University Innovation Fellows - User contributions [en]

Priorities:University of Dayton Student Priorities

2017-02-20T03:32:51Z

Madalynbeban:

= =

= Strategy #1: Create a Student Run Incubator =

== Tactic #1: Form an Idea Validation Panel  ==

One of the most difficult tasks as an entrepreneur is determining if an idea is worth pursuing. While there is a "shark tank" program in the planning stages at the University of Dayton, there is currently no resource for early stage project advising. Through forming a panel of student entrepreneurs and faculty, a program can be established so that students can have their ideas vetted before they form a team and start pursuing the venture. This program would also serve as an early stage venture advising resource for student entrepreneurs. 

== Tactic #2: Create a Database of Innovators ==

Many students currently have entrepreneur ideas, but lack the connections needed to move from ideation to a working product or startup. Often as a result of little collaboration across department lines, there are many cases where a team of engineering students lack business expertise, business students lack technical (engineering) knowledge, or where any of these groups lack artistic ability. By creating a database of high achieving and talented students from across the the entire university, student innovators could easily fill the gaps that exist in their teams. 

= Strategy #2: Inspire Students (TEDxUdayton) =

Hosting a TEDxUdayton with individuals with a proven mindset in I&E will help inspire students who want to understand what it takes to succeed in innovation and entrepreneurship. A dual focus will on that students leave with the knowledge of resources on campus, to learn, experiment, pursue and spin out after the presentation. Standard Symposium offers the perfect time to host this event. Is an all-day event to celebrate graduate and undergraduate academic achievements, in addition all course are canceled so that students can engage in any number of events that fit their interest.

== Problem Addressed ==

As the School of Engineering gears itself towards a strategic plan to renovate Kettering Labs (home to engineering) it is important that we accelerate the culture of I&E. Students need to have an awakening of the resources available to them currently and in the future. Hosting a TEDx event that feature successful innovators and entrepreneur will give students a confidence in themselves to pursue their own ideas.

== Implementation ==

*Pitch the idea to the Provost Office and again approval to proceed.
*Collaborate with Provost Office and Standard Symposium Day committee, for commitment to host in 2017.
*Test attendance with a few speakers at the 2017 Standard Symposium.
*Starting budgeting for event and have proposal written by end of spring 2017 semester
*Acquire a license from TEDx
*Host first TEDx event on Standard Symposium Day, April 20th, 2017.

= Strategy #3: Generating Awareness and Excitement for Innovation & Entrepreneurship =

There are many students and faculty that are currently doing some incredible things that push forward a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship on campus. By highlighting their hard work and success, we can raise the profile of these faculty and student members. Moreover, it would get the word out about current resources on campus, and generate excitement for such activities.

== Problem Addressed ==

Student organizations tend to be ineffective at carrying their missions and goals through in an academic year. We have found that students, as individuals, are the ones that carry though real change. Instead of highlighting students groups, highlighting individuals could inspire others to take action as well. Another aspect of this is that some faculty and do not recognize the importance of being innovative and entrepreneurial, and therefore, do not pass this knowledge to their students. In order to raise the profile of I&E, faculty should be recognized and celebrated for their efforts in teaching students how to be innovative.

== Implementation ==

*'''Feature Student's Projects on Posters around Campus -''' In order to promote a culture of innovation, it is important to recognize students who are currently engaged in I&E activities. Through featuring students and their projects around campus via posters and news articles, we hope to inspire other students to follow in their steps.
*'''Create an Award for Outstanding I&E Professors''' - In addition to recognizing student achievement, it is equally important to recognize outstanding professors who install I&E mindsets in their courses. Through this award, we can encourage more professors to incorporate I&E into their courses. 

= Strategy #4: Incorporate I&E Into Coursework =

One of the most important ways to foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship within a school is to incorporate these mindsets into classroom experiences. While student run clubs and extra-curricular are all great ways to drive passion for innovation, but the only way to guarantee that all students gain this valuable mindset is to enforce it in the classroom. For this reason, we are proponents of changing/adding classes to the university's curriculum that pull in students from all majors and encourage a collaborative culture within those students.  We want to foster an environment in which students are excited about working with students from other majors because we feel that this not only creates a more successful product, but prepares them for the real world in which they will be forced to work with others who may not share their same perspective. 

