The English language is nobody's

special property. It is the property of the

imagination: it is the property of the
language itself.

Derek Walcott

Design Brief
ENGL 3143: Professor
Kurlinkus

Ernesto Fuentes
Ernesto Fuentes | Dr. KurlinkusENGL 3143 Design Brief

The University
of Oklahoma
Department of
English
Executive Summary
English departments across the nation have been experiencing a downward
trend in enrollment for almost two decades now. The Department of English Contents
at The University of Oklahoma has not been immune to these declines. With
little connection to alumni, there is a growing myth that there are no job Design Brief
prospects for an English student. While this couldnt be further from the truth, Executive Summary 1
this is the myth that most parents believe in, and, therefore, discourage their Branding Statement 2
sons and daughters from enrolling. And with little sense of community
Micro-Problems 2,5
amongst students in the Department of English, most students dont have
much to be satisfied or happy about. Solutions 3-7

By creating a connection with our alumni, we can start to dispel the myth of Individual Highlights
the unemployed English graduate. We can show parents, freshman, and
User Personas 3-7
prospective students that there have been plenty of English students who
have graduated and will graduate with many job offers and opportunities. And Design Research Method 3-7
by creating a sense of community amongst our students, we can help foster Expert Quotes 2,4
long lasting relationships that will show prospective students, parents, and Endnotes/Sources 8
freshman that our English students are thoroughly satisfied in our
department.
The English Major
1
Since 1991, the English major in America has seen a steady decline , both
in enrollment and in graduation rates. There are a myriad of reasons why:
more options than ever before, the misconception of low job prospects,
and the pressures from parents and student loans to deliver on successful
careers, to name a few. We at the University of Oklahoma can change all
that.
2
The Humanities, a set of disciplines that is ultimately an attempt to examine and comprehend
the cultural, social and historical activity of our species through the medium of language. 1
Connection to Alumni:
In a Nutshell
Students majoring in English
dont have a strong
connection with alumni from
the English Department.
These connections would
help them see their possible
futures, gives them
motivation, and help
validate the English major
for their parents, where they
can see tangible proof of
where their child may go.
Who Are We, and What Do We Do?
We are a department that believes in the students for the opportunities
power of language. Whether its writing it ahead, whether that is a career or a
or reading and analyzing it, we use graduate program. We want to
language to help understand the cultural, create a critical thinker, a writer, a
social, and historical world around us. communicator, and an analyzer, all
in one package. We want our
Students who graduate with English
students to become the candidates
degrees from the University of Oklahoma
that employers and graduate
will be armed with the communications
programs seek, year in and year
skills, writing skills, and analytical skills to
out.
thrive in any number of exciting careers
offered today.
Our goal is to educate and prepare our
Verlyn Klinkenborg
Micro-Problem #1: Connection to Alumni
Theres a question all English majors get from their parents at one point or
another: What kind of jobs can you get?
For some, thats a hard question to answer, because most English majors
arent familiar with current employees who graduated with English
degrees. In other words, most of them know little, if any, alumni. So how
is a student supposed to know what jobs/careers they are going to fall
into, without having anyone they can point to with those careers?
An English student with a connection to their departments alumni gains
many things. They get to see their possible futures, the many
opportunities and paths they can take. And by seeing the road ahead, they
gain motivation. They know theres a career waiting for them at the end of
their studies. And perhaps most of important of all, these alumni will
become recruiting tools for prospective students and parents. Theyll get
to see firsthand how their investment might pay off.
By solving this problem, the English student gains an answer to the
question all parents ask them. What kind of jobs can you get?
With alumni they can point to, the English student can reply, Let me
show you.
 3

