%
16%
19%
14%
7%
19%
28%
14%
24%
0%
7%
0%
36%
30%
0%
43%
Fellowships
41%
50%
31%
24%
46%
36%
40%
47%
44%
33%
48%
0%
13%
50%
45%
67%
42%
100%
Incentives from the Dean’s office 30%
36%
24%
24%
33%
32%
40%
36%
33%
29%
14%
14%
36%
50%
36%
28%
8%
71%
Other
31%
26%
36%
40%
28%
32%
20%
31%
44%
33%
24%
57%
44%
50%
9%
17%
58%
0%
Geographic Region Northeast
17%
13%
23%
26%
13%
100%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
13%
18%
21%
13%
18%
19%
5%
Mid-Atlantic 13%
11%
16%
13%
13%
0%
100%
0%
0%
0%
0%
4%
18%
21%
10%
9%
14%
5%
Midwest
21%
17%
26%
22%
20%
0%
0%
100%
0%
0%
0%
17%
23%
21%
22%
18%
14%
14%
South 17%
19%
13%
15%
18%
0%
0%
0%
100%
0%
0%
9%
16%
21%
20%
21%
17%
24%
Southwest
17%
23%
9%
14%
19%
0%
0%
0%
0%
100%
0%
36%
13%
7%
25%
13%
11%
38%
West
15%
17%
13%
11%
17%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
100%
21%
11%
10%
10%
21%
25%
14%