== Tactic #1: Revamp and Expand the Engineering Innovations Course ==

The school of engineering currently offers an introductory course for all engineering students that focuses on engineering innovation. This course has the potential to be expanded to students across the entire university as an intro to I&E course. With the help of the UIF cohort, the course can be redesigned to include entrepreneur content and make a lasting impression on students which they can carry through their time in college. 

== Tactic #2: Instill I&E Concepts in Existing Courses ==

While it is tempting to create new courses that teach I&E principles, there is a lot of potential for adding I&E content to existing courses. The addition of the planned makerspace to the University of Dayton I&E ecosystem provides educators with an opportunity to incorporate an innovative mindset in the courses they teach. This can be accomplished through creating homework or group projects that require students to not only use the makerspace, but collaborate with their group members to reach innovative solutions to course assignments.

= Strategy #5: Develop Student Experiential Resources =

== Tactic #1: Organize a Hackathon ==

While there was an Air Force Hackathon held locally in recent years, the University of Dayton has yet to sponsor a hackathon on their own campus. Hackathons are a great way to engage students in a fun and exciting approach to I&E. There is a great ammount of potential to bring students together from many different departments within the university in order to solve a common problem. In addition to fostering multidisciplinary collaborations, a hackathon has the potential to introduce a wide variety of students to innovation based activities. 

== Tactic #2: Get Students Involved with Design Competitions ==

Based on faculty input, one of the highly desired outcomes of the planned maker space is to foster multidisciplinary collaborations. One potential way to accomplish this is for the UIF cohort to organize design teams to compete in national design competitions as well as locally hosted competitions for University of Dayton students. Competition formats would range from poster presentations, pitching ideas, or rapid prototype development. In order for these events to be highly inclusive of students from all parts of the university, challenges will be selected which focus on innovative approaches to problems rather than technical ability. The previously mentioned hackathons will be able to build off of these competitions in order to quickly move ideas generated in the design competitions into an early prototype phase. 

= Related Links =

[[University of Dayton]]

'''University of Dayton Student Priorities'''

University Innovation Fellows

Spring 2017:

[[David Fink|David Fink]]

[[Khalilah Manson|Khalilah Manson]]

[[Jake Tersigni|Jake Tersigni]]

[[Madalyn Beban|Madalyn Beban]]

Spring 2016:

[[Cameron Crasto|Cameron Crasto]]

[[Suzy Dorsey|Suzy Dorsey]]

[[Reid Fuente|Reid Fuente]]

[[Daniela Lopez|Daniela Lopez]]

[[Devin Spatz|Devin Spatz]]

[[Category:Student Priorities|u]]

Priorities:University of Dayton Student Priorities

2017-02-20T03:32:32Z

Madalynbeban:

Priorities:University of Dayton Student Priorities

2017-02-20T03:32:21Z

Madalynbeban:

= =

= Strategy #1: Create a Student Run Incubator =

== Tactic #1: Form an Idea Validation Panel  ==

One of the most difficult tasks as an entrepreneur is determining if an idea is worth pursuing. While there is a "shark tank" program in the planning stages at the University of Dayton, there is currently no resource for early stage project advising. Through forming a panel of student entrepreneurs and faculty, a program can be established so that students can have their ideas vetted before they form a team and start pursuing the venture. This program would also serve as an early stage venture advising resource for student entrepreneurs. 

== Tactic #2: Create a Database of Innovators ==

Many students currently have entrepreneur ideas, but lack the connections needed to move from ideation to a working product or startup. Often as a result of little collaboration across department lines, there are many cases where a team of engineering students lack business expertise, business students lack technical (engineering) knowledge, or where any of these groups lack artistic ability. By creating a database of high achieving and talented students from across the the entire university, student innovators could easily fill the gaps that exist in their teams. 

= Strategy #2: Inspire Students (TEDxUdayton) =

Hosting a TEDxUdayton with individuals with a proven mindset in I&E will help inspire students who want to understand what it takes to succeed in innovation and entrepreneurship. A dual focus will on that students leave with the knowledge of resources on campus, to learn, experiment, pursue and spin out after the presentation. Standard Symposium offers the perfect time to host this event. Is an all-day event to celebrate graduate and undergraduate academic achievements, in addition all course are canceled so that students can engage in any number of events that fit their interest.

== Problem Addressed ==

As the School of Engineering gears itself towards a strategic plan to renovate Kettering Labs (home to engineering) it is important that we accelerate the culture of I&E. Students need to have an awakening of the resources available to them currently and in the future. Hosting a TEDx event that feature successful innovators and entrepreneur will give students a confidence in themselves to pursue their own ideas.