Design Research Method

Penn State has an excellent

YouTube channel that covers
the different concentrations in
their English department
Solution #1: Video Series 2
through one minute videos .
To help students have access to the departments alumni, we can create a
video series highlighting a number of alumni, and post it to the We can emulate this quality of
departments home page, or through a department YouTube channel. Not video, and focus our topics on
only is this a convenient way for students to hear from alumni, but it also
makes it convenient for alumni as well, as they dont have to remain in our very own alumni.
constant communication with incoming freshman. They can be brought in
once for their video, and from that, they would have a lasting impact for For more research on how
years to come.
effective this might be, I
The videos would consist of 2 to 3 minute clips highlighting a particular
propose we send out a survey
alumni. They would answer a series of questions relevant to both student
and parents: what track did you take as an English major? How long after in an email to our departments
graduation did you secure employment? What kind of job offers did you
students. We can ask them if
receive? How many were there? Are you happy with your English degree?
theyd be interested in seeing
Plan of Action/Timeline videos highlighting alumni.
An email will be sent out to the departments alumni, asking if they are
available for an interview which would possibly be uploaded in video We can also conduct expert
format to the English departments homepage. The interviews would be
conducted on campus by students in Dr. Kurlinkuss class, Studies in interviews, reaching out to
Literacy and Rhetoric, which would fulfill their Unit 3 project. The alumni other universities who have
who participate would be offered free professional headshots or business
photos, as well as lunch. done similar things, including

We should aim to have at least 3 to 4 different videos highlighting alumni. the aforementioned Penn
Therefore, engagement from at least three alumni would be our key State.
performance indicator. We would give our alumni six weeks to respond to
the email, and setup a date that works for them. Editing would take under
a week after filming. The videos would be posted immediately after
editing.
Opportunities dont always knock. Sometimes they buzz.
-Georgia Tech Alumni Career Fair3
Design Research Method
Georgia Tech has held an annual
3 orientation. Georgia Tech runs an annual career fair for their alumni,
career fair for their alumni for the
past 34 years. I propose we
interview someone in the
department for an expert
interview.
We can also send out a survey to our
alumni to gauge how interested they
would be in a career fair tailored for
them. Our key performance
indicators will be getting three
employers or organizations to run a
table at the career fair, and for at
least ten alumni to participate, with
at least three of those ten willing to
volunteer their time to answer
questions from freshman and
parents.
Solution #2: Annual Career Fair
Another way for students to have access to alumni is through an annual
event tailored for alumni, but held on during the same week as freshman
3
where they bring in organizations and employers to meet with Georgia
Tech alumni. It allows employers to meet with potential candidates for job
openings, and it also attracts many alumni for job and networking
opportunities.
The way we could use this event to our advantage is to hold it during
freshman orientation week. When alumni RSVP to the career fair, they will
be asked if they would also like to be part a Meet N Greet with
freshman and their parents, and to answer any questions they may have.
This event would give students and parents the ability to go more in-depth
with our alumni, to have meaningful conversations to help quell any fears
or concerns about the English major. In essence, our alumni will become
our recruiters. And beyond that, they will also be able to see the
employers at the career fair who are looking to hire English graduates.
Plan of Action/Timeline
An email will be sent out in the first week of June to organizations around
Norman looking to hire OU graduates. Another email will be sent at the
same time to our alumni inviting them to our Alumni Career Fair. The
event will be planned for orientation week, at the end of August.
Employers will have until the first week of August to reply and RSVP.
Alumni will have until the day before. The alumni who agree will also be
asked if they would like to volunteer their time to meet with freshman and
parents to tell them about their experience at the career fair, and what
opportunities theyve been offered or have been offered in the past.
 5

The Problem of
Community:

In a Nutshell

The majority of English

Micro-Problem #2: Community students have similar interests,

hobbies, and aspirations, but
English students are readers. English students are writers. English
students are self-proclaimed book nerds and movie geeks. But theres also mostly introverted. Aside
one thing that binds all these hobbies: none of them are social activities.
from class, they have little
This creates a student body that is largely introverted. The vast majority
of English students have similar interests, hobbies, and aspirations, but opportunities to socialize with
aside from their time in class, they rarely have opportunities to socialize
their peers, to create
or network.
meaningful relationships and
A tight-knit community of students can be hard to find at large
universities, especially when it comes to English departments. Its create memories inside the
important that OU addresses this problem for both current and future
Department of English.
students. Not only will it increase current students happiness and
satisfaction with the department, it will also help sway undeclared and
prospective students toward English studies. By creating a strong, tight-knit

