Dalhousie University Student Priorities
= Fellow Project Pitches =
(Prepared by Yaser Alkayale and Seline Dogan)
== Fellow Project Pitch - 2015 ==
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(Prepared by Justin Javorek and Dhruv Bhatia)
= OVERVIEW =
Going through the training to become University Innovation Fellow, we had a great opportunity to get out of the building and talk to large amount of students and faculty member from across the campus and map out our campus landscape and recognize some of the major shortcomings that need to be addressed. One of our findings was that students are not very aware of the resources and possiblities the E&I community can offer them at Dalhousie and Halifax. Although, some students are aware of some societies, events and spaces that are offered to them, majority of the students are in the mindset that the resources are mostly for business students at Dalhousie. This creates a lack of cross-faculty interaction under E&I.
The Sexton Engineering Campus at Dalhousie University is physically isolated from the main campus, Studley. This hinders the opportunity for full collaboration within the main campus. We believe that cross-faculty collaboration is essential for further growth of our startup ecosystem. A great example of this is a company called Spring Loaded, where three students from various faculties met in the Starting Lean Course, came up with an idea for a new generation of knee braces and rose over $1.8 million in seed financing to date. In addition to that, Dalhousie university is commited to make engineering campus for the upcoming $64M Innovation hub, IDEA project.
Dalhousie Entrepreneurship Society (D.E.S.) has done tremendous work in the short amount of time they have had since the society was created. Most of the activities and events that we will host will be under D.E.S. because it will give us the platform and power to be in touch with students who have shown some interest in E&I. The D.E.S. will be our main hub that will allow us to get funding and reach the maximum number of students, stakeholder and investors. Our main goal this year is to get increased involvement from students, and for that, we need some funding to be able to bring value to them where they will have the incentive to join our society and take part in our activities.
= Strategy #1 - Connecting Engineering Students with the rest of the campus =
We are very pleased with the initiative from the university and the province to create the Innovation Hub (IDEA Building) which is a multipurpose building on Sexton Campus. As University Fellow candidates, we fully support this initiative and are willing to help to further promote it as well as help with information interviews, planning and further ideation on its programs and events.
== Tactic no.1: Engineering Connect (E-Connect) Future Plans for Events in the IDEA Project Building == Once the IDEA Building is complete, we wish to utilise some of the collaborative spaces that it will entail to run design workshops and entrepreneurship events out of it. By doing so, we prioritise the access of engineering students, whose campus on which the building will be located, while at the same time including students from all Dalhousie campuses. This will be a great way to promote cross-faculty, and even moreso cross-campus collaboration and innovation.
Create a student-led club on the main campus that will promote our main makerspace on Sexton Campus. This space would serve as place where students can get in initial contact with 3D Printing, Electronics, Raspberry Pi’s and more. This would create a funnel of students on main campus for Innovation Hub on Sexton Campus.
= Strategy #2 - Dalhousie Entrepreneurship Society (D.E.S.) =
In addition, we are currently in the process of creating new By-Laws and a more comprehensive Constitution to enable us fully establish ourselves as the leading student-led organization promoting Entrepreneurship and Innovation on Campus and help us seek further funding opportunities.
= Strategy #3 - Collider Space in Library (Innovation space in Killam Library) = Tactic no.4: Creation of a unified informational system about D.E.S. events via Facebook ==
The Collider is We would like to create a multipurpose space in Killam Library Facebook group to complement the current Facebook page that exists for the collision of serendipitous ideas where from all academic and professional disciplines can come together to develop ideas and and create the future generation of innovatorsD.E.S. A Facebook group would allow for a more active D.E.S. The Collider connect studentsonline community, local startups, mentors, investors that could respond to announcements with feedback and allows them to work together to help further grow the local startup ecosystem. Killam Library is the least-siloed space on the campus start new discussion threads and place where people come together. It is in our best interest to help push this initiative to its full potentialideas.
== Tactic no.1: Series of Hackathons, Events & Conferences == The Collider would serve a great venue for a series of student-led Hackathons, Events & Conferences. The university does not currently host any regular hackathons for students, and that is something that needs to be changed. Our idea is to host a monthly hackathon with a different theme each month. One month it can be for ocean science and ocean projects, while another month it can be a computer science hackathon, and possibly a medical science hackathon. These hackathons will serve as a great place for students who have ideas in each of these disciples to come together and work on them Events and coferences are in our long term plan, but we definitely plan on hosting at least one big event a year to showcase the amazing students who have come up with innovative ideas for each year. = Strategy #4 3 - Co-curricular Record (Design Thinking & Lean Methodology) =
We proposing to have Design Thinking & Lean Methodology offered as official co-curricular record to motivate students to get introduced to the entrepreneurial mindset. This would serve as an ideal channel to non-invasively encourage students to get involved with entrepreneurship on the campus.
