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Priorities:Dalhousie University - Student Priorities

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Dalhousie University Student Priorities
 
= Fellow Project Pitches =
(Prepared by Yaser Alkayale and Seline Dogan)
== Fellow Project Pitch - 2015 ==
 
{{#Widget:Youtube|id=FFWpEvOJMv0}}
(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.
= <span style="font-size: 12px;">Strategy #6 – Promote the use of The Collider</span> =
== Tactic no.1: Hosting regular workshops in order to get students more informed and engaged about E&I ==
As part = Strategy #4 – Rethinking the Collider and other entrepreneurship spaces on campus = The Collider is a multipurpose space in Killam Library for the collision of our initiative serendipitous ideas where from all academic and professional disciplines can come together to get more develop ideas and and create the future generation of innovators. The Collider connect students involved from all faculties, we will be hosting regular events local startups, mentors, investors and workshops for students allows them to work together to gain all help further grow the skills they need to run a local startupecosystem. These workshops have to be regular so students get to know Killam Library is the least-siloed space on the schedule campus and place where people come as they have available timetogether. The  == Tactic no.1: Hosting regular workshops will be hosted by guest speakers and facilitated by volunteers. The topics we wish hackathons in order to cover include coding for beginners, design, making effective phone calls, get students more informed and much more.engaged about E&I ==
== Tactic noAs part of our initiative to get more students involved from all faculties, we will be hosting regular events and workshops for students to gain all the skills they need to run a 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 facilitated by volunteers. The topics we wish to cover include coding for beginners, design, making effective phone calls, and much more. 2: Build Additionally we wish to host monthly hackathons with a design thinking corner 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 the collider space ==each of these disciples to come together and work on them.
== Tactic no.2: Promote the Collider as more of a specifically entrepreneurial space or modify an existing space == 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 would like 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 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.
= Strategy #5 – Hold More Student-Lead Hackathons on a Regular Basis =
We want to challenge the idea that hackathons are only tech-related. In order to get students from all backgrounds and faculties involved, we have to host hackathons for different disciplines like a hackathon for computer science, one for health sciences and another for ocean science. Dalhousie Entrepreneurship Society held the first student-led hackathon for Oceanography and Marine programs Hackamarine 2015. Hackamarine is going to be an annual event held at Dalhousie University, a school well known for its world-class Marine & Oceanography programs. This is a cross-faculty event aiming to bring talent from various fields to work on major problems in Oceans & Marine Sciences. The winning teams took home a cumulative total of $5,000 in prizes.
== Tactic no.1: Keep Hackamarine running annually Start the Dalhousie Hackathon Series (DHS), a series of monthly held hackathons created by partnering with different organizations and faculties to ensure collaboration. == As mentioned above, the hackathons will be a great way to get more oceanography/earth sciences all students engaged involved in different fields and to start to get them innovating. The hackathons will have different themes, but they will all be open to all students so everyone is welcome to join and learn about the different topics. We believe this will be a great way to attract students from all around dalhousie and get them together working on great ideas. Having traditional hackathons is great, but adding different topics and inviting the general student body will ensure high attendance numbers and excitement for everyone. == Tactic no.2: Make Hackathons 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 show students that E&Iisn't only for engineering and business students. ==
First Hackamarine was 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.
== Tactic no.2: Start the Dalhousie Hackathon Series (DHS), a series of monthly held hackathons created by partnering with different organizations and faculties to ensure collaboration. ==
As mentioned above= Strategy #6 - Encouraging Cross-Faculty Understanding and Shared Experience = In order to enhance the interaction between students across faculties, we aim to launch a class-exchange system where they can take the hackathons will be classes with students from other faculties in a great monthly basis. The way how it works is that some specific classes from each faculty would offer up to 10 students per month, to get all voluntarily take a part in the class. The potential outcomes of this system would let students involved walk into the shoes of others in different fields 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 greater ability to form a diverse team once they decide to take their innovative ideas and start working on it as entrepreneurs. == Tactic no.1: Get in touch with stakeholders to get them innovatingensure the success of exchange system == Class exchange initiative deeply relies on the collaborative support and dedication of various stakeholders on campus. The hackathons To ensure that the initiative will have different themesbe successfull, but they will all the idea should be open clearly delivered to the deans and professors. In this regard, we plan to all students so everyone is welcome have meetings to join and learn about receive their feedback on the different topicsclass exchange system. We believe this would lead for a better continuation by having the prior aggrement and commitment of affiliated stakeholders.&nbsp; = Strategy #7 - Creation of a Beginner-Oriented LaunchDAL Sub-brand = Beginners 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. In order to fill the gap and correct these misconceptions, we will be a great way strive to attract students from create friendlier and more approachable branding for all around dalhousie existing and get them together working future entrepreneurship activities, as well as simply informative promotion with regards to beginners that will strive for inclusivity and approachability. This will be a part of a larger marketing/promotional campaign for entrepreneurship events on great ideascampus. Having traditional hackathons is greatThis campaign will be supplemented by CKDU (university radio) spots, but adding different topics and inviting the general student body will ensure high attendance numbers creation of a unified informational/update system (D.E.S. Facebook group), 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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