In a semester-long community project, Professor of English Heidi McKee and her professional writing capstone class partnered with the Enjoy Oxford visitors bureau and worked closely with Kim Daggy, executive director, to develop their communications with the local community. 

The students began their project by performing a content audit and analysis of Enjoy Oxford’s existing social media posts and website to form recommendations for new content. They also conducted comparative audits of eight other college town visitor bureaus as well as user-experience (UX) research on the existing website. With this information, students narrowed down their deliverables to three teams working on a new website, extensive social media, and a brochure.

The course culminated in a final showcase presentation of all produced content and communications, which was attended by Daggy, Enjoy Oxford board members Ellie Witter and Sherri Krazl, Miami University Provost Elizabeth Mullenix, Associate Provost Amy Bergerson, Dean of the College of Arts and Science Chris Makaroff, and other members of the surrounding community.

A partnership exceeding expectations

When Daggy was first approached by McKee in December 2021, she had no idea what a potential partnership would entail. But once it was officially organized, Daggy was excited by the possibilities.

“Miami recruits stellar students,” she said. “So the opportunity to work with a wealth of knowledge, a wealth of ideas and creatives and technical expertise was what I was looking forward to the most.”

Within months, the students produced more than Daggy could have ever imagined. “I was really touched by how excited the class was to develop and carry out all three projects. It kind of validated how much work we do as an organization,” she said. “Getting more than what I expected out of the class was just one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Everything just clicked.”

Students in the class echoed that same excitement.

“I admired the way Dr. McKee organized the process in a way that made the entire project student-led but still kept us on track and offered support and resources,” said Gabby Hoggatt, a senior Professional Writing and Creative Writing major on the brochure team. “It was a huge undertaking, and yet it was fun, engaging, and so fulfilling to work on. Throughout the semester there was an atmosphere of excitement and support for the project” 

Real-world opportunities within the classroom

Student Liz Browning demonstrates the redesigned
Enjoy Oxford website for Dean Makaroff.

For many of the students in the capstone, the experience of working with a community partner was both new and enriching, allowing them to extend upon their professional writing coursework and the skills they had developed along the way.

Emily Deeds, a senior Professional Writing major and member of the website redesign team, emphasized the importance of this real-world experience in her professional development. 

“Before the capstone, I had a narrow view of how I could apply my major or what careers I could potentially pursue with my degree,” she said. “I chose the Professional Writing major with the plan of pursuing a career in grant or technical writing, but the capstone made me realize that I could also consider UX research or design and similar fields that utilize my PW experience with visual rhetoric.”

Students also learned valuable software and technical skills that they can carry into their careers. Hoggatt was able to use different design programs and platforms to create the final brochure produced in the class. 

“I expanded my design toolkit and skillset exponentially; learning to use programs like Figma and Photoshop, to visualize designs in scale, and to make multiple mockups and alter them to the client's wishes,” she said.

“The students led the way with this project – applying their knowledge and creativity to create community communications,” said McKee. “This class epitomizes the heart of a Miami education, providing students with opportunities to take leadership and make positive change.”  

All seniors, her students noted how they also appreciated the opportunity “to give back to the community that has been our home for the years we have been at school.”

They also emphasized the benefits of the capstone course in offering unique professional experiences within the comfort of the classroom, especially for those with less experiences to highlight on their resume or in upcoming job applications.

“I highly recommend participating in a capstone this one, especially if you have limited job or internship experience that aligns exactly with your major,” Deeds said. “My job for the last couple years has been as an undergraduate researcher, so I was worried about my resume missing a PW-specific experience. I feel much more at ease now that I have the capstone to fill in that gap.”