By allowing students to specify their roles for the specified events, workshops, contests, projects etc. in the co-curricular record will build the desire of wanting to engage more and be a part of something. This way students can have an attachment to the event, workshop etc. they took a part in.
= Strategy #5 – Start a bi-weekly E&I Newsletter to Keep Students and Stakeholders Informed =
Our main issue around campus right now is to to get the word out and to get students involved with entrepreneurship and to pursue their ideas. After a lot of customer discover, we find that a newsletter to get the word out would be the ideal way to let students, faculty and alumni know about our activities and events that we are hosting.
== Tactic no.1: Grow a newsletter network of students, alumni, Strategy #4 – Rethinking the Collider and stakeholders. =other entrepreneurship spaces on campus =
There The Collider is currently a big gap between students and I&E activities around Dalhousie, and we would like to fill multipurpose space in this gap by providing a regular nuewsletter that allows Killam Library for the students to be informed collision of serendipitous ideas where from all academic and professional disciplines can come together to develop ideas and and create the acitivites future generation of innovators. The Collider connect students, local startups, mentors, investors and events that we are hosting or allows them to work together to help further grow the ones that are being led by other societies or faculties around Dalhousielocal startup ecosystem. We believe this would be a great way to get more Killam Library is the least-siloed space on the campus and more students engaged and informed of our eventsplace where people come together.
== Tactic no.21: Keep the newsletter network posted Hosting regular workshops and hackathons in order to get students more informed and engaged about E&I related news, events, workshops, competitions etc ==
We know that a newsletter is a good idaeAs part of our initiative to get more students involved from all faculties, but having we will be hosting regular events and workshops for students to gain all the skills they need to run a lot of irrelevant information in there might make people dislike us startup. These workshops have to be regular so students get to know the schedule and come as they have available time. The workshops will be hosted by guest speakers and stay awayfacilitated by volunteers. So The topics we believe that we should keep the newsletter "short wish to cover include coding for beginners, design, making effective phone calls, and sweet"much more. This means that Additionally we will only add relevant wish to host monthly hackathons with a different theme each month. One month it can be for ocean science and exciting information to the newsletter so studnets actually enjoy reading ocean projects, while another month it can be a computer science hackathon and want us possibly a medical science hackathon. These hackathons will serve as a great place for students who have ideas in each of these disciples to post morecome together and work on them.
== Tactic no.32: Encourage people to sign up and keep reading Promote the newsletter by hosting regular give away draws. Collider as more of a specifically entrepreneurial space or modify an existing space ==
= Strategy #6 – Promote We wish to transform the Collider (or modify a new existing space) into a more entrepeneurship and innovation-oriented space. We will do this by physically transforming the room, "theming" it with entrepreneurship and innovation inspirational quotes on the wall, etc. We also wish to have regular walk-in times every week, when students can come in and work on their own entrepreneurial ideas in the space. We wish to have a posted professor or other university staff with experience in entrepreneurship present during these times to answer any questions that students may have about startups, and provide help on specific issues should students need it. We also wish to enable students to use of The Collider =physical office/home supplies to create their prototypes right in the collider/other space during the workshops, events, or contests. This will allow students to create a physical prototype and get one step closer to the final product.
== Tactic no.1: Hosting regular workshops in order to get students more informed and engaged about E&I =Strategy #5 – Hold More Student-Lead Hackathons on a Regular Basis =
As part of our initiative We want to challenge the idea that hackathons are only tech-related. In order to get more students involved from all backgrounds and facultiesinvolved, we will be hosting regular events have to host hackathons for different disciplines like a hackathon for computer science, one for health sciences and workshops another for students to gain all ocean science. Dalhousie Entrepreneurship Society held the skills they need first student-led hackathon for Oceanography and Marine programs Hackamarine 2015. Hackamarine is going to run be an annual event held at Dalhousie University, a startupschool well known for its world-class Marine & Oceanography programs. These workshops have This is a cross-faculty event aiming to be regular so students get bring talent from various fields to know the schedule and come as they have available timework on major problems in Oceans & Marine Sciences. The workshops will be hosted by guest speakers and facilitated by volunteers. The topics we wish to cover include coding for beginnerswinning teams took home a cumulative total of $5, design, making effective phone calls, and much more000 in prizes.
