“Recruitment Reimagined: Enhancing Humanities Enrollment via Talent Spotting,” (Leal & Springer) focuses on a targeted professional development workshop developed to incentivize active engagement in recruitment. This workshop was successfully executed twice (2023, 2024) and developed by the University of Arizona College of Humanities’ Recruitment Task Force. This workshop constituted a comprehensive two-day event aimed at both faculty and graduate students and culminated in 117 attendees earning the College’s Certificate for Recruitment. Utilizing insights by Cowen and Gross (2022), the workshop emphasized a strategic mix of engagement techniques, specifically tailored to an academic context. These include clearly communicating the college's mission in a way that resonates with students’ values and the acknowledgment of students’ distinct talents, accomplishments, and possible contributions. The workshop thus advocates for a personalized approach, encouraging an authentic interest in students that takes into account students’ individual career goals and personal aspirations. Leal & Springer detail the insights that influenced the workshop's structure, including the interactive sessions and iterative improvements from its first to second year. Leal and Springer conclude by articulating the workshop's benefits and impact on participants and the college community.

The second paper (Cuillé), titled “A Powerful French Recruitment Tool: The High Value of Français Professionnel de la Santé at WashU,” raises the question: How did the new French for Health Professionals (FPS) track contribute to a 20 percent increase in double majors in French studies, while integrating French literature texts in the curriculum? This case study demonstrates that successful recruitment initiatives in the Humanities must adapt to the specific context of the institution and focus on the added value for careers. Washington University in St. Louis is known for the excellence of its PreMed program. The new FPS track has convinced the PreMed undergraduates of the added value of French studies for their future medical careers. Beyond proposing yet another "professional French" course, the FPS track identifies PreMeds who have taken AP French in high school, helps them complete a certificate from the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIP) recognized by the French Ministry of Health, puts them in contact with French doctors by leveraging the outreach activities of the French Connexions cultural center, and offers them a 5-week shadowing internship at the Pasteur Medical School in Nice, France. A key recruitment tool for the French department, FPS is also a strong asset for WashU students applying to the best U.S. medical schools.

“Making the Case for Humanities Degrees and Career Success,” (Townsend) concludes by highlighting the career achievements of humanities graduates, offering data-driven insights to dispel myths and showcase the practical value of a humanities education. Townsend walks through data he uses to make the case to students to demonstrate how the skills acquired in humanities result in long-term career success for thousands of previous humanities graduates. The purpose of the research is to arm students with information they can use to answer questions about their long-term employability (e.g., parents/peers) and encourage thinking about the transferability of the skills acquired in the humanities into the workforce.

During the discussion, audience members will be encouraged to share their own recruitment and promotion efforts and their measures of success (inclusive of metrics beyond student enrollment/graduation numbers). The session will encourage participants to consider how they can integrate recruitment and promotion strategies in their own context (taking into account available resources and capacity), driving innovation.