Re: Info request on utilization

["Dr. Deborah Martinson" <dmartin@oxy.edu>]

Neal,
        Occidental has a population of about 1600, 380 frosh this year, and
a cross-disciplinary writing center. We do not have a FWP exactly, but a
series of Core Seminars (writing is an essential component). The writing
center is utilized by everyone, with Frosh and Seniors the largest
population of "users," and exceptional students and struggling students
about equal in numbers. It is those middle students we don't see much of.
Our numbers of hours this year are as follows: Total faculty posted
hours--by appt. 20 hours per week  (Tom Burkdall and I do this as a one
class load--Oxy does 2,3 as faculty load)--we usually split this in strange
ways--for example, this semester I teach one Women's Studies Seminar and
post 13 hours; Tom is teaching 2 Core Classes, and posts 5 hours;  40 total
evening hours per week posted for drop-ins--2 peer advisors Sun - Thurs
7-11; 10 peer advisor afternoon hours, Mon-Thurs. I guess this totals about
70 utilization hours per week (half hour appts). We have another faculty
member who posts about 4 hours, but as far as we can tell sees only her own
students. Since there is a weird power dynamic going on here over which I
have little control, I won't count her hours, though institutionally we
probably would.
        Last year we had an additional faculty member who posted 10
additional hours per week fall semester, but budget restrictions lalalalala.
So last year we had 80 posted hours in the fall, 70 in the Spring.
       Our numbers for last year ran: Faculty: Fall (3 active faculty) - 648
student appts; Spring: (2 active faculty) - 521. 
       Peer advisor numbers for last year: fall 419 students; spring 300. 

Note: If either Tom or I posted twice the hours, we would be booked--solid.
Some students don't show up, but this fall I have had very few no shows> The
advisors' work load is very uneven. Some nights they will each see 6-8
students. Other nights, they will have no one. We try to track the "hot"
times, but it changes from semester to semester. One problem we have is that
the last 4 weeks of the term are crazy. We could all triple our numbers,
just at the times we are most busy.
        Of course, Tom and I also teach a "free" Theory and Pedagogy class
for the writing advisors one hour a week, sit on so many committees it would
make you week (it does me), do workshops for students and faculty--consult
on faculty manuscripts....We are busy.
        One thing to consider (and I know you know this) is the writing
culture of the college. Many students from frosh to seniors write 12 papers
per semester. Most have about 7. Senior comprehensive papers (35+ pages) are
required by many departments. We have many fellowship and internship awards,
all with writing as part of their application process. Students write many
personal statements and proposals for grad school, med-school, law school.
Last fall, 170 of the students I saw were doing that kind of writing. Thank
heavens we had an extra faculty member!