Suggestions for a Successful German Program: The Case of Muskingum College

Abstract

In 1991, 1 had the opportunity to take over an ailing German program at Muskingum College in Ohio. At the time the program had an enrollment of just six students, but it offered a great opportunity for program building. When I arrived at Muskin gum College, the major in German had just been revived, and the position description was seeking a person with experience in teaching German on all levels, as well as study-abroad experience, and a background in business German. More impor tantly, the program required someone with a clear vision for success in recruiting students, someone who could develop a good working relationship with the office of admissions, as well as someone to teach a first-year seminar and align German with the majors in International Business and Inter national Affairs. Two years after arriving in 1991, I became the chair of the Department of Modern Languages and remained in that position until 1999. During that time I not only rebuilt the Ger man program but had significant influence on the other language programs in our department as well. This case study will describe several strategies that I employed to grow the German Program at Muskingum College. It is my hope that others will find these ideas transferable to their own institution with the same positive effects that they had at my institution.