Strategies for Recruitment in the Humanities: How We Doubled Our

Enrollment in One YearAmy M. Austin

Assistant Professor of Spanish and Graduate Advisor

Department of Modern LanguagesUniversity of Texas at Arlington

amaustin@uta.edu

M.A. in Modern Languages with a Concentration in French (36 hours)

M.A. in Modern Languages with a Concentration in Spanish (36 hours)

Graduate Certificate in French (18 hours)

Graduate Certificate in Spanish (18 hours)

Graduate Programs

Graduate Teaching Assistantships*

GTA I – Assists in two courses each semester

GTA II – Teaches two courses per semester

Graduate Teaching Assistantships

*GTAs are eligible for in-state tuition.

•Bart Lewis Memorial Scholarship-Full-time graduate students, 12 credit hours at UTA, 3.0 GPA (up to $1000)

•Tony Litsey Memorial Scholarship-Graduate MODL-Spanish, 9 graduate Spanish credit hours with a 3.5 GPA (up to $1000)

Scholarships

Presentations in sophomore-, junior-, and senior-level classes

Letters to outstanding studentsGradChat Letters and emails to alumni On-campus recruiting eventsGraduate Student Test Drive, organized and sponsored by the Dean’s Office of the College of Liberal Arts

Recruitment: On campus

Local high schools Letters Recruitment events Brochures

Local colleges and universities Letters Brochures

Recruitment: Off campus

Career OpportunitiesEducation

• Public and Private Schools• Bilingual Education• College Professor

Government• Armed Forces• Civil Service / Foreign Service• Court Interpreter• FBI or National Security Agent• Immigration Officer / Customs

Tourism / Hospitality• Airline Services• Hospitality Industry

Business and Commerce• Banking / Finance• Bilingual Sales/Customer Support• Bilingual Marketing• Consulting• Human Resources• International Relations• Importing / Exporting

Translation / InterpretationHealth Care ServicesArts / Media / Entertainment

• Journalism / Broadcasting• Editing / Publishing

Inquiry: In-person meeting Follow-up emails catered to the students’ interests

or concernsPersonalized email on behalf of the Department after acceptance

Follow-up emails until the student in enrolled at UT Arlington

In-person and Skype advisingIn-person meetings at least once a semester to track progress and increase retention.

Personalized Communication Plan

Qualifications:Completed at least 24 hours at UTA with a GPA of

3.0 in all courses and 3.25 in the last 30 hours. Completed the four required core courses in the French or Spanish major (GPA 3.5).

Completed at least two additional junior- or senior-level courses in either French or Spanish (GPA 3.5)

Letters of recommendations (3) from graduate faculty.

Fast Track Program

Students take up to three graduate courses (9 hours, one per semester) that count for both their B.A and their M.A

.If students maintain a minimum of 3.0 in their graduate courses, they are invited to apply to the graduate program.

If students do not maintain a minimum of 3.0 in their graduate courses, the courses only count toward the completion of their B.A.

Fast Track Program

Professional Development Departmental orientations for newly

admitted students Receptions with faculty Workshops with the graduate advisor

Conference presentations Life/work/school balance Exam-taking strategies Developing relationships with your

professors

Future Plans Departmental-level response to online

graduate survey Summer classes Changes in class times Increase online and hybrid classes

(?) Courses in translation, interpreting,

and Spanish for the professions

Future Plans Increase community outreach

Saturday sample classes/workshops on campus or at local libraries.

Open class hours for the community.

Presentations and workshops at local high schools, colleges, and universities.

Thank you! Comments?

Questions?