== Implementation ==

*Pitch the idea to the Provost Office and again approval to proceed.
*Collaborate with Provost Office and Standard Symposium Day committee, for commitment to host in 2017.
*Test attendance with a few speakers at the 2017 Standard Symposium.
*Starting budgeting for event and have proposal written by end of spring 2017 semester
*Acquire a license from TEDx
*Host first TEDx event on Standard Symposium Day, April 20th, 2017.

= Strategy #3: Generating Awareness and Excitement for Innovation & Entrepreneurship =

There are many students and faculty that are currently doing some incredible things that push forward a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship on campus. By highlighting their hard work and success, we can raise the profile of these faculty and student members. Moreover, it would get the word out about current resources on campus, and generate excitement for such activities.

== Problem Addressed ==

Student organizations tend to be ineffective at carrying their missions and goals through in an academic year. We have found that students, as individuals, are the ones that carry though real change. Instead of highlighting students groups, highlighting individuals could inspire others to take action as well. Another aspect of this is that some faculty and do not recognize the importance of being innovative and entrepreneurial, and therefore, do not pass this knowledge to their students. In order to raise the profile of I&E, faculty should be recognized and celebrated for their efforts in teaching students how to be innovative.

== Implementation ==

*'''Feature Student's Projects on Posters around Campus -''' In order to promote a culture of innovation, it is important to recognize students who are currently engaged in I&E activities. Through featuring students and their projects around campus via posters and news articles, we hope to inspire other students to follow in their steps.
*'''Create an Award for Outstanding I&E Professors''' - In addition to recognizing student achievement, it is equally important to recognize outstanding professors who install I&E mindsets in their courses. Through this award, we can encourage more professors to incorporate I&E into their courses. 

= Strategy #4: Incorporate I&E Into Coursework =

One of the most important ways to foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship within a school is to incorporate these mindsets into classroom experiences. While student run clubs and extra-curricular are all great ways to drive passion for innovation, but the only way to guarantee that all students gain this valuable mindset is to enforce it in the classroom. For this reason, we are proponents of changing/adding classes to the university's curriculum that pull in students from all majors and encourage a collaborative culture within those students.  We want to foster an environment in which students are excited about working with students from other majors because we feel that this not only creates a more successful product, but prepares them for the real world in which they will be forced to work with others who may not share their same perspective. 

== Tactic #1: Revamp and Expand the Engineering Innovations Course ==

The school of engineering currently offers an introductory course for all engineering students that focuses on engineering innovation. This course has the potential to be expanded to students across the entire university as an intro to I&E course. With the help of the UIF cohort, the course can be redesigned to include entrepreneur content and make a lasting impression on students which they can carry through their time in college. 

== Tactic #2: Instill I&E Concepts in Existing Courses ==

While it is tempting to create new courses that teach I&E principles, there is a lot of potential for adding I&E content to existing courses. The addition of the planned makerspace to the University of Dayton I&E ecosystem provides educators with an opportunity to incorporate an innovative mindset in the courses they teach. This can be accomplished through creating homework or group projects that require students to not only use the makerspace, but collaborate with their group members to reach innovative solutions to course assignments.

= Strategy #5: Develop Student Experiential Resources =

== Tactic #1: Organize a Hackathon ==

While there was an Air Force Hackathon held locally in recent years, the University of Dayton has yet to sponsor a hackathon on their own campus. Hackathons are a great way to engage students in a fun and exciting approach to I&E. There is a great ammount of potential to bring students together from many different departments within the university in order to solve a common problem. In addition to fostering multidisciplinary collaborations, a hackathon has the potential to introduce a wide variety of students to innovation based activities. 

== Tactic #2: Get Students Involved with Design Competitions ==

Based on faculty input, one of the highly desired outcomes of the planned maker space is to foster multidisciplinary collaborations. One potential way to accomplish this is for the UIF cohort to organize design teams to compete in national design competitions as well as locally hosted competitions for University of Dayton students. Competition formats would range from poster presentations, pitching ideas, or rapid prototype development. In order for these events to be highly inclusive of students from all parts of the university, challenges will be selected which focus on innovative approaches to problems rather than technical ability. The previously mentioned hackathons will be able to build off of these competitions in order to quickly move ideas generated in the design competitions into an early prototype phase. 

