Ensuring Program Success during Difficult Times: A Descriptive Case Study and Actionable Recommendations

Abstract

Challenges to German Studies in the United States have been well documented and include questions of disciplinary mission and program viability. Existential threats stem from declining enrollments and increasing demands on faculty to sustain programs that require expanded expertise, opportunities, and networks. Calls for disciplinary transformation advocate for comprehensive curricular changes. However, some German Studies programs may need smaller-scale interventions for immediate implementation as recommended, for example, by AATG and other associations. Examining, as a case study, the trajectory of resourcefulness and resilience in the German Studies program at Kennesaw State University, a public R2 institution in Georgia, the author reports on successful, scalable initiatives over a 10-year period (2014–2024). The report details the strategic pursuit of mutually beneficial partnerships within and beyond the institution, addressing faculty performance expectations and inevitable overload in view of institutional mandates for program survival and success. Recommendations include that faculty collaborate within and beyond their field to leverage team-led efforts in teaching, service, and research projects; engage with feeder schools and peer institutions, internal and external stakeholders, and adopt high-impact practices to develop undergraduates’ transferable skills and career-relevant experiences. The report concludes by proposing three objectives and subordinate goals and action steps for potential adaptation.