Department of Writing & Rhetoric

Campaign Plan Proposal

Lauren Mazzola, Nick Vener, Rachel Roth,

Kelly Tancredi, Francie Peirce, & Nicole Brief

Table of Contents
Executive Summary

SWOT

Research & Results

Recommendations

12

Limitations & Budget

17

Time Table

18

Conclusion & Works Cited

19

Appendices

20

Executive Summary
Writing & Rhetoric is a major that allows students to go beyond what they have learned in their
general education courses and excel in whichever area of writing is best suited for them. Aside
from the skill set students can acquire from becoming a Writing & Rhetoric major, they have
access to a great faculty who dedicate themselves to turning the program around. For example,
only a few years ago, Writing & Rhetoric consisted of all minors due to various reasons. Within
the years, the dedicated faculty gained 87 students to become majors instead of minors and are
working toward increasing that number to 100 students.

After conducting research for the Writing & Rhetoric Department, we, the CCP Group, have
created recommendations for department improvement, along with a budget and time table for
strategy implementation. Hopefully, these efforts will increase student enrollment.
We developed questions for a focus group and conducted online surveys to collect information
from Writing & Rhetoric majors regarding their opinions on the department, classes and faculty.
From this research, we learned that current majors feel as though rhetoric is a solid foundation
for the program, but does not necessarily need to be included in the program title. Additionally, it
was suggested that the department improve its publicity and advising efforts. Based on our
findings, we developed three key recommendations to improve enrollment in the Writing &
Rhetoric department and recognized limitations that may impede our plan.
The proposed budget is dependent on the extent to which the recommendations are pursued.
The majority of the strategy operates through free outlets like social media and traditional
pitching for news coverage. Additionally, suggestions to enhance the website to increase traffic
are free. Our proposed blog contest would require a $100 reward to a winning student each
year. Other expenses include the search engine optimization, which totals $2,500. The
remaining expenses are dependent on several factors. Flyers and accompanying press material
expenses correlate with the size of the incoming freshman class. The events the department
would host - career-building workshops and lecture series - is reliant on the size of the event
and the professionals attending. Remaining expenses accompany the name change, as new
promotional materials would be created.
A time table will allow the department to set goals throughout next semester. It begins in
February, when the project was introduced to us, and takes the client into the fall semester. This
plan acts as a guide for the department, so all the client will have to do is follow the agenda.
Limitations that the department may face are also included within the report.

SECTION I: SWOT

Strengths
The Writing & Rhetoric Department encourages students to double major, which is easy to do
because the major only requires 30 credits. The Writing & Rhetoric department is nationally
recognized for its expert faculty and writing course design. As a Writing & Rhetoric major,
students are given the opportunity to work with brilliant professionals who are exposed to writing
in many different professions and settings. These faculty members are active scholars, literary
researchers and writers for their communities who know the ins and outs of contemporary
technologies and have had their works published.

Due to the diverse staff, the department offers its majors an interdisciplinary curriculum. The
major exposes students to professional writing for many different fields; public relations,
technology, business, reporting, multimedia, communications, design, social media, communitybased research, editing, advertising and teaching. In order to become effective writers for any
situation and easily adapt to the ever-changing technologies we face, students have the
opportunity to learn and master the art of rhetoric. Rhetoric allows students to understand an
audience, purpose, and context while enhancing persuasive language.
Aside from their progress of transforming the Writing & Rhetoric major, the faculty is required to
publish a certain number of works within their time teaching at the university. Publishing work
guarantees that students will have professors who are up to date with the latest forms of writing
and can assist them in any struggles they may be enduring. Though the size of the major was
briefly touched upon before as a reference to the programs growth and progress, there is
another advantage of having a smaller major. Students have more one-on-one opportunities
with their professors and more time dedicated to their success.
The Writing & Rhetoric department gives students access to valuable writing techniques and
credible professors. Upon graduation, students will expand their writing repertoire to
accommodate both private and public audiences while gaining a foundation of rhetorical theory;
a concept that is common to professional writers. The in-class learning and fieldwork experience
directly applies to a real-world setting, giving students the opportunity to gain a true
understanding of the work they will have with a career in writing. In addition, student-selected
academic work will be compiled into an electronic portfolio that will show a demonstration of the
students ability to work in a variety of outlets, as well as provide writing samples for future
employers.

Weaknesses
One question that arises when assessing the strategies to grow the major relates to which
audience to target. Prospective students are a positive target for recruiting more majors, but
there is a gap between selling the major to prospective students and some of the benefits. A
strength of the Writing & Rhetoric department is its ability to double major with almost any other
major. Based on the fact that prospective students are not current students, they are not familiar
with the college curriculum or the process of a double major. This overall strength then becomes
lost in translation when trying to sell the department either at Welcome Days or in general. Most
high school students need more information about the benefits from majoring in Writing &
Rhetoric, and the opportunities that the department holds.
As a department, Writing & Rhetoric has other overall weaknesses that hinder its chance at
growing the number of majors. One of their weaknesses relates to the title of the major; Writing