== Tactic no. 21: Build Start the Dalhousie Hackathon Series (DHS), a design thinking corner in the collider space series of monthly held hackathons created by partnering with different organizations and faculties to ensure collaboration. ==
We would like As mentioned above, the hackathons will be a great way to enable get all students involved in different fields and to use physical office/home supplies start to create their prototypes right in the collider during the workshops, eventsget them innovating. The hackathons will have different themes, or contests. This but they will allow all be open to all students so everyone is welcome to create join and learn about the different topics. We believe this will be a physical prototype great way to attract students from all around dalhousie and get one step closer to them together working on great ideas. Having traditional hackathons is great, but adding different topics and inviting the final productgeneral student body will ensure high attendance numbers and excitement for everyone.
= Strategy #7 – Hold More Student-Lead = Tactic no.2: Make Hackathons on a Regular Basis inviting for any student all over the four campuses of Dalhousie University. ==
We decided to call all the students around all four campuses into action! Sending out emails, hanging posters on the walls, creating social media invitations etc. We are dedicated to grab the attention of students in different faculties. We want to challenge the idea show students that hackathons are E&I isn't only techfor engineering and business students. = Strategy #6 - Encouraging Cross-related. Faculty Understanding and Shared Experience = In order to get enhance the interaction between students from all backgrounds and across faculties involved, we have aim to host hackathons for different disciplines like launch a hackathon for computer science, one for health sciences and another for ocean science. Dalhousie Entrepreneurship Society held class-exchange system where they can take the first student-led hackathon for Oceanography and Marine programs Hackamarine 2015classes with students from other faculties in a monthly basis. Hackamarine The way how it works is going that some specific classes from each faculty would offer up to be an annual event held at Dalhousie University10 students per month, to voluntarily take a school well known for its world-part in the class Marine & Oceanography programs. This is The potential outcomes of this system would let students walk into the shoes of others in terms of academic lives of one to another. In addition to that, they can connect and get to know students from variety of faculty for a cross-faculty event aiming greater ability to bring talent from various fields form a diverse team once they decide to work take their innovative ideas and start working on major problems it as entrepreneurs. == Tactic no.1: Get in Oceans & Marine Sciences. The winning teams took home a cumulative total touch with stakeholders to ensure the success of $5,000 in prizes.exchange system ==
== Tactic noClass exchange initiative deeply relies on the collaborative support and dedication of various stakeholders on campus.1: Keep Hackamarine running annually To ensure that the initiative will be successfull, the idea should be clearly delivered to get more oceanography/earth sciences students engaged in Ethe deans and professors. In this regard, we plan to have meetings to receive their feedback on the class exchange system. We believe this would lead for a better continuation by having the prior aggrement and commitment of affiliated stakeholders.&I. ==nbsp;
First Hackamarine was = Strategy #7 - Creation of a great success. It didn't only help exposing oceanography/earth sciences to E&I, but it was a great turn out regarding collaboration of cross faculty students. Students from oceanography, engineering, arts, phycology, commerce and management formed teams and brought different mindsets to marine problems and came with ideas on how to solve them.Beginner-Oriented LaunchDAL Sub-brand =
== Tactic noBeginners feel alienated in the status quo with regards to entrepreneurship activities. They have a perception that they do not have the "right stuff", that it is too difficult, that it is reserved only for business majors, etc.2: Start In order to fill the Dalhousie Hackathon Series (DHS)gap and correct these misconceptions, a series of monthly held hackathons created by partnering we will strive to create friendlier and more approachable branding for all existing and future entrepreneurship activities, as well as simply informative promotion with different organizations regards to beginners that will strive for inclusivity and faculties to ensure collaborationapproachability. ==
As mentioned above, the hackathons This will be a great way to get all students involved in different fields and to start to get them innovatingpart of a larger marketing/promotional campaign for entrepreneurship events on campus. The hackathons This campaign will have different themesbe supplemented by CKDU (university radio) spots, but they will all be open to all students so everyone is welcome to join and learn about the different topicscreation of a unified informational/update system (D. We believe this will be a great way to attract students from all around dalhousie and get them together working on great ideasE.S. Having traditional hackathons is greatFacebook group), but adding different topics and inviting the general student body will ensure high attendance numbers and excitement for everyoneother such initiatives.
== Tactic no.31: Make Hackathons inviting for any student all over the four campuses Get feedback from entrepreneurship beginners on approachability of Dalhousie University. promotional material ==
We decided to call all the students around all four campuses into action! Sending out emailsTo achieve this approachability and friendly marketing, hanging posters on the walls, creating social media invitations etc. We are dedicated to grab the attention of students in different faculties. We want to show we will run marketing by actual students and get feedback vis-a-vis these characteristics that E&I isn't only we are striving for engineering and business students.
= Related Links =
[[Dalhousie University]]
'''Dalhousie Student Priorities'''Fall 2017: [[Aristides Milios]]
University Innovation Fellows[[Canberk Bal]]
Spring 2016:
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