= Related Links =

[[University of Dayton]]

'''University of Dayton Student Priorities'''

University Innovation Fellows

Spring 2017:

[[David Fink|David Fink]

[[Khalilah Manson|Khalilah Manson]]

[[Jake Tersigni|Jake Tersigni]]

[[Madalyn Beban|Madalyn Beban]]

Spring 2016:

[[Cameron Crasto|Cameron Crasto]]

[[Suzy Dorsey|Suzy Dorsey]]

[[Reid Fuente|Reid Fuente]]

[[Daniela Lopez|Daniela Lopez]]

[[Devin Spatz|Devin Spatz]]

[[Category:Student Priorities|u]]

School:University of Dayton

2017-02-09T19:52:25Z

Madalynbeban:

<div>
= Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship =

At the University of Dayton students are able to develop and master their entrepreneurial/innovative mindset through courses, clubs, and competitions both on and off campus. Engineers foster their I&E mindset in courses starting in their first year with Engineering Innovations, and go on to further develop it in courses such as Project Management, New Tech Venture and their final Senior Design project. University of Dayton also offers a top 20 nationally rank degree in Entrepreneurship based out of the School of Business. There are student run clubs that gather like-minded individuals to focus on innovation and entrepreneurship such as the Maker’s Club, Flyer Innovations, the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization and much more. In competitions such as the Dayton Business Plan Competition (UDBPC), and Ethos Blitz students compete for scholarships, funds, and mentorship to further peruse their ideas.  

= '''Encouraging Faculty Innovation and Entrepreneurship''' =

University of Dayton faculty members have a wide range of skills and assets that make them invaluable to the innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem on campus.Faculty members have two primary avenues for innovation: inside the classroom and through their personal research projects. Innovation in the classroom requires student interaction in place of a purely lecture-based course. Many courses already embody this ideal, but there is still room to grow. Transitioning towards a curriculum that supports innovation and entrepreneurship in the classroom is a gradual process that the current Leadership Circle aims to continue. When it comes to faculty research, the [http://www.udri.udayton.edu/Pages/home.aspx University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI)] is committed to providing innovative and practical solutions that can be serviced to the public through commercialization, collaboration, and entrepreneurship.

= '''Actively Supporting the University Technology Transfer Function''' =

The University of Dayton currently has a [https://www.udayton.edu/research/tpo/index.php Technology Partnerships Office (TPO)] which is part of the Office for Research. The main role of this office is managing university intellectual property (IP) through filing patents and licensing technology that is produced through the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI). The TPO also coordinates research agreements with industry and commercializing university inventions. While this office can provide limited advice to students who are pursing their own ventures, it mainly exists to support university owned IP. 

The college of Engineering has a strong Multidisciplinary Design program for senior Electrical and Mechanical engineering students. While most projects are industry sponsored, the Innovation Center will work with students who are interested in sponsoring their own projects. This two-part course provides students with mentoring through every step of the design process from ideation to prototyping and testing.

There are additional resources available to students pursing projects and ventures on their own time. The Connor Group Foundation Seed Investment Fund is a resource available through the school of Business that can provide seed funding to student ventures. Additionally, Flyer Consulting, which is another resource available through the school of Business, is a great resource to students seeking mentorship. 

= '''Facilitating University-Industry Collaboration''' =

University of Dayton collaborates with a variety of companies, and what makes them unique is the location of major companies located on campus including GE and Emerson Technologies.  These companies' location on campus serve as not only a physical representation of their connection to UD, but also as a method for students to get real world work experience much closer to campus.  Similarly, companies not located on campus also collaborate with the University of Dayton by hiring students for internships and co-ops through our cooperative education program.  In order to facilitate this process, UD hosts a career fair twice a year, in which hundreds of companies attend with the intention of hiring interns, co-ops, as well as full-time employees.  All of these companies have a great repor with the University and its students, which is why several companies return every year.  Also, companies that aren't able to attend these career fairs host workshops and meet-and-greets throughout the year which all students are welcome to go to.  As you can see, University of Dayton prides itself on preparing its students for post-graduation, and its collaboration with industry is a major reason why that's possible.

= '''Engaging with Regional and Local Economic Development Efforts''' =

Currently, the only organization that supports local economic development of small companies and students is a for profit company called the Dayton Diode.  While we currently do not have any faculty associated with this effort, our makers club works very closely with the Dayton Diode to help students develop their ideas for products.  In addition, while it may not be very formal, our engineering faculty is extremely helpful and willing to point students in the right direction to where they can take their product design to the next level.