& Rhetoric. What becomes difficult to assess is the knowledge that students have about the
term rhetoric, and whether it is a general turn-off to the major. To prevent the students from
misinterpreting rhetoric, a department name change is a possibility for the near future. Other
schools with successful writing departments have more enticing names like Professional
Writing.
Another weakness the Writing & Rhetoric department faces is the lack of promotion and online
content offered to its audience. The lack of publicity and engagement is in direct correlation with
the lack of growth of the departments majors. The Internet is used 24 hours a day, seven times
a week. The department website is a virtual translation of all that the University of Rhode
Islands Writing & Rhetoric program has to offer its students. It is also an opportunity for the
department to set itself apart from other universities. In todays world, more people rely on the
Internet for their information than catalog and print information. Not having enough appropriate
information and not updating information important to choosing the major gives the audience
impressions that the department is unable to meet the needs of students.
Opportunities
It is apparent that the department is struggling with attracting students. However, they are
overlooking major places for growth that could improve their reputation and attractiveness within
the URI community. A survey should be done to assess what students think of WRT104, as that
has come up often when we discuss how to spice up the appeal of the department. After
speaking with Nedra and Genoa, it is clear that this course should be designed to focus on
helping students decide what kind of writing works best for them. The major should be geared
toward professional writing, as that will promote the importance of writing across any major at
the university. So bottom line, the first opportunity is to do much more with the first encounter
that all students have with the writing department by improving the WRT104 course.
Second, it seems that there is a more immediate desire for creative writing than the types of
courses offered by the Writing & Rhetoric department. One way to solve this issue would be to
create new 100- and 200-level courses that incorporate creative writing without being titled
creative writing courses, so as not to anger the English department. Such focuses can be on
the growing need for professional writing on social media platforms. The social media presence
would appeal to public relations and marketing students, and could thus persuade them to join
the department. Doing something like this would also give more opportunity for students to
interact with the department in a fun, light setting, rather than through daunting assignments in
which students are uninterested.
These findings bring us to another point: students should have exposure to the exciting
electives offered by the department before taking the history-focused courses that are required
by the major. WRT360 is a core course of the major and is centered on the history and definition
of rhetoric. It is a good and enjoyable course, but most people are turned off by the term
rhetoric. If electives are taken sophomore and the beginning of junior year, then the not-soexciting courses would be taken when students have already committed to the major.

Threats
A primary and direct threat to the department is its use of and focus on the term rhetoric. Most
people dont know what it is. The best way to evaluate students perceptions of rhetoric, who are
not already majors, would be to organize a focus group and simply discuss the term. There are
so many external factors that feed into this misunderstanding of what rhetoric is. The journalism
and political worlds do not accurately use the term, often placing rhetoric in a bad light.
One way to fix this would be a name change. As Nedra and Genoa discussed, perhaps the best
solution to make the major more attractive is to change the name so that it is something related
to professional writing. Rhetoric, of course, should be a piece of the major; it is the foundation
for understanding the audiences. In contrast, if introduced as a piece of mastering professional
writing, rather than being the whole course, it will seem more relevant and useful to potential
majors.
Another threat is the website. Though this seems like it should be categorized as a weakness,
most of the responsibility for the lacking information on the site is out of the departments
control. They need to establish a better relationship with their alumni, which may involve
keeping stories of their success. Another point that can be improved is shaping the direct focus
of the major if it were to stand alone. This way, there could be a listing of what jobs students can
get with this major. Students like direct information, and this can be proven through survey
analysis. So overall, the site needs to have more concrete and to-the-point information.

Target Audience
Nedra and Genoa helped us to identify six possible audiences. These audiences include:
Writing & Rhetoric majors, Writing & Rhetoric faculty, Writing & Rhetoric alumni, professional
writers, upperclassmen who opted not to do the major and freshmen who could join the major.
Of these audiences, we decided it would be best to work with current Writing & Rhetoric majors.
Since Nicole is a major, we have easy access to the students. Additionally, current Writing &
Rhetoric majors chose the subject for a reason, so they can offer insight as to what makes the
department appealing to them.
Considering the low amount of enrollment in Writing & Rhetoric at the moment, holding a focus
group with the current majors would provide insight on why they chose it. Hearing from roughly
14 students would be an accurate representation of the entirety of the majors. These sessions
could lead to answers to some of our SWOT questions.
However, we discovered that the most efficient way of reaching this audience is through survey
distribution. Surveys make the most sense because of the amount of students in this major. It is
easy to reach these students by sending out emails to everyone enrolled in the major. Also, it is
safe to assume that these students do not have much free time, considering most of them are

double majors. One of the questions in the survey could even ask if the survey participant would
be able to dedicate more of his or her time to taking part in a focus group.

SECTION II: RESEARCH & RESULTS

Design and Methods

We invited all students from the Writing & Rhetoric major to discuss in depth what appealed to
them about the program, faculty and courses. We conducted two focus groups; one was geared
toward freshman and sophomore majors, and the other was geared toward junior and senior
majors. At first, the strategy we used to gain participants was offering free pizza as an incentive
for their participation. We planned for the upperclassmen focus group to take place on Tuesday,
March 31, and for the underclassmen focus group to take place on Thursday, April 2, both
between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. We obtained the list serve for all Writing & Rhetoric majors and
sent out email blasts to advertise each focus group. The second focus group was also
advertised on the Writing & Rhetoric website.
We developed a list of proposed questions and used an audio recording device to ensure we
would retain answers from participants. We also took notes during the focus groups for coding
purposes. The focus group was designed so that it began with asking more general questions,
such as: What is the participants minor? What other organizations is the participant involved
with both on and off campus?
It later concluded with questions such as: Why participants chose this major? What participants
liked and disliked about the program? What participants thought about the effectiveness of the
majors publicity? and What do participants think about the name of the major?
By designing our questions so they transitioned from general to specific, we were able to ease
participants into becoming comfortable with one another. We heard firsthand how participants
felt toward the Writing & Rhetoric faculty, coursework, job opportunities and the departments
overall focus on rhetoric.
During the focus group, facilitators read a script briefing participants of the purpose of the
research and the time it would take. They allowed for primary themes to emerge as participants
identified key areas of the barriers affecting the Writing & Rhetoric major.
The strategy our group used to up the number of participants for the focus groups was based on
publicizing the presence of free pizza. We included the flyers pictured below in Figures 1 & 2 as
an attachment in our email blasts for a visual appeal. To better promote the second focus group,
we posted on the Writing & Rhetoric website, specifically highlighting free pizza for all
underclassman majors. Despite our groups greatest efforts to increase awareness of the focus
group on Thursday, April 2, our total number of participants decreased from two to zero.

