What Community College Instructors Think about Student Writing: Results of a National Survey about Writing across the Curriculum

This article describes the results of a survey of community college instructors who were asked about the writing they assign in non-English courses. The 171 respondents, representing 140 colleges, identified the kinds of writing they assign and the challenges that come with assigning writing. These challenges included finding time to grade writing, being uncomfortable with assessing writing, getting students to invest the time needed to produce good writing, and assigning writing to underprepared students. The article concludes with suggestions for helping students develop as writers and managing the demands that come with assigning writing.