= '''Landscape Canvas Spreadsheet - Spring 2016''' =

{{#widget:Google Spreadsheet|key=1OzjhCV9cExEnsPd0Mpvep8nQGyMsU8LJF6K9yP4238Y|width=900|height=775}}

= '''Landscape Canvas Presentation - Spring 2016''' =

[https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1wnDV2MfXCp6E-Cf30kKRyfEbCeT3y-EqJ_Eto1WXhVg/edit?usp=sharing Landscape Canvas Presentation]

= Related Links =

''''''University of Dayton''''''

[[University of Dayton Student Priorities|University of Dayton Student Priorities]]

University Innovation Fellows

Spring 2017:

[[David Fink|David Fink]]

[[Khalilah Manson|Khalilah Manson]]

[[Jake Tersigni|Jake Tersigni]]

[[Madalyn Beban|Madalyn Beban]]

 Spring 2016:

[[Cameron Crasto|Cameron Crasto]]

[[Suzy Dorsey|Suzy Dorsey]]

[[Reid Fuente|Reid Fuente]]

[[Daniela Lopez|Daniela Lopez]]

[[Devin Spatz|Devin Spatz]]

[[Category:Universities]]

School:University of Dayton

2017-02-09T19:52:14Z

Madalynbeban:

<div>
= Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship =

At the University of Dayton students are able to develop and master their entrepreneurial/innovative mindset through courses, clubs, and competitions both on and off campus. Engineers foster their I&E mindset in courses starting in their first year with Engineering Innovations, and go on to further develop it in courses such as Project Management, New Tech Venture and their final Senior Design project. University of Dayton also offers a top 20 nationally rank degree in Entrepreneurship based out of the School of Business. There are student run clubs that gather like-minded individuals to focus on innovation and entrepreneurship such as the Maker’s Club, Flyer Innovations, the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization and much more. In competitions such as the Dayton Business Plan Competition (UDBPC), and Ethos Blitz students compete for scholarships, funds, and mentorship to further peruse their ideas.  

= '''Encouraging Faculty Innovation and Entrepreneurship''' =

University of Dayton faculty members have a wide range of skills and assets that make them invaluable to the innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem on campus.Faculty members have two primary avenues for innovation: inside the classroom and through their personal research projects. Innovation in the classroom requires student interaction in place of a purely lecture-based course. Many courses already embody this ideal, but there is still room to grow. Transitioning towards a curriculum that supports innovation and entrepreneurship in the classroom is a gradual process that the current Leadership Circle aims to continue. When it comes to faculty research, the [http://www.udri.udayton.edu/Pages/home.aspx University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI)] is committed to providing innovative and practical solutions that can be serviced to the public through commercialization, collaboration, and entrepreneurship.

= '''Actively Supporting the University Technology Transfer Function''' =

The University of Dayton currently has a [https://www.udayton.edu/research/tpo/index.php Technology Partnerships Office (TPO)] which is part of the Office for Research. The main role of this office is managing university intellectual property (IP) through filing patents and licensing technology that is produced through the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI). The TPO also coordinates research agreements with industry and commercializing university inventions. While this office can provide limited advice to students who are pursing their own ventures, it mainly exists to support university owned IP. 

The college of Engineering has a strong Multidisciplinary Design program for senior Electrical and Mechanical engineering students. While most projects are industry sponsored, the Innovation Center will work with students who are interested in sponsoring their own projects. This two-part course provides students with mentoring through every step of the design process from ideation to prototyping and testing.

There are additional resources available to students pursing projects and ventures on their own time. The Connor Group Foundation Seed Investment Fund is a resource available through the school of Business that can provide seed funding to student ventures. Additionally, Flyer Consulting, which is another resource available through the school of Business, is a great resource to students seeking mentorship. 

= '''Facilitating University-Industry Collaboration''' =

University of Dayton collaborates with a variety of companies, and what makes them unique is the location of major companies located on campus including GE and Emerson Technologies.  These companies' location on campus serve as not only a physical representation of their connection to UD, but also as a method for students to get real world work experience much closer to campus.  Similarly, companies not located on campus also collaborate with the University of Dayton by hiring students for internships and co-ops through our cooperative education program.  In order to facilitate this process, UD hosts a career fair twice a year, in which hundreds of companies attend with the intention of hiring interns, co-ops, as well as full-time employees.  All of these companies have a great repor with the University and its students, which is why several companies return every year.  Also, companies that aren't able to attend these career fairs host workshops and meet-and-greets throughout the year which all students are welcome to go to.  As you can see, University of Dayton prides itself on preparing its students for post-graduation, and its collaboration with industry is a major reason why that's possible.