To collect more data, we designed a survey that asked similar questions to those asked in the
focus group. Prior to beginning the survey, participants were briefed of who we were, what our
purpose was, how many questions the survey included, and approximately how long it would
take them to complete the survey. Participants were informed that they could stop answering at
any time and that all of their responses were confidential. The statement concluded by thanking
participants for their time and included the option of where to contact our group with further
questions.
In order to ensure the survey reached the maximum number of Writing & Rhetoric majors, our
group left 40 printed copies in the Writing Production Lab, uploaded the survey online and
contacted professors of several writing classes to distribute a copy of our survey to Writing &
Rhetoric majors in their classes. Though we only obtained feedback from a total of 20
participants, we feel that our research has provided us with substantial information from which
to draw conclusions for recommendations.

Focus Group Results: Current Senior Writing & Rhetoric Majors

The results presented in this study were used to inform applied communication strategies.
Specifically, we were able to determine which aspects of the information seemed to be most
common. The questions we asked during the focus group were aimed at guiding our research in
the right direction as to what information was known versus what was available. Our data is
presented in the following quantitative findings.
In the process of collecting our research, we found multiple common themes among the
participants. The participants in the focus group were aware of the general education
requirement, WRT 104. Participant #2 completed WRT 104 prior to attending college. As a high
school student, she was aware that the course was a requirement and took the course
specifically for college credit. Participant #1 took the course as a freshman where he learned

that writing is an art form and differs from creative writing. Based on WRT 104, both students
recommended having stronger professors teach the class because they could better incorporate
the significance of writing through the coursework. This could better pique students interest in
continuing enrolling in writing courses while adding more of a concentration on rhetoric, thus
allowing the department to recruit more majors.
Many of the themes we discovered rely specifically on opinions based on experience, both
positive and negative. Another theme that was common in our research involved the use of the
term rhetoric. The participants agreed that the term rhetoric was confusing and contained a
negative stigma, causing them to be mislead. When asked about the process of renaming the
department, there was a mutual agreement that it may result in less confusion. We found that
the focus group participants agreed that there is a divide between the Writing & Rhetoric
department and the academic advisors. Based on their experiences, they agreed that advising
has been a challenge regarding professional elective choices for the major.
A positive theme that we found in our focus group related to opinions about elective credits.
There was an agreement that the elective credits are helpful, interesting, and that they offer
substantial variety. All elective courses complement one another in relation to the capstone
course. In addition to the positive experiences in the various writing electives, the students in
the focus group also agreed that WRT490 contributes well to the overall major. All of the
students like that the major, in general, coincides very well with other majors based on
manageable requirements.
According to the themes found in our research, we are able to derive multiple opportunities to
benefit the department. The focus group provided strong insight as to where to focus our
attention to maximize our benefits to the department, as well as determine the strengths.

Survey Results & Themes

A common theme found in the surveys during the coding portion of our research was students
motivation for choosing to major in Writing & Rhetoric. Within the common theme, there were
eight recurring sub-themes affiliated with the overall motivational theme.
Based on our research results, 40% of survey participants explained that having a passion for
writing and enjoying writing is what most motivated them to become Writing & Rhetoric majors.
Another motivation for choosing the program was to show their skills to future employers and
increase the number of postgraduate job opportunities. Participants explained that writing is an
important skill that future employers look for in all industries.
Having the ability to write well also motivated students to pursue a degree in Writing & Rhetoric
but, in contrast, multiple participants also decided to pursue the major in hopes to improve their
writing skills.

In the survey, current Writing & Rhetoric majors were asked

the question, What influenced your decisions to join the
major? As shown in Figure 3 to the left, the students were
given seven options to choose from: postgraduate
opportunities, parents, teachers, friends, Welcome Day, URI
advertisements and website, and other. Postgraduate
opportunities, parent, and teacher influence were tied for top
influences with 22.2% of participants choosing those options.
Lastly, interest in mass media was a recurring theme within
the motivation category for choosing the major. Out of the 20
participants surveyed, 50% are double majors in either
Communications Studies or Public Relations. Students
believed having a degree in Writing & Rhetoric would allow
them to better understand the influence of mass media.

Double Majors
Another common theme found in the surveys was the number of students double majoring.
Based on Figure 4 below, 80% of students surveyed were double majors. Based on our results,
all 20 students surveyed expressed that double majoring with the Writing & Rhetoric program
was easily manageable. Based on Figure 5 below, Communication Studies is the most common
double major. From this finding, we believe that focusing on the communications field, and the

specific writing used in this field, should be of focus.

Disadvantages
A common theme found when coding the results of our research is the disadvantages of being a
Writing & Rhetoric major. With a total of 87 majors, our research indicated that no two students
had identical thoughts as to why the program lacks growth. However, when students were
asked questions pertaining to how the department could better itself and their feelings toward
the program and faculty, our coders were able to identify recurring themes between answers.
Out of the numerous answers we received, our coders identified seven sub-themes in the
disadvantage category, including: No knowledge of major prior to joining, no knowledge/lack of
resources available for postgraduate opportunities with a degree, poor publicity, not enough
room for creativity/no focus on specific style of writing, name of the major is unclear to people
outside of the major, hard to find a postgraduate job, and ineffective general education courses.
According to one graduating senior who has spent his college career studying the art and tactics
of writing and rhetoric, there were many downsides of being a part of such a small program.
Like many students who chose Writing & Rhetoric because of their passion for writing, this
student, though unfamiliar with the major, found it appealing but was not enticed to join
immediately. When asked, Briefly state your opinion about the name of the major, this student
replied, Its classy. Too bad nobody knows what that means. In relation to this, another
disadvantage we found was the programs lack of publicity. When asked to choose one word
they believed was most suitable for the major, the response quiet was given from one
freshman student. In addition to the various other responses regarding the programs lack of
publicity, this students blunt response helped us to understand just how ineffective the publicity
of the department is amongst underclassmen.
Another recurring theme was the lack of creative classes offered. When asked about the
departments focus on rhetoric, one student responded, Its too much; you can only drill rhetoric
so much. Though the department will always have some students who are enticed by rhetoric,
the majority of students surveyed felt that too much rhetoric takes away from the potential
growth of the program. Despite the fact that many underclassmen are unaware of the meaning
of rhetoric, many students are hesitant to join because of the general education courses they
are required to take. If students who love to write arent properly introduced to the program and
what it offers in their general education courses, then there is very little hope the program will
flourish.
Secondary Research
In order to better understand our research findings, we decided to see what other colleges had
to offer regarding Writing & Rhetoric programs. To our surprise, only a limited amount of schools
offer Bachelor degrees in some form of writing program. We conducted Google and College
Board searches, which led us to conclude that most writing programs across the state focus on
creative writing and English. This should give the Writing & Rhetoric department a competitive
advantage when compared to other universities across the United States. When conducting a