The Department of English at OU currently has little to no community. community amongst our
Without a strong community, English students can easily go their whole students, we can increase our
college careers without creating meaningful relationships, friendships, or
a support system around them. When they graduate and look back on students satisfaction with the
their time in our department, what moments will they look back on? department, and possibly sway
What friendships will they point back to? What memories will they have
of their time here? undeclared and prospective

By addressing this problem, we can help create those moments. We can students toward English
help make those friendships. And best of all, we can make our studies.
department memorable.
 6
Connection will help you to make the most of your time at the university as you learn more
about the major in English. David Landreth, UC Berkley5
Design Research Method
UC Berkley has a long-running,
5 called the English Undergraduate Association that meets weekly, is free
successful English club at their
university. I propose we
conduct expert interviews with
the director of the program,
David Landreth, to see how he
got it started, and how he
attracted students in its
inception.
We can also send out an email
to our student body, sending a
survey that would ask them
what they would want out of
an English club, and if they
would participate in said club.
Solution #1: OU English Club
University of California, Berkley has a student-led English organization
5
and open to all students, and runs a weekly blog. The goals of the
organization are to host activities, provide opportunities to network, and
5
help students succeed in the English major.
This kind of organization is not only cost effective and self-sustaining, but
its easy to emulate. The club would meet once a week for a variety of
activities, would be led by students, and significantly increase student
satisfaction. With enough participation, the OU English Club would
immediately solve our problem of community for years to come.
Plan of Action/Timeline
During the first semester of the OU English Club, a teacher or advisor in
the English department would have to take it upon themselves to help get
the club rolling. The teacher would need a small budget, around $50-$100,
to provide free food to attract students to the first meetings. The teacher
will then send an email out to the departments students, invite them to
the inaugural meeting, and would take volunteers for the first board
members of the club. The teacher/advisor would give them the schedule
(room, meeting times) and then give them a list of suggestions for what
activities or topics to cover during future meetings. After that, the club
would be in the students hands to do as they please. If the club wants to
run a blog, the club will run a blog. If the club wants to center it around
writing and publishing, then the club will do it. If they want to do Harry
Potter movie nights every week, then theyll be free to do so. The aim of
the club will be to give English students a place to find like-minded
individuals with whom they can spend time with, and grow alongside of.
 7

Design Research Method

Emerson University students

Solution #2: Publishing Club 6
run a Pub Club, where
A large majority of English students want to be involved in publishing in
some way, whether its authoring, editing, or acquiring books. This is a students form into teams of
challenging industry that isnt talked about enough in undergraduate editors, copyeditors, marketers,
studies, and with so many students who have a shared aspiration in this
field, it creates a great opportunity to bring our students together to and writers. They go through
form a community. the entire publishing process
Plan of Action/Timeline with each other and publish a
A teacher with knowledge of the publishing industry, such as Professor book a biannually in the genre
Jeffers or Professor Askew, would be asked to lead the club in its first
year. Students would meet weekly, but professors would only come bi- fiction literary magazine,
weekly, and could potentially switch off with each other if both Generic.
Professor Jeffers and Professor Askew were willing to participate,
minimizing their responsibilities to the club. The meetings with the
I propose we conduct an expert
professor would cover topics the club would like to go over, and would
encourage discussion and Q&A. During the meetings without the interview with students of the
professor, the students will have the opportunity to workshop their
Pub Club at Emerson University
manuscripts, discuss research theyve done on their own, or any number
of related activities. to research how they run their
club and achieve their lofty
annual goals.
8

Endnotes

1. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/23/opinion/sunday/the-decline-and-fall-of-the-english-major.html
2. https://www.youtube.com/user/EnglishatPennState
3. http://www.gtalumni.org/s/1481/alumni/17/interior-wide.aspx?sid=1481&gid=21&pgid=762
4. https://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~eua/
5. http://web.emerson.edu/undergrad-students-publishing/2014/12/30/welcome-to-pub-club/