= '''Engaging with Regional and Local Economic Development Efforts''' =

Currently, the only organization that supports local economic development of small companies and students is a for profit company called the Dayton Diode.  While we currently do not have any faculty associated with this effort, our makers club works very closely with the Dayton Diode to help students develop their ideas for products.  In addition, while it may not be very formal, our engineering faculty is extremely helpful and willing to point students in the right direction to where they can take their product design to the next level.

= '''Landscape Canvas Spreadsheet - Spring 2016''' =

{{#widget:Google Spreadsheet|key=1OzjhCV9cExEnsPd0Mpvep8nQGyMsU8LJF6K9yP4238Y|width=900|height=775}}

= '''Landscape Canvas Presentation - Spring 2016''' =

[https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1wnDV2MfXCp6E-Cf30kKRyfEbCeT3y-EqJ_Eto1WXhVg/edit?usp=sharing Landscape Canvas Presentation]

= Related Links =

''''''University of Dayton''''''

[[University of Dayton Student Priorities|University of Dayton Student Priorities]]

University Innovation Fellows

Spring 2017:
[[David Fink|David Fink]]

[[Khalilah Manson|Khalilah Manson]]

[[Jake Tersigni|Jake Tersigni]]

[[Madalyn Beban|Madalyn Beban]]

Spring 2016:

[[Cameron Crasto|Cameron Crasto]]

[[Suzy Dorsey|Suzy Dorsey]]

[[Reid Fuente|Reid Fuente]]

[[Daniela Lopez|Daniela Lopez]]

[[Devin Spatz|Devin Spatz]]

[[Category:Universities]]

Resource:How to incorporate design thinking into a freshman engineering course.

2017-01-09T04:46:20Z

Madalynbeban:

An example of a successful case study in curricular change comes with the work of Kathryn “KC” Christopher at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Christopher became a University Innovation Fellow her senior year at GVSU and used her knowledge of design thinking through and into graduate school there to affect change on the engineering curriculum.

Design thinking, however, is important for not just engineering majors, but across all areas of study in higher education.  This article focuses on one example of how a student can change the course of a degree program at her school and this can be replicated in any discipline at any school.  

== NEED AND GOAL ==

The need identified in this  ‘How To” is the need for change in an underclassman curriculum. A popular topic in the UIF exploration of higher education is the incorporation of design thinking, which can be incorporated into many different courses of study: art, business, and entrepreneurship are examples. 

As an engineering student, Kathryn “KC” Christopher recognized an opportunity for improvement in the freshman engineering curriculum.  Before KC was able to make some changes, the curriculum was very cut and dry.  She worked on implementing creative thinking in design, and introducing this thought process early on in the freshman engineering courses.  Her work has granted her an invitation to join the committee that develops course curriculum, and has affected real change in the course curriculum, beginning in the fall semester of 2016.

== ACADEMIC PERMISSION ==

<span style="font-size:13.333333333333332px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Once the direction and type of changes to the curriculum are decided on, the end “goal” of the work will be to gain academic permission for the changes to be made. In some cases, permission comes from faculty support and committee acceptance (in KC’s case), and in others it requires a more stringent administrative review.

For engineering curriculum change at GVSU, KC worked building momentum through conversations with faculty as well as spent time doing “the leg work” in prototyping the end product--she made mock slides for lectures, wrote out lessons, and presented her argument a number of times.

== SUPPORT ==

<span style="font-size:13.333333333333332px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">KC highlighted the importance of support in her journey to curricular change--there were three major groups she interacted with that enabled her to build support and buy-in for her changes.  She found that academic support was one of the hardest, but most important steps in creating change.   <span style="font-size:13.333333333333332px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">1. ''Students''

<span style="font-size:13.333333333333332px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">She first interacted with the students during her time as a GA.  She realized their needs and the importance of design thinking in their classes.  As she progressed through her degree, she saw in her own work that she did not learn enough about design thinking early on and it made it more difficult as she progressed through her degree.  When she became a GA she had the opportunity to start creating real change and the students were her first supporters.  Getting a large audience on board was an important step.