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simple Google search of major in writing & rhetoric, URIs program is the ninth listing under the
advertisement of the first page of results.
After determining the programs rarity, we decided to compare our client to other programs in
the region. Big competitors of the Writing & Rhetoric department include Syracuse University
and Ithaca College. We feel as though these two schools offer what our client is trying to offer,
but have more developed programs that are better marketed.
Syracuse Universitys Writing Program, located in the College of Arts and Sciences,
incorporates rhetorical concepts, but does not rely heavily on rhetoric. The second sentence of
the program description reads, Students write in a wide range of genres: advanced argument,
research writing, digital writing, civic writing, professional writing, technical writing, creative
nonfiction, and the public essay. The program description also clearly lists the fields that
graduates can enter upon completion of the major. These two aspects are critical to students
attraction to the program. If URIs department could offer more broad, yet diverse, genres to
study, like the genres listed above, then maybe students interested in those fields would be
more inclined to join.
There are some similarities between the programs. Just like our client, Syracuses writing
program is a 30-credit requirement. The school offers four core courses: argumentative writing,
digital writing, professional writing, and rhetoric and ethics. These categories, though similar to
the requirements for our client, are more direct in demonstrating to the students what the course
encompasses. For example, URIs WRT235: Writing in Electronic Environments would equate
Syracuses WRT302: Digital Writing, but Syracuse has a more welcoming name. Additionally,
Syracuse offers a significantly larger array of elective courses, which would give students more
mobility, freedom and creativity in their class selections and concentrations. Finally, Syracuse
also encourages the completion of an electronic portfolio. The very premise of the portfolio, this
portfolio allows students in the Writing Major to archive and demonstrate their expertise within
and across multiple genres and rhetorical contexts, mirrors the goal of URIs WRT495 portfolio
capstone.
In addition to Syracuse, Ithaca College has a very well developed writing program. The most
standout piece of information from their program description is the leading sentence, If you
define yourself as a writer, our unusually flexible program will prepare you for the artistic and
professional challenges that lie ahead. When we gathered our own research, we learned that
most students joined the major simply because they are writers and love writing, so for Ithaca to
start its program description with if you define yourself as a writer is a great marketing tool to
catch potential students attention. Other eye-catching pieces of the description include a direct
sentence of the type of career students can obtain after graduation, a list of the different
concentrations offered and opportunities to publish their work. When assessing the course
offerings for Ithaca, it is clear that the program has more of a creative writing focus, which
detracts from our ability to compare the operations of the two departments. However, Ithaca
does have a senior portfolio requirement like the other schools.

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SECTION III: RECOMMENDATIONS

Key Finding 1: Students expressed concern for the name of the major.
Recommendation 1: Change the name of the department to have less emphasis on
rhetoric.
The need to change the name of the department was the most recurring finding throughout our
research. For example, when a participant was asked about the name of the the writing and
rhetoric major through survey he expressed, Its classy. Too bad nobody knows what that
means. It was agreed upon that the word rhetoric carries a bad connotation.
Our survey results showed that, even though the department will always have some students
who are enticed by rhetoric, the majority of students surveyed felt that too much rhetoric takes
away from the potential growth of the program
We suggest following the lead of the accredited writing program at Penn State University and
changing the name to Professional Writing, or using Syracuse Universitys Writing Program as
an example. Syracuses writing program is located in the College of Arts and Sciences and
incorporates rhetorical concepts, but does not rely heavily on rhetoric to gain students attention.
We also recommend creating a tagline, as it will be an outstanding advertising strategy. The
writing department at Ithaca College uses the tagline, If you define yourself as a writer, our
unusually flexible program will prepare you for the artistic and professional challenges that lie
ahead, on its website to quickly show the audience what theyre about, and it gets their
audience to want to know more about the program. If the name of the URI writing program was
to be changed to something along the lines of professional writing, using a tagline with rhetoric
incorporated will let the departments audience know what they stand for.
Key Finding 2: The Department is not publicized enough.
Recommendation 2: Publicize the department using digital and non-digital promotion
techniques.
Digital Promotion
One aspect that will be beneficial to the target audience is utilizing digital media efforts and
promotions. Some of the information available regarding digital media includes taking
advantage of the departments website presence. Everything is digital in todays society, and the
client needs a solid method to distinguish themselves.
They can start this by reorganizing the content on their page on the Harrington School of
Communication and Media website. Our research shows that 11.1% of students were influenced
by the major based on advertisements and the URI website. Creating a stronger visual and

