Building a Small German Program from the Ground Up

I spent two weeks with a group of vibrant German Studies professionals from all over the US at a Fulbright/DAAD Summer Academy for US German professors in Leipzig. One of the most important exchanges during these two weeks was with Birgit Jensen, who presented her own work building the German program at East Carolina University.

Below is a summary of this discussion. These points can be a great start in establishing a course of action for program building. Moreover, they can be a great start in revising approaches at already established programs. I was glad to see some of my own projects at Sam Houston State University in the list. The blog will serve as a thinking piece for a workshop I am co-organizing at this year's ACTFL/AATG in Boston with my wonderful colleagues Patricia Branstad and Yvonne Franke. 

1. Mission Plan. Program building involves juggling a great many different small and large-scale projects. Without a clear mission and set of benchmarks all initiatives are in danger of appearing disconnected and having a low impact. Developing a mission plan with clear goals and a timeline helps you stay organized and focused. This plan can include some of the below--meaning, both small and large-scale projects.
2. Progress Reports. Immediately connected to the mission plan are the reports you write each semester tracing your efforts. These can be for yourself to see what you have accomplished and what needs to be accomplished. Moreover, these need to be sent to the department chair, dean, provost, president, other interested parties. Such progress reports have the benefit of communicating the strong work you do to folks in charge of great many projects/programs--meaning, those folks who cannot possibly be aware of everything that goes on in your program. Birgit even puts together a press release of the accomplishments she sends out to student and local newspapers. These regularly write about the German Program and generate visibility for it as a result. 
3. Public Relations on Social Media etc. A Facebook page is an effective way to collect information and share information about your events and related programming in the community. These sites are usually interesting for administrators as well. Alumni often stay connected to the site long after they graduate. This helps with fundraising etc if they see what the program is accomplishing day in day out. 
   1. List Serves. One general list serve in which all the students currently enrolled in courses in the German Program and one for Alumini are a great way to cultivate your own communication path to persons of interest. 
4. Programming for Students. Small program building depends on student outreach, mentorship, and overall community building around the German Program. Any event outside of the classroom organized in conjunction with student interests will effectively strengthen the program. Here are some ideas for such events: 
   1. Open House Reception. At the beginning of each year, host an open house reception for students with snacks and drinks to welcome them and to help them feel as a member of a unique community on campus. 
   2. German Club. This is a staple for any German Program. It empowers students to participate in the shaping of their own cultural and intellectual communities on campus and can be an organizing principle for ALL the events in the program. I regularly collaborate with my students on program events. 
   3. Film Series. Students are in charge of organizing the entire film series on their own. This autonomy helps them feel connected to the program, take ownership of the programming, and fosters an overall feeling of belonging. Students select, promote, and organize discussions for each film. 
   4. Book Club. Once a year, a book is selected. Ideally in German (Birgit used "Max und Moritz" but any easily accessible book in German would do.). I'd recommend even a book in translation, but one that engages student interests and helps them feel connected to the program. There may be ways to integrate the book into the curriculum as well. 
   5. Delta Phi Alpha. The German National Honors Society is an extremely important way to help honor your excellent student and help motivate other students to perform well in courses. An award ceremony at the end of the year could be easily coupled with the honors induction ceremony. 
      
   6. PR Project for German Program Events. Involve different groups on campus to help design a logo for the German Club (art student contest),  design a T-Shirt for the German Program (university-wide contest with prices), etc. 
   7. Campus-Wide Events. A yearly Oktoberfest is a great idea to generate interest in the German Program through a very popular cultural event familiar to a lot of American audiences. Birgit even involved the student government at ECU. She received extra funding to expand the scope of the event and thereby drew a lot of attention to the program itself. Birgit also organizes: Laternenfest, St. Nicholas Day, Opernball, Musikabend. 
   8. Meet Your Minor/Major Day. This could be coupled with the opening reception, an official university event, or simply be a program-specific event. You introduce the program, offer the benefits of it, and help students see the potentials for close mentorship oftentimes not available in other programs. 
   9. Cultural Outreach Points. Your course syllabi from the first semester onward can include a Cultural Outreach component for the final grade in the course. This includes asking students to attend either the program events or local events related to German Studies throughout the semester as partial fulfillment of course requirements. The benefit on the one hand is that students are drawn to programming you organize and feel in turn better connected to the program (and more likely to continue taking classes with you). On the other hand, it helps them develop a better sense of culture studies early on, which in turn will help them develop interest in a minor/major. 
5. Student Internships. Local, national, and international internships are a great way to help students marry their course of study in German language and culture and their target career interests. By helping establish a direct link while students are in coursework, you can help them see the benefits of culture studies broadly. Birgit established with her colleagues internships through a study abroad program at the Hochschule Mannheim, where students automatically receive a paid internship in addition to their studies. This takes a while to establish, but German trade schools and universities of applied science are generally open to international collaboration. Programs through the German American Chamber of Commerce are an effective alternative to identify internships in Germany. 
6. Stipend/Scholarship/Fellowship Mentoring. International scholarship and fellowship programs such as those available through Fulbright and the DAAD require effective applications--meaning, they require a lot of preparation and mentoring if they are to be successful. Establishing a scholarship application writing club helps students find community around international interests and helps you track their progress in an organized fashion. By institutionalizing scholarship applications, you formally invite broader participation of students. 
7. Partners on Campus. Reaching out to programs on campus with similar or related missions to that of the German Program is an essential first step in establishing interdisciplinary curricula, etc. A simple "What can the German Program do for you?" suffices in making a first contact that can lead to extensive collaboration with business, engineering, STEM broadly, and related humanities disciplines. Sometimes course offerings are timed in a way that prevents some disciplines to send their students your way. Inquire with other departments when courses should be offered, during what time, etc. to avoid scheduling conflicts. 
8. Student Involvement in Committees. Students are an extremely valuable resource in determining what works for them and what does not. If you have a curriculum committee, for instance, including students on that committee not only gives them a chance to gain experience on an official university-wide committee, but also helps them be part of decisions that are made on their behalf. Birgit establishes student committees for larger program events, which helps her find the helping hands she and her colleagues need to put on involved events. 
9. Fundraising. Staring small is key and building up to a larger goal. Bake sales, craft sales, T-Shirt sales are a way to build funds for the program, which can be used for scholarships to motivate student study abroad etc. Birgit uses fundraising letters, which she sends to alumni and interested parties. Alumni who donate funds are invited to campus to give presentations about the way they integrated their German coursework into their studies. They discuss how their career path and personal life benefited from German language/culture studies. The alumni newsletter--which Birgit sends out regularly--has a permanent fundraising note in it. 
10. German Students on Campus. One way to involve German natives on campus--especially the international students from Germany--is to make welcome packages for them and offer to help them settle in the area. By helping them find an anchor on campus immediately upon arrival, you will benefit from their assistance with cultural programming in the future. 
11. High Schools and Community Colleges. Your area has a number of German programs at different levels. Your involvement in those programs--lectures, program presentations, cultural events--essentially guarantees collegiality that leads to fostering student interest in German long before students arrive to your programs. 
12. Outreach Courses. Very effective outreach courses include "Representations of the Holocaust," "Fairy Tales," and "Sympathy for the Devil." These tend to do well at different sorts of institutions. They work best if they are open to anyone who is interested, are taught in English, and are advertised widely. Students who are enrolled in the German program can have these count to their advanced hours, while students outside of the German program will be drawn to it because of the exciting curriculum. 

If you have had success implementing programming not listed here--or if you have alternative approaches to some of the items listed here--please use the comments section below to tell me about what you are doing. It is extremely important that we as German Studies professionals share insight. Only through collaborative planning and through sharing can we maintain our disciplines.