Reimagine University College

Strategy

Sep 4

How might we…

redesign Washington University in St. Louis’ University College program to better fit the needs and aspirations of working adults?

OVERVIEW

University College serves adult learners in the St. Louis area. As of Fall 2020, it began functioning as an independent school within Washington University. To help the new school align with WashU’s mission to be “in St. Louis, for St. Louis,” this project investigated how University College might better serve working adults and increase both economic mobility and equity in the region.

PROJECT OUTPUTS

Final report with recommendations and insights for Washington University's Chancellor and the incoming Dean of University College
Pilots and prototypes for new programming co-created with students and faculty

TIMEFRAME

August 2019 - July 2020 (10 months)

PARTNER

Heather Corcoran - Interim Dean, University College

TEAM

Liz Kramer and Annemarie Spitz - Public Design Bureau

Afton Anderson, Victoria Grace Assokom-Siakam, Jane Gormley, Cheryl Kao, Anya Pawar, and Carrie Phillips - WashU student team

My Roles

As a student team member, I was responsible for conducting research, leading interviews, facilitating workshops, and engaging in synthesis. This work was both collaborative and independent as our design leads allowed us to take initiative and do work outside the traditional scope of a student designer.

Design Journey

Over the course of this 8-month project, we went through all stages of the design process.

Understanding Adult Learners

Our initial research led us to identify the four career paths to the right. Our project focused on switchers and advancers because of their potential impact for economic mobility and equity.

Identifying Student Needs

We conducted interviews with 21 switchers and advancers interested in health, data, and management and administration (the three divisions of the new school). Grouping our insights and how might we questions helped us identify five sets of needs that the University College should attend to.

Brainstorming and Prioritizing Together

We worked with staff, faculty, and potential students to ideate concepts for specific programs. Together, we prioritized the ideas and our team conducted three rounds of user testing before moving on to the final recommendations.

Client Testimony

“The results that come from this process are different; they keep what people need on the table all the way through.”
- Heather Corcoran, Interim Dean of University College