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virtual presence on the website with tools to help prospective students would be beneficial. This
may include inputting a variety of sources to research programs, look up professors and
highlight internships.
We recommend a stronger presence is the main University of Rhode Island website as well.
This serves as an opportunity to market the benefits of the Writing & Rhetoric major by
incorporating success stories of alumni and internships. Students of all majors are familiar with
the general webpage, so it provides an opportunity for advertising.
Our next suggestion is to create a departmental blog. This will enhance web presence and
provide an opportunity for the students to get hands-on writing experience while becoming more
involved in the program. A blog will provide a unique opportunity to learn while documenting
various successful events, students or professors. We believe that holding contests would be an
effective campaign tactic, and our research indicates that 40% of survey participants explained
that having a passion for writing and enjoying writing is what motivated them to become Writing
& Rhetoric majors. If a blog is created for the department, a digital writing contest would take
place. Every major would be eligible to submit a writing piece to the blog and, every month, one
major would be selected to showcase his or her work on this blog. The best writing piece of the
year would be chosen to be published on the Harrington School website. Holding a blog contest
would draw attention to such an innovative department, increase traffic on the website and
provide students with incentives to write.
SEO should also be strongly considered by the department because it could allow Writing &
Rhetoric to be one of the first results shown in a simple Google search. URIs program currently
ranks #9 in a Google search for writing programs.
Other tactics our team suggests the department use as a way to in increase awareness of the
Writing & Rhetoric program is through use of social media. By generating interesting and
interactive content through the website and Harrington School media accounts - Facebook,
Twitter, Instagram - we believe the department will increase the amount of recognition it
receives. In addition, the department could utilize Instagram by featuring people of the week.
These profiles could include anyone from professors to current students, to anything including
pictures of classes and success stories of what one can do with a degree in Writing & Rhetoric.
We believe that putting faces to the Writing & Rhetoric department will attract a larger crowd.
Additionally, our research showed that professor influence had a 22.2% effect on students to
choose the Writing & Rhetoric major. This could have an impact through a variety of channels,
including emailed suggestions and/or recommendations regarding news within the department.
Most URI students gain their information through their student email addresses. We recommend
using email distributions as a way to generate knowledge about the Writing & Rhetoric double
major option. Students of other majors may not be aware of the specific opportunities that are
offered through the department. Other information that we recommend sending via email
includes advertising the Writing Center and Writing Production Lab. With information about
these facilities, students can be sent information about other on-campus jobs relating to Writing

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& Rhetoric majors. Based on the fact that these positions are only open to majors in the
program, they draw in an exclusive opportunity to work in a related field.

Non-Digital Promotion
The next aspect of our media plan involves non-digital promotion. We believe the use of nondigital promotion will be very effective in reaching incoming students because of the advantage
the department has with the majority of students being double majors. By spreading awareness
of the opportunities that come from being a double major, the department can promote the
benefits of Writing & Rhetoric more efficiently. We recommend that the department begins
promoting Writing & Rhetoric as early as when acceptance letters or orientation/freshmen
packets are received. We also suggest having the university issue press releases to local and
state magazines to promote the programs name change, include updates of students
accomplishments and announce upcoming events.
Our research revealed that 80% of students surveyed were double majors. Based on our
results, all 20 students surveyed expressed that double majoring with the Writing & Rhetoric
program was easily manageable. By including a small flyer about the major in these packets,
incoming students and their parents will immediately know about the benefits of the Writing &
Rhetoric program and the opportunity to double major.
Another way we recommend promoting Writing & Rhetoric is by giving out these flyers in
URI101 sessions. Giving freshman an additional handout in will make them more prone to
remember information about the program.
We also advise the department to target upperclassmen who are undecided majors. In our
research, we found that students who love to write arent properly introduced to the program
and what it offers in their general education courses. To fix this issue, we recommend creating
small flyers or brochures to be sent to undecided majors with information about how the
program ties in with specific tracks like graduate school, law school, business school, etcetera.
Furthermore, holding career-building events will highlight the opportunities that result from
pursuing a degree in Writing & Rhetoric. Those surveyed expressed they chose this major to
increase the number of postgraduate job opportunities. Types of career-building events include
job and internship fairs, workshops and lecture series. As a part of the campaign, the Writing &
Rhetoric department could hold a career workshop each semester where students can meet
with employers, have their writing reviewed by professionals in the field, and learn about
different job opportunities. In addition to the workshops, we encourage the client to begin
hosting lecture series. Several departments at URI host annual lecture series, some even have
multiple lectures each year. Having professionals speak about different topics involved in the
field, specifically within rhetoric, will promote the Writing & Rhetoric department among campus
and invite other departments to involve themselves with the department. Sending out press

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releases to announce lectures will effectively promote the department to audiences beyond URI
as well.
Welcome Day Strategies
The department can recruit students not only to URI, but to the Writing & Rhetoric program as
well. We recommend that current Writing & Rhetoric majors advertise on behalf of the
department to share their experiences and feedback regarding the faculty, coursework and
department as a whole. In addition to this, we recommend the department advertise the diverse
elective credits that allow many students to become double majors.
Key Finding 3: Introductory and general education courses do not get enough attention.
Recommendation 3: There is a need for internal adjustments pertaining to coursework,
faculty, and student advising.
With such as wide range of genres to choose from, we recommend that the department allow
students the option to explore different types of writing within Writing & Rhetoric to attract a
more diverse crowd. In addition, we suggest that the website also include a list of careers that
students can pursue post-graduation in order to make the major appear more desirable.
In the focus group, students mentioned that they would like to see stronger professors teaching
WRT104. Since it is the first interaction many students have with the department, it is extremely
important that they at least enjoy the course. One focus group participant recommended that
Nedra teach the course because she will have the most enthusiasm for the major. Virtually
every major enjoys her classes, and she will be most able to present the rhetoric aspect in an
enticing manner.
Students also suggested stronger advising. Many of the current majors were unaware of all the
elective requirements, so it is important that professors be in contact with the students every
step of the way. Instructors should make themselves more available and provide guidance for
scheduling.
Limitations

Welcome Day ideas cannot be implemented because Welcome Day has already happened.
There is not enough time to change the name of the major prior to the Fall 2015 semester.
Coursework from Spring 2015 semester cannot be used for blog content.
Budget
We estimate that the overall budget for our recommendations will be determined by the extent
to which our strategies are pursued. The formula we anticipate will be broken down as follows.

15

Digital media costs will consist of roughly 20% of the overall expenses. Based on the fact that
most of the digital media will take place internally, the cost will not exceed the amount needed to
efficiently advertise within the university. We also plan to use cost-effective strategies like social
media and other internal channels that do not require a budget. The majority of the costs for the
digital media will be used externally. In our recommendations, we suggest utilizing SEO (Search
Engine Optimization) to allow the Writing & Rhetoric department to appear in the top searches.
On the lower end of this spectrum are small SEO agencies that offer a limited range of
services. On the upper range are businesses with greater needs working with full-service SEO
agencies. Most businesses pay between $2,500 and $5,000 for a monthly retainer (DeMers
2013). The estimated cost will be roughly $2,500-$3,000.
Promotions will include expenses that remain internal with an estimated 40%. The majority of
the budget for promotions will be spent on flyers, posters, banners and events. As each of these
categories can fluctuate based on department agreement, size and amount are based on
choice. $500 to $20,000, depending on whether the publication is local or national, the size of
your ad, whether you use color and if you've negotiated a multiple-ad rate (J. Kobliski 2006). In
addition, our recommendations regarding promotions involve prizes and contests to increase
publicity.
Public relations efforts will be managed through advertising spaces in magazines and
newspapers, as well as websites. These all range in price depending on the publication, size,
and whether the advertisements are placed in local or non-local sources. We recommend the
remaining 40% be used for external advertising. Most of the other recommendations for the PR
efforts are done through social media.

Time Table
February 11

Initial meeting with clients

February 12-18

Conduct background research: assess strengths, weaknesses,

opportunities and threats

February 19-28

Plan focus groups: write questions, write focus group objectives,

write survey questions

March 1-21

Conduct secondary research

March 22

Send out email blast to upperclassmen to participate in focus group

March 25

Retrieve estimates for pizza to distribute during focus group session

March 31

Conduct focus groups

April 1-14

Leave surveys in Writing & Rhetoric classrooms for majors to fill out;
Send out online surveys to Writing & Rhetoric majors

16

April 15-22

Determine goals, objectives, messages, themes, channels,

recommendations and strategies

April 29

Present campaign to client

April 30-May 4

Have Writing & Rhetoric interns create blog

May 5

Request meetings with Writing & Rhetoric summer staff to discuss blog
objectives and implement into summer courses

May 6-May 16

Create brochures to give out at freshmen orientation, send to undecided

majors and distribute at URI101 courses;
research and implement a search engine optimization

May 19-May 31

Work on website; begin reaching out to Writing & Rhetoric alumni and
professionals to speak at lecture series, career workshops, job fairs

June 4-30

Freshmen orientation; request dates to discuss the Writing & Rhetoric

major at URI101 courses

July 1-31

Plan career-building events

August 1-31

Hold meetings with Writing & Rhetoric professors and advisors to

discuss advisement and course improvements

Sept. 22-29

Begin working on evaluation

Sept. 30

Follow-up meeting with client to discuss results of evaluation

Conclusion
Writing & Rhetoric could become a more recognizable and sought after major. Should these
ideas be implemented, there is potential for the department to gain well over the desired goal of
100 majors. Publicity is a main component of success. If there is no buzz about a company, the
company will not succeed. These ideas are based upon creating that buzz needed to take the
department to the next level. We want URIs writing program to be top-rated. Our client has
already established that their program is a model that other universities look up to, so it should
be performing the best it can be so other schools may follow suit. We know a name change may
cause hesitation and fear, but it is necessary to position the department with the students
interest. Writing or Professional Writing with a rhetoric-based tagline will preserve the
rhetorical foundation while making the name more attractive to the general student body. If this
new title is supported by new program operations and effective marketing, then the Writing &
Rhetoric department will more than likely flourish.

17

Works Cited
DeMers, Jayson. Search Engine Watch: How Much Should You Spend on SEO Services?
(2013, Dec. 27). Retrieved from: http://searchenginewatch.com/sew/how-to/2267471/howmuch-should-you-spend-on-seo-services.
Ithaca College. Ithaca College: Department of Writing: Academic Program: Writing (B.A.). (2015,
April 15). Retrieved from: http://www.ithaca.edu/hs/depts/writing/programs/writing/.
Ithaca College. Ithaca College: Undergraduate Catalog 2014-2015: Course Descriptions:
WRTG 41000 Senior Project. (2015, April 15). Retrieved from:
http://ithaca.smartcatalogiq.com/en/2014-2015/Undergraduate-Catalog/CourseDescriptions/WRTG-Writing/40000/WRTG-41000?_ga=1.186339489.967357950.1429128438.
Ithaca College. Ithaca College: Department of Writing: Writing Major. (2015, April 15). Retrieved
from: http://www.ithaca.edu/hs/depts/writing/writingmajor/.
J. Kobliski, Kathy. Entrepreneur: Marketing: Magazine Ads. (2006, Jan. 16). Retrieved from:
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/83094.
Syracuse University. Syracuse University: College of Arts & Sciences: Writing Program. (2015,
March 11). Retrieved from: http://wrt.syr.edu/major/.

APPENDICES
Focus Group Answers
Answers from Participant 1 regular
Answers from Participant 2 bolded
Why did you choose Writing & Rhetoric?
recommendation - didnt know the major existed
freshmen going into sophomore year
Dr. Johnson - favorite professor
Wanted to be a writing major. Applied for the writing major. Did not know what Rhetoric
was and was confused why it was on ecampus.
What did you know? What did you learn?