<span style="font-size:13.333333333333332px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">2. ''Faculty''

<span style="font-size:13.333333333333332px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Secondly, faculty support is crucial to creating change in curriculum.  They are the ones who teach the classes on a daily basis and know all of the connections needed to change the direction of a course.  KC mentioned being a Grad Assistant was very helpful because she was working with these professors that eventually led her to the right people and helped her create change.  

<span style="font-size:13.333333333333332px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">3. ''Administrators''

Lastly, administration was the most difficult for KC to receive support from.  It was important to get these large figures on campus on board, but it was harder to get them invested financially.  Christopher turned to administrators last, once her plans were firm and she had a large group of support.  This is always the hardest to receive support from, because they don’t see how it can change the campus immediately.  They usually see it as money they have to spend, and this is why it is hard to get them invested financially.  

== FACULTY ==

<span style="font-size:13.333333333333332px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Not only do faculty sometimes have great sway over the curriculum (in Christopher’s case, they were the ones who wrote it), they are the executors of it. Creating buy-in in faculty is therefore critical in making real and lasting curriculum change; if teachers do not believe in it, they will not pass it on to students.

<span style="font-size:13.333333333333332px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">In Kathryn Christopher’s work changing the curriculum, she used conversations with faculty on the engineering design process to learn more about the professorial perspective on what engineering is and how it should be taught. It took many conversations to understand their perspective, including their reticence and resistance to what they saw as “fad” terminology, including “design thinking.” In becoming a graduate assistant in the engineering department, Christopher eventually shifted into more of a colleague role rather than a student role when approaching faculty, which allowed her to gain a greater understanding of their perspective.

It may be important to research key positions in curriculum development at your university--are there course coordinators, like at GVSU, who take leadership roles in curriculum design? Or are there committees? Who sits on the committees? Understanding who wields the most direct power is important in targeting your efforts and effectively networking.

== AUDIENCE ==

<span style="font-size:13.333333333333332px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Students are the critical audience affected by curricular change. Understanding what engages the students, what they feel is most effective, matters a great deal. Engage with those who are participating in the course you want to change and see what they have to say. Looking at the curriculum from their perspective gives added insight when shaping a design thinking experience. But, don’t limit the audience to current students. Students who complete the courses and then advance to real-world experiences may offer valuable critiques on how well their courses prepared them for what goes on outside the classroom.

Christopher had a number of perspectives at hand in her experience: being a graduate assistant, she saw the curriculum both as a teacher and through the feedback of current students, whom she could communicate with. Having gone through those same courses herself as an undergraduate, she could also judge their historic effectiveness in her own education.

== TIMELINE ==

<span style="font-size:13.333333333333332px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Christopher utilized the existing timeline for curriculum review at her university to propose changes in the engineering lesson plan. GVSU operated on a 5-year review process, and it was during one of those turnover periods where she leveraged her long-term proposing, discussing, and prototyping efforts to propose change to the faculty.

<span style="font-size:13.333333333333332px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Understanding the pace of the university, especially their timeline for curriculum review and course development, is key to understanding the environment and necessary timing for different steps in the change process.

One of the best time-related piece of advice she shared was the importance of being in the right place and the right time, but being prepared for when that time comes. So, expanding on that lesson, it can never be too early to research and get to know the atmosphere of your respective university in order to be ready for when an opportunity to advance your cause appears.

== TIPS FOR OTHERS ==

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Two of the major tricks KC found that helped make her successful were to a.) <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">have good timing<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and b.) <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">speak her audience’s language<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">timing<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, she was able to leverage her university’s timeline for curriculum review (5 yr cycles) to make changes--people were more apt to hear her critiques and concerns, and better equipped to support her because of her timing. For <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">speaking the language<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, KC found that “trend words” like <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">design thinking<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and other, new or nuanced language wasn’t clicking with what existing faculty and administrators were looking for. They saw these words and assumed her changes would have to do with passing fads, and that (potentially) her concerns would fade accordingly. She instead focused on framing her changes as a better <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">engineering design process<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and pushed for the design thinking methodology from their more traditional perspective of what it means to design.

== WRITTEN BY ==

[[Madalyn Beban|Madalyn Beban]], Katherine Swartzendruber

[[Category:Guides]]

File:UIFPhoto1.jpg

2017-01-09T03:55:46Z

Madalynbeban: