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Priorities:University of Delaware Student Priorities

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= ~~Encouraging Collaboration Between Engineering and Business Students~~ 2016 Cohort Student Priorities =

== Project Pitch Video == {{#Widget:Youtube|id=TuFWW46nj6g}} == Encouraging Collaboration Between Engineering and Business Students == Engineers tend to be interested in innovation, but do not have an interest in entrepreneurship. They would rather pass this responsibility on to someone else. This separation of interests is not inherently problematic, as members of teams typically have different areas of expertise. Engineering and business students can have great success founding companies together. The issue on campus is that there is very little collaboration between these fields. Technical clubs and business clubs ~~do not~~ rarely interact ~~much~~.

A project that can help tackle the issue would be to form an Innovation Council. This council would exist to share opportunities between the many clubs that otherwise do not interact. The council would meet once per month in a setting where members from different registered student organizations (RSOs) could meet each other and make connections. The council could also establish a showcase session, at the beginning of each year, where different groups can present their projects to potential collaborators. While a detailed timeline remains to be established, the project can be implemented over Spring 2015.

#Establish metrics (number of people attending each meeting, number of collaborations between different RSOs) and an online database to collect meeting minutes, which would help with continual validation of the Innovation Council

== Encouraging engineering students to take entrepreneurship courses ==

Through our interviews and research for the University Innovation Fellowship (UIF) program, we identified multiple course offerings related to entrepreneurship and technology innovation. What we found, however, is that the number of engineering students taking these courses was very limited.

#Collect and evaluate feedback about the reasons why or why not the entrepreneurship courses can be included in the breadth electives list

#Identify steps that need to taken to officially change the breadth electives list for the next academic semester and year

#Now that this is active, promote it so students. Sent emails advertising different entrepreneurship courses and how they can be used as breadth electives. 

== Eliminating Fear of Judgment ==

Through our interviews, we found that many students on campus have a fear of judgment. For example, students during a lecture will not answer questions even though they might know the answer. This happens because they fear being judged, in case they are wrong. This fear also seems to translate into not coming up and/or expressing new innovative ideas. The students fear that others may think their idea is silly or will not work. We think that an environment that allows students to express themselves would be helpful to promote flow of ideas and discussions.

To that end, we would like to propose that a "20,000 pitches" day be held on campus. The idea would be to encourage students to speak about either an idea they are passionate about, or a problem they would like to solve. The next step would be identify the top passions and ideas expressed through a voting system for campus students, and grouping students based on common themes. This would lay the groundwork for elimating fear of judgement, increasing interdisciplinary participation, and increasing enthusiasm for identifying problems and implementing solutions. While a detailed timeline needs to be established, the project can be implemented over Spring 2015.

'''Project 3: Set up a "20,000 pitches" day on campus. '''

#Work on logistics for implementing the project, and a timeline

#Establish steps that need to be taken to collect and disperse information across campus.

#After the first successful 20,000 pitches day last spring, hold one again - make it a recurring event. 

== Fostering an Environment of Influence Among Peers ==

It is a known fact that environment has a large influence on students and the way they approach activities outside of the classroom. Focusing on the environment on campus, we believe that students need to be surrounded by peers that strive to do that same things they aim to do. Whether the goal is to excel in the classroom, to start a new Registered Student Organization (RSO), or to pursure groundbreaking research, we believe that we become the average of the top five people that we hang out with. To that end we would like to propose an initiative that would provide a space for students to immerse themselves among peers they want to be influenced by, in their area of interest. ~~This would be an environment where students feel as if they are all working towards similar goals and shared ambitions. In fact,~~ To do this ~~was one of the goals for the Delaware Design Institute (DDI)~~, ~~which was established over~~ we will create a ~~year ago on campus, but eventually, the initiative lost momentum~~RSO that works as a "Think Tank". ~~We would like~~ Students who join will come together every other week or so and try to ~~revive the DDI, which would~~ solve real world problems. Students will be ~~a place for students~~ able to ~~pursue~~ interact with others who have similar goals and ~~explore interdisciplinary collaboration, a place to understand and employ design processes for projects they care about~~who are also intellectually curious. ~~DDI would serve as an institute that supports~~ This will also foster innovative thinking and ~~promotes interdisciplinary collaboration and design thinking. This would be a long term project~~idea creation. 

'''Project 4: ~~Revive the Delaware Design Institute (DDI)~~Create a UD Think Tank.'''

<div>To implement this project, the steps that need to be taken are:</div>

#~~Identify~~ Reach out to the ~~reasons why the DDI initiative lost momentum#Re-establish a steering committee~~ office of student organizations and ~~committed faculty members along with administrative support~~find out if this has been attempted before but failed. #~~Begin re~~Do customer discover -~~recognition~~ see if students would be interested in this kind of ~~DDI as a campus initiative~~club. #~~Secure~~ Establish a ~