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I knew I had to take 104

learned writing is not stereotypical, its rhetoric - art form, study, research, prestigious, not
creative writing and its seperate from english dept
More dressed up version of science. How you are going to do something and how you
will approach it. Must be committed . High school completion of WRT 104 and she
understood what was expected before she was coming into the program. Knew the path
she needed to take to reach her desired outcome.
What do you like about major?
teaches history - 360 - wish it was more like that
travel writing, culture, expersitist
forces you to learn new genres
490 project where you take writing from another class
Likes how classes intertwine together. You can do any path or skill set and will still find
things you can use in various areas. All of the classes blend together.
Dont like about major?
wasn't clear with electives
advisors don't know what they are talking about
wish there was meeting between dept. head
wish they set goals at certain marks
Dont like how once accepted that she was unaware of professional electives. Misadvised
from the worksheet. 495 blind and did not know what was expected or required. Course
description was not adequate.
People should be better trained and know the course set. Hazy line between the
department. Generalizes what direction is needed. People are at different levels not given
attention. Learned material differently. Consistency with goals for students. Better
communication between professors and the department. EX. Students should be able to
XYZ
What do you think of electives?
love them - travel writing
loves heather johnson
thinks genoa is blunt but liked culture bundles
Elective courses- Like them. Good variety and good group. Issues in Writing 353. How to
work with students at whatever level they are at. Online classes did not click as well.
Dont take online classes.
Required courses?
peters class pretty good

19

235 electronic writing prepares you for real world

intense course but didnt mind because projects built off each other
liked 360 with nedra
get to be creative and gets to learn about the history
Required classes- 201 with Peters phenomenal. Connect better then electives. More of a
grasp of what is expected and what you do in them.
Took 235 online and did not like. Too intense. Missing step that she did not seem to get.
Good feedback. But there was a disconnect between earning grades. What was A, B, or C
worthy.
Likes when combine history and other subjects into writing. Reinforcing that the major
can be molded to fit various job types
Should they tweak 104?
maybe, but i don't think they would get the freshmen more involved with history
but maybe if it covered a little bit of 360 it would knock the stereotypes
rhetoric should be implied with in major
its theory but its art
Tweak WRT 104. Its a good place to begin for writing major. Another course in the middle
similar to 360 that will apply to anyone will be better. Rhetoric is very misleading with
stereotypes.
Title - does it fit dept.?
word rhetoric does have neg. stigma
art, profession, practical, professional
should there be concentrations?
3 day debate about what rhetoric is and how to explain it in class. Rhetoric has a
negative stigma. Art, professional, practical, writing all would be better for a title.
Concentrations within the department.
How does major work with other majors?
psy & wrt
research articles all the time - lot of writing (sci)
Work with other Majors- Writing and BFA Theater Concentration in stage craft and
design. Notes, scripts and break them down to tell what they are saying. Why are these
things happening at these times? Analyzing and creating so that they audience is not
one step ahead of the writer.
Classes- Fit well. 19 credits every semester. Taken summer writing for the four classes
she was unaware of them.
Faculty?

20

nice, good, know their stuff, they can teach

nedra is advisor and teacher - she knows what shes doing
assumed they needed to be published because this is a research based university
Faculty- Stronger professor is WRT 104. People would be more interested.
Resources available - what you can do with degree after graduation?
assume you could do alot
pr, advertising, its all rhetoric and writing
Just writing major- do you know what to do with degree.
Resources for those to join the major?
n/a
Publicity?
they need more money
unique major it should be at the front of university hompage but its a matter of money
Recommendation for bettering major?
360 - 104
differentiating (eng/wrt)
better professors for 104
better the department what would it be- Emphasize why the writing department is
important emails, business letters etc. Dont know if it is an English department major.
This is who we are and this is why we are important for Math Science etc.
Internships?
help if they had mandatory
training research, ta, or internship
wrt 353 could be one of those courses
maybe adv. course kind like the gtech class
Beneficial to make an internship required.

Answers to 8 Online Surveys (Remaining surveys coded on paper, see next pages)
Class Year

21

1. Freshman
2. Senior
3. Senior
4. Freshman
5. Sophomore
6. Sophomore
7. Sophomore
8. Sophomore
Major(s)
Communications 6
Psychology 1
Philosophy 1
Political Science 1
Public Relations 4
Sociology 2
HDF 1
Theatre 1
Biology 1
N/A 3
1. Communications
2. Psychology
3. Philosophy
4. Communications
5. Political Science
6. Communications
7. PR
8. PR
9. PR + Sociology
10. Communications
11. HDF
12. Theatre
13. Biology
14. Communications
15. Sociology
16. N/A
17. Communications
18. PR
19. N/A
20. N/A

Minor(s)

22

1. Spanish, Leadership
2. N/A
3. N/A
4. N/A
5. N/A
6. Journalism
7. N/A
8. N/A
Campus Involvement
1. None
2. U.R.I.G.H.T Paranormal Research and Investigation Group
3. ZTA, USAC, URI Career Services, W&R Dept, URI Writing Center
4. Tennis Teams, College Democrats
5. RIU2 Radio Show, SEC General Manager, URI Street Team Member
6. PRSSA
7. N/A
8. Delta Chi
Off Campus involvement
1. Part time retail job
2. N/A
3. Tennis Program
4. N/A
5. N/A
6. N/A
7. N/A
8. N/A
Why did you choose this major?
1. I chose Communications because I'm interested in media and its impact on our society.
Specifically, I'm very interested in social media. I chose only recently to declare Writing &
Rhetoric after considering it since just before I began my first semester. Rhetoric is something I
find interesting and I hope to pursue some sort of writing in my future.
2.A professor mentioned it to me when I was in WRT 104.
3.Passion for writing and expression
4. I enjoy seeing how people interact with each other and how this knowledge can help
businesses succeed in the future
5. My skills enable me the best for this major.
6. I really enjoy writing, and once I realized how well I was able to put my thoughts to paper, I
realized that it was the major for me. To supplement my skills, I decided to pursue a second
degree in communications, as I want to work as a publicist in the music industry when I get out
of college. I am also interested in music journalism, so I decided to look into a minor in
journalism to broaden my writing style.

