The challenge

The work began as a curriculum revision, but the deeper need was structural. Creating an independent program required us to demonstrate student demand, distinguish Graphic Design from Studio Art, modernize the curriculum, and build confidence that it could support enrollment goals. The proposal also needed alignment across school faculty, an academic programming committee, executive leadership, the full faculty, and the university’s accreditation liaison.

My approach

I reframed the work around two needs: what students required from a relevant graphic design education and what evidence the university required to support it.

Working with faculty and administrative partners, I developed the proposal and curriculum materials. In response to reviewers’ questions, I incorporated admissions-funnel data, market demand, prospective-student interest, competitive context, and facilities considerations. I also helped define Graphic Design and the newly named Studio Art program as distinct but complementary disciplines.

The redesigned curriculum added interactive design, motion graphics, brand identity, web and app design, and community-based work—connecting students’ academic experience more closely to contemporary practice.

The outcome

The concept received institutional approval in February 2017 and formal faculty approval in April. The accreditation liaison determined that no additional formal review was required, allowing Lakeland to launch the standalone Graphic Design major and minor in Fall 2017.

Active enrollment in the standalone program grew from 12 majors and minors in January 2018 to 33 by April 2021—a 175% increase. By the 2021 program review, many design courses were filling, and the university had committed to moving the program into a classroom three times larger. Students gained a more visible, focused pathway into the design profession, while Lakeland gained a program positioned for continued growth.