Strategic

Communication Plan:
University of Cincinnati English Department







Prepared for:
Dr. Antoinette Larkin & Dr. Maria Romagnoli

March 8, 2016

Prepared by:
Hannah Barker, Karen Krumpak, & Alyssa Smith

Table of Contents


Summary..3



Introduction4


Analysis of Business Environment..4



External Environment4



Internal Environment.5



Strengths.6

Weaknesses..7

Audience Analysis..7



Audience Identification.7



Audience Profiles..8


Communication Objectives..10



Tailored Messages.10


Strategy..11



Options and Vehicles..11







Timeline...12




Budget.....13

Evaluation.....13

English Department Strategic Plan

Summary

There is often a stigma tied to having an English degree in the minds of many non-English
majors, along with a common stereotype that having an English degree isnt useful and doesnt
lead to a high-paying job. On the opposite end of the spectrum are STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics) degrees. People often think that a STEM degree leads to greater
success and opportunity than an English degree; however, many of these claims are unfounded.
English degrees can and do offer bright career prospects for students and graduates. In fact,
many employers specifically seek out those with an English major. Communication, especially
writing, is a key component for many jobs. Workers in many fields must be trained to write and
speak clearly in order to communicate effectively. Thankfully, the English Department at the
University of Cincinnati (UC) teaches these important skills.
The UC English Department offers degrees in four areas:
1. Creative Writing
a. Poetry
b. Fiction
c. Non-Fiction
2. Literary and Cultural Studies
3. Rhetoric and Composition (PhD. only)
4. Rhetoric and Professional Writing (Undergraduate only)
Unfortunately, the English department must work harder than most departments to recruit new
students to the program because of the negative stereotypes associated with the English major.
The department must understand both its external and internal environment and how to
overcome the challenges and emphasize the strengths in both.
The first step to increasing enrollment in the program is to improve the departments profile and
get information in the hands of appropriate audiences. The main component for our proposed
communication plan is to create a promotional magazine. This department magazine will offer a
new, positive perspective on the English major at UC and will serve as a takeaway for target
audiences: potential students, current students, and parents of these students. Along with the
magazine, we will create a brochure to complement and condense the themes and information in
the magazine. Overall, this campaign will show the marketability of the English degree and
hopefully cause people to revise their definition of what it means to major in English.


Introduction

The UC English Department, under the direction of Jay Twomey and undergraduate director
Dr. Maria Ragnoli, is attempting to increase the number of students who declare English as a
major or minor. By reaching more students and convincing them and their parents of the value
of an English degree, the department hopes to enhance its recruitment efforts. This report
provides an analysis of the environment surrounding the English major and appropriate target
audiences, in an attempt to define the best practices for achieving the departments goals. Based
on our research, we outline a strategic plan for the department, focusing on the development of
an English department magazine and how it can attract more students and promote the English
programs at UC.
English Department Strategic Plan


Analysis of Business Environment

External Environment
Since the late 1970s, which saw a large drop in the number of English majors, there has
been frequent talk of the decline of the English major and humanities. However,
according to the Digest of Education Statistics published by the National Center for
Education Statistics, English degrees increased drastically nationwide after the 1980s and
have maintained a steady enrollment through 2013, when the study ends.i English
departments and the humanities have, nevertheless, been negatively affected by a belief
that the humanities are in decline.
In 2012, President Obama announced a Cross-Agency Priority (CAP) goal to increase the
number of students who receive degrees in the STEM fields by 1 million by the year
2022.ii This CAP goal reflects the desire for American companies to remain competitive
in the national and international markets as technology grows and changes at a rapid
pace. Students are encouraged to major in STEM fields by the promise of job availability
and high average salariespromises that develop out of companies understanding of
success and competition. This nationwide has resulted in a major shift of emphasis away
from the humanities, which appear irrelevant to some in such a fast-paced and
competitive world.
Part of this shift of attention away from the humanities, and especially English, is also
caused by an interest in majors which lead clearly and directly to a career path, such as
specific business degrees. Job listings frequently include a checklist of necessary skills that
business degrees often directly address through practicing in class specific technologies,
like Microsoft Excel, while English and other humanities majors learn how to learn as well
as adaptability when approaching a new problem.
At the same time, as CEOs and industry leaders are aware of the value of general
communication, researching, critical thinking, and empathy skills acquired by English
majors, and indeed Steve Strauss, small business expert, has stated, English majors are
my employee of choice.iii Dr. Loretta Jackson-Hayes, a chemistry professor at Rhodes
College, was quoted in her article in The Washington Post about the importance that all
graduates and particularly those who graduate with STEM degrees have that allimportant grounding in the liberal arts.iv While English degrees do not necessarily lead
to a direct career path in the way that, for example, engineering degrees lead to
engineering jobs, education degrees lead to teaching jobs, and speech pathology degrees
lead to jobs as speech pathologists, the skills developed while earning the degree allow for
success and marketability in a wide range of fields. Some of the full-time positions held by
those who graduated in English from UC in 2014 (E. Bridges, UC Career Development
Center personal communication, March 4, 2016) include:
o
o
o
o
o
o

Guest Services Manager

Project Specialist
Logistics Account Executive
Eligibility Technician/Case Worker
Guest Service Agent
Customer Service Representative

English Department Strategic Plan

Together with this resistance, according to 2010-2011 data from the Georgetown Center
on Education and the Workforce, right after graduating, English majors reported 9.8
percent unemployment, less than the unemployment rate of those who majored in
economics (10.4 percent) and political science (11.1 percent) and only minimally higher
than those who majored in computer science (8.7 percent).v
Despite the data, a resistance to entering the field of English still persists. The UC English
department also faces competition from other public Ohio colleges that may attract
potential English majors and even private liberal arts universities across the country, as
they are more likely to attract a proportionately higher percentage of students interested
in the humanities.
Internal Environment
Within UC, the English department also faces competition from the eleven other colleges
and the majors within each of those colleges. Many of these degrees involve placing
students in cohorts that help guide the students from enrollment to a career path, which
may be comforting to a new freshman student when considering all possible major and
career options.
The English department also faces competition from other humanities departments at
UC. Students with an interest in English may also be interested in one or more other
humanities majors that relate to the study of English. They may choose to major in one of
those other fields instead and take English courses as electives or to complete a minor.
Forty English degrees were awarded among UCs graduating class of 2014vi, including
majors in Creative Writing, Literary & Cultural Studies, and Rhetoric & Professional
Writing. This number reflects a department small enough that professors will remember
individual students and be able to work with students one-on-one.

Strengths
The main strengths of the English program at UC include the transferable skills that
students learn in English courses and the flexibility and independence that majoring in
English allows both during and after undergrad. These transferable skills include
thinking, writing, reading, research, empathy, and lifelong learning. Writing, reading, and
research skills are those developed as an English major that are both extremely valuable
in every field and very underdeveloped in other major tracks. Thinking and lifelong
learning are the skills that most serve English majors as they begin jobs in unfamiliar
fields and allows them to adapt to different fields, making them especially valuable as new
hires; English majors are able to use their ability to question and analyze to learn what
they do not already know. Finally, English majors develop empathy through the practice
of reading characters in literature, as well as by reading about cultures and ideas different
from their own, which is vital in working and dealing with others.
Because of these highly useful, transferable skills, English majors have been successful in a
variety of fields. Career option for graduates with an English degree and without
additional studies include, but are not limited to, the following:

English Department Strategic Plan

o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Administrator
Advertising
Copywriter
Author
Book Critic
Consumer Public
Relations
Court Reporter
Editor
Freelance Writer

o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Fund Raiser
Grant Writer
Human Resource
Specialist
Indexer
Interpreter/
Translator
Journalist
Market Research
Analyst

o
o
o
o
o

Media Specialist
Playwright
Publicity Specialist
Sales
Representative
Speech Writer
Technical Writer

English majors often acquire additional degrees to pursue other careers, which commonly
include careers in law, education, and more.

Each specific track within the major has required courses, but students may choose from
a broad selection of courses to meet many of those requirements and an even broader
selection, including courses in another of the English major tracks and sometimes in other
departments, for their English electives. Students have the freedom to choose courses
based on their individual interests. This freedom then allows students to tailor their
degree even within one of the specific English major based on what career path they hope
to follow.

Weaknesses
Non-English majorsother students and adultsoften fail to see how an English major
could be prepared for (or want to do) any jobs besides teaching or becoming an author.
This misperception creates a challenge because English majors have extremely varied
interests and transferable skills, yet non-English majors who are in charge of the hiring
process often look at job candidates based on education backgrounds and the learned
processes that they understand come with those majors. English majors are thus limited
by the misconceptions of others.
In practice, English majors may be weakened because there are certain necessary skills
that they generally do not learn while studying for their degrees. One of these essential
skills is teamwork. While day-to-day classes involve at least some collaboration and
cooperation with others, depending on their chosen track some English majors rarely
work in groups and so become accustomed to making decisions based on their own
thinking and plans. They may find it difficult to navigate in teams when it comes time to
work in a professional setting. English majors also tend not to learn various technologies
in classes that are often desired in workers who focus on writing and research. While UC
is increasing its interest and work in Digital Humanities, English undergraduates are often
unaware of the personal benefits that Digital Humanities can have for them and their
versatility, and this lack of awareness leads to weakness where there should be
opportunity.
The English department also faces a very real weakness that, on average, students
graduating with an English degree earn a starting salary that is significantly less than the
average among those graduating with a bachelors degree. According to the NACE Class
of 2014 First-Destination Survey, English graduates earned an average starting salary of

English Department Strategic Plan

$33,574. This is $14,553 less than the average starting salary of all degrees following
graduation.vii

Audience Analysis

Audience Identification
The primary audience for this promotional campaign consists of students between ages
17 and 22. This age group includes high school students looking at UC and considering a
major or minor in English; students already at UC who are undecided, especially in
Exploratory Studies and Liberal Arts; and students looking to transfer into UCs English
program. Additionally, the audience includes parents, either of high school students or
college students. These parents are most likely involved in their childs life and career
choices.

Because the English department magazine and brochure will together reach a number of
people who have a variety of needs, together they should address these questions:

o
o
o
o
o
o
o

What are the benefits of majoring in English?

How have past English majors been successful?
How can majoring in English help someone find a profitable job?
Who typically majors in English??
What can a student expect from UCs English program?
What is required of English majors at UC?
Why is UCs English department better than English departments at other universities?

Audience Profiles
Focusing on the magazine, below are sample personas created to represent potential
magazine readers and identify what they would expect out of the UC English magazine.

Paul: Prospective UC Student

What he would find helpful from the English
Departments magazine:
Paul needs basic information about the English
major at UC and also reassurance that it will
challenge him, fit his interests, and lead him to a
successful career.

Age: 18
City: Harrison, OH

Description: Paul is in his senior year of high school.
He has already committed to going to UC (both his
parents are UC graduates) and is excited to start in
the fall. Paul is not sure what he wants to do as a
career, so he plans to enter UC as an undecided
major. Paul has received a 4.0 every year in high
school. He enjoys his English classes the most and
particularly excels at academic writing. He also
maintains a blog where he reviews local bands in the
tri-state region. Paul has considered majoring in
English, but does not know what he can do with an
English degree. Hes also considering a major in
chemistry or historyhis other favorite subjects.

Primary Need: Fulfillment

English Department Strategic Plan




Mary: Mom of a UC freshman

What she would find helpful from the English
Departments magazine:
Mary needs to be persuaded that an English
degree can lead to success and is a practical
degree.

Primary Need: Practicality

Laura: UC Sophomore

What she would find helpful from the English
Departments magazine:
Laura is interested in how the English degree fits
with her schedule (and with her other courses).
She wants to make sure taking on the extra course
load will benefit her in the long run, especially in
law school.

Primary Need: Flexibility, applicability

Age: 50
City: Cincinnati, OH

Description: Mary has been a stay-at-home mom
since she gave birth to her third, and final, child
James, who will turn 19 in May. In college, Mary
majored in Business Administration and worked in
marketing for ten years before deciding to stay at
home with her children. James (the youngest) is a
freshman at UC and has not declared a major. Hes
leaning towards creative writing because he loves to
write short stories. Mary is very involved in James
life and, although she wants to support his creativity
and happiness, is worried that he will not be able to
support himself with a major in the field of English.
She would rather he major in something more
practical; her other two children chose practical
majors: one is an accountant and another is in
graduate school for computer science. Mary has
been researching some of the majors at UC and
wants to make sure James picks the best one,
especially since she and her husband are helping pay
for part of James college tuition.
Age: 20
City: Columbus, OH

Description: Laura is in her second year at UC and
is currently on track to receive her Bachelors in
Business Administration with a focus in business
economics. She plans to attend law school after
graduation. Laura is extremely goal-oriented,
outgoing, and argumentative. She already has a
leadership role in her sorority and is involved in
several other student groups on campus. Although
Laura enjoys reading and has excelled in the two
English courses she has taken at UC, shes not sure if
she wants to declare English as a major or minor.
Her pre-law advisor mentioned that picking up
another major would be a good way to stand out
when she applies to law school. Laura cant decide if
majoring in English is possible for her or if it would
actually be beneficial.

English Department Strategic Plan

Communication Objectives

Author and professor John J. Clayton states: [Selling the English major] has been a public
relations problem: how to pummel into the ground the stereotype of English as: 1) a teaching
major; 2) a major for people with their heads in the clouds; 3) a major within which students can
hide from the painful process of career planning. How to replace this stereotype with a vision of
English as a major that offers a grounding in the humanities, a grounding which, when conjoined
with professional training, can be a very solid basis for career development in many directions
(Clayton 128).viii
Informed by Claytons thinking, this campaign will concentrate on addressing two main
communication objectives with the goal of increasing the number of English majors and minors
at UC:
1. Informing potential English majors, both college-bound and current UC students, and
their parents of the transferable skills acquired, the individualized course plan allowed,
and the career opportunities afforded in studying for an English degree by distributing
brochures and by providing access to the English department magazine.
2. Persuading potential English majors and their parents that an English degree is
marketable, practical, and valued.

Tailored Messages
With this campaign, the UC English department will respond to concerns and benefits of the
business environment and highlight the strengths of both the degree and the specific program
as it appeals to both the primary audience of students and the secondary audience of parents.
For students, who want to know how their chosen degree will impact their life both as an
undergraduate and as a post-grad, the messages must emphasize:
1. Both the individual attention that can be offered to every student in English and the
freedom to explore individual interests.
2. Aspects and opportunities unique to the department, such as individual majors within
the department, notable and interesting professors and guests, writing competitions,
opportunities for on-campus involvement through writing, and study abroad options.
3. Opportunities for interdisciplinary studies and work in other departments.
4. Information on Digital Humanities, Medical Humanities, and other related fields that
will help students increase their versatility.
5. Transferable skills, including thinking, writing, reading, research, empathy, and
lifelong learning, that students will acquire in English courses.
6. The use, value, and flexibility of an English degree by including the long list of varied
career options and success stories of English majors in the workforce.
For parents, whose focus will be largely on ensuring their children are adequately prepared
for post-grad life, the messages will be less comprehensive. Messages to parents will
emphasize:
English Department Strategic Plan

1. The highly marketable, transferable skills that students acquire in English courses.
2. The variety of potential (and also high-paying) career options that English majors
have.
3. Statements by business executives who highly value employees with English degrees.

Strategy

Currently, the UC English Department has a limited promotional strategy for recruiting students
to the English program. Apart from the website, which can often be difficult to navigate, the
English Department has no supplemental recruiting materials. This campaign will increase the
number of promotional materials the UC English Department gives out to students. In order to
re-define the English major in a positive light, students and parents must better understand how
an English degree can lead to a successful career.


Options and Vehicles
The main output of this campaign is a 16-page magazine entitled Working With Words that
will focus on UCs English Department. Fittingly, the first editions theme will be:
Exploring stereotypes associated with the English major. This is an important topic for
the first issue because in order to recruit new English majors, the UC English department
first has to get over the hurdle of how people currently, negatively think of the English
major.
The first magazine issue will explain UCs English Department in a visually appealing
way. It will include statistics that accurately depict the positive-side of the English major.
It will also include success stories of UC English alumni and features on current students
in the English department. Overall, the magazine will provide an accurate depiction of
what the English Department at UC actually does for students and their future success.
The magazine will help recruit more students because it will directly get the information
about the English program in students and parents hands in a format they actually want
to read.

The following shows a running list of ideas for magazine feature articles and profiles:

Feature Articles
1. Nobel Peace Prize for Literature (author: Antoinette Larkin)
2. Pen and the Sword (author: Alyssa Smith)
o This article will look at veterans currently enrolled in the UC English
Department and the connection between their military affiliation and
why they chose to study English at UC
3. Common Read: Deadly Wandering: A Tale of Tragedy and Redemption in the Age of
Attention
o This article will look into the common reading experience at UC: why
the book was chosen, who chose the book, and who is required to read
the book

English Department Strategic Plan

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Profiles
Faculty
1. Kristen Iversen: Associate Professor, Creative Non-Fiction
2. Tamar Heller: Associate Professor, Literary & Cultural Studies, teaches The
Magic of Harry Potter
3. Jen Glaser: Associate Professor, Literary & Cultural Studies, focusing on the
graphic novel
Current Students
1. Natalie Ochmann: Undergrad-RPW, Grad-PW
2. Tommy Hemmer: Undergrad-Poetry, Grad-PW
3. Chris Collins: Army Veteran (will be featured in Pen and the Sword section),
Creative Non-Fiction PhD
4. Kevin Honold: Veteran (will be featured in Pen and the Sword section),
Poetry PhD
5. Trisha Nicholas: Marine Veteran (will be featured in Pen and the Sword
section), Literature and Cultural Studies Masters
6. Rich Shivener: Rhetoric and Composition PhD
Alumni
1. Marion A. Spencer, 2003
2. Patricia Glass Schuman, 2006
3. Rabbi Sally Priesand, 2009
The secondary output of the campaign will be a brochure showcasing the majors and
minors in the UC English Department. This brochure will give prospective students and
their parents an abbreviated version, or quick guide, of the more fixed ideas from the
magazine. Its important for the English program that potential students and their parents
understand all that UCs English program offers. The brochure will be available in print
and also digitally sent out to potential students.

Timeline
For the first issue of the magazine, we will have students in the Promotional Writing
course submit feature and profile articles. This will give us a number of options for
material to include in the magazine. Our working timeline is shown below, but because of
class restrictions, it only extends through April:
April 13: Draft of profiles and feature articles due from classmates
April 28: Revisions of profiles and features due with quality photographs or
infographics as needed
April 28: Magazine cover and inside spreads designed
Summer 2016: Brochure completed
September 1: Publication of Magazine




English Department Strategic Plan

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Budget
For the magazine, a third party will cover printing costs. To print the magazine, we
contacted two printing locations.
To use UC Printing Services, located in McMicken 007. We have provided the contact
information for UC Printing below:

Walt Connolly
Manager, West Campus Duplicating Services
University of Cincinnati
007 McMicken Hall
Cincinnati, OH 45221-0043
(513) 556-3218
(513) 556-3325 Copy Center
(513) 556-3434 Fax
connolwt@uc.edu
On March 4, 2016, Walt Connolly provided us an initial quote for 500 copies of a 24page magazine. We have summarized the quote below:
Uncoated Cover with bleeds on cover only: $3.74 per book, or $1,870.00 for 500
magazines
Coated Cover (80# cover for cover and 100# gloss text for inside) with full bleeds
on cover only: $3.87 per book, or $1,935.00 for 500 magazines
These costs may change depending on the number of pages in the final draft of the
magazine.
The second quote was using Royal Specialty Products Inc. We have provided the contact
information below:

David Dennis
Manger, Royal Specialty Products Inc.
4114 Montgomery Rd.
Cincinnati, OH 45212
513-841-1267
dpdennis63@hotmail.com

On April 28, 2016, David Denis provided us with an initial quote for 500 copies of a 24page magazine. We have summarized the quote below:
Card Stock Cover, full color, with black and white inside and a stapled bind:
$2,100 for 500 magazines.
These costs may change depending on the number of pages in the final draft.
English Department Strategic Plan

12

Evaluation
To evaluate the success of the magazine (and brochure) campaign, UCs English
Department can compare the number of English majors and minors before and after the
magazine is published to see if the number increases and ask readers to complete an
online survey that also encourages letters to the editor.

Snyder, T.D., and Dillow, S.A. (2015). Digest of Education Statistics 2013 (NCES 2015-011). National Center for
Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC. Retrieved
from http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2015/2015011.pdf
ii The White House, United States Government. (2012). One decade, one million more STEM graduates. Retrieved
from https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/12/18/one-decade-one-million-more-stem-graduates
iii Martinuzzi, B. (2013). Why English Majors are the Hot New Hires. American Express Open Forum. Retrieved March
05, 2016, from https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/openforum/articles/why-english-majors-arethe-hot-new-hires/
iv Jackson-Haynes, L. (2015, February 18). We dont need more STEM majors. We need more STEM majors with
liberal arts training. The Washington Post. Retrieved March 05, 2016, from
https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/02/18/we-dont-need-more-stem-majors-we-needmore-stem-majors-with-liberal-arts-training/
v Gregoire, C. (2014, March 14). In Defense Of The 'Impractical' English Major. The Huffington Post. Retrieved
March 05, 2016, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/14/how-english-majors-are-ch_n_4943792.html
vi Information provided does not include data more recent than 2014.
vii National Association of Colleges and Employers. (2015). NACE spring 2015 salary survey. Retrieved from
https://www.naceweb.org/uploadedFiles/Content/static-assets/downloads/executive-summary/2015-springsalary-survey-executive-summary.pdf
viii Clayton, John J. (1981). Career Planning and the English Major. College English, 43(2), 122131. doi:
10.2307/376745

English Department Strategic Plan

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