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7. Wanted to improve writing skills

8. I have always enjoyed writing and find it fun and relaxing.
Did you know about the major before you joined?
1. yes
2. yes
3. yes
4. yes
5. no
6. no
7. no
8. no
What influenced your decision to join the major?
1. post grad opportunities
2. post grad opportunities
3. parents
4. parents
5. teachers
6. teachers
7. welcome day
8. other
How well does the major work with your other majors/minors?
1. 5 stars
2. 5 stars
3. 5 stars
4. 5 stars
5. 4 stars
6. 4 stars
7. 4 stars
8. 4 stars
Do you know about the resources available to for postgraduate opportunities with a
Writing & Rhetoric degree?
1. yes
2. yes
3. no
4. no
5. no
6. no
7. no
8. no

24

One thing you like about the major?

1. How easy it is to accomplish as a double major
2. Diversity of writing/genres covered in the major
3.Emphasis on Rhetoric
4. The amount of leniency with classes that are required
5. Broad possibilities
6. The creativity it allows me to have
7. The writing assignment
8. N/A
One thing you dont like about the major?
1. N/A
2. Bad experiences with Freshman/Sophomore advisor. Not helpful, didn't know what she was
doing, I had to pull teeth to figure out what I needed to take.
3. Education limited to professional environments
4. Not a lot of people know about major
5. Hard to find well paying job
6. Reaction I get from people when they ask what major I am
7. No info on post grad jobs
8. N/A
How effective are Writing & Rhetoric gen-eds?
1. 1 star
2. 1 star
3. 2 stars
4. 3 stars
5. 3 stars
6. 4 stars
7. 4 stars
8. 1 star
How effective are required Writing & Rhetoric courses?
1. 3 stars
2. 3 stars
3. 4 stars
4. 4 stars
5. 4 stars
6. 4 stars
7. 5 stars
8. 5 stars
How satisfied are you with the faculty members?
1. 2 stars
2. 3 stars

25

3. 3 stars
4. 3 stars
5. 4 stars
6. 4 stars
7. 5 stars
8. 5 stars
How well do you think the major is publicized?
1. 1 star
2. 1 star
3. 1 stars
4. 2 stars
5. 2 stars
6. 2 stars
7. 3 stars
8. 4 stars
How familiar are you with the definition of rhetoric?
1. 1 star
2. 4 stars
3. 4 stars
4. 5 stars
5. 5 stars
6. 5 stars
7. 5 stars
8. 5 stars
How effective is the word rhetoric in the name of the major?
1. 1 star
2. 1 star
3. 2 stars
4. 3 stars
5. 4 stars
6. 5 stars
7. 5 stars
8. 5 stars
Choose one word you believe is most suitable for the major
1. Professional
2. Professional
3. Professional
4. Professional
5. Rhetoric
6. Rhetoric

26

7. Rhetoric
8. Art
State your opinion about the departments focus on rhetoric.
1. Considering the fact that I'm only a freshman and have only taken two WRT classes so far
(WRT 235 and WRT 201), I think the focus is pretty strong. If the major was labeled simply as
"Writing", I think I would be very much less likely to declare it. Rhetoric was a subject I enjoyed
when I briefly studied it in high school and the "Writing and Rhetoric" major lead me to believe
that it would be more practical than just a "Writing" major (not that a Writing degree is
impractical).
2. They've done a good job at explaining/defining the term
3. I enjoy the departmental focus on rhetoric, especially the ancient greek training. It is
something that I had no knowledge of prior to entering the major, but it was able to help my
writing skills immensely.
4. I think the department needs to publicize this major better, because it is under-heard of and
not known.
5. It's significant to understand how rhetoric exists in everyday life. It's also how important it is to
say what we need to say, how we say it, why we say it, who we say it to, and in what context.
6. I feel that they do a very effective job of making sure we have options to produce works in all
different forms.
7. I feel that the focus on rhetoric is there, but I feel as if there really aren't any classes available
that are heavily influenced and structured around rhetoric.
8. N/A
State your opinion about the name of the major.
1. I think, from what I've seen of the classes so far, that the name of the major is accurate. To be
honest, in the future I'd like to be able to call myself not only an educated Writer, but an
educated Rhetor as well.
2. The term "rhetoric" has a negative connotation, and I think it throws people off when they first
look at the name of the major, "Writing & Rhetoric."
3. Rhetoric is a tough word to use in a public setting nowadays. It has a bad stigma. But I
couldn't imagine the major being named anything else, since rhetoric is such a huge part of it
4. I think the name suits the goals of the major for writing and rhetoric.
5. It's a bit confusing for someone who doesn't know what rhetoric is exactly.
6. I think the name of the major fits the the major perfectly.
7. The name is professional and sounds different compared to other majors. People always ask
me what rhetoric is. I am proud of my major and proud that not many people focus in this area.
8. N/A
If you could give the department one recommendation to better itself, what would it be?
1. Maybe help students understand just how flexible the degree is in terms of what career paths
you can take with it
2.Possibly change the name of the major to professional writing. Plus, I find it a bit stupid and
ridiculous that this major isn't on the homepage of the website, or promoted by the

27

Dean/President of the school. After all, URI is one of the select few schools that offers writing as
a major (so I've been told by staff).
3. I'd say that the best way to better the department would be through advertisement. People
shy away from majors such as this because they believe they are useless. Emphasizing the
usefulness of writing, career opportunities, and working to clarify the meaning of rhetoric will, in
my opinion, be extremely advantageous to the goals of the department.
4. Publicize the major more. Hardly anyone knows about it, and there are less than 10 freshman
writing and rhetoric majors. I believe this is due to lack of communication with outside sources of
this major offered.
5. Hire better faculty.
6. More creative writing courses, or courses like writing 235. I found that class to be a really
interesting class, everybody seemed to really enjoy it
7. Make it known that there are job opportunities for post grad Writing and Rhetoric majors. I am
in my sophomore year and still don't know any specific jobs to work towards. Tell incoming
writing and rhetoric freshman about the jobs so they don't switch majors. MAKE IT KNOWN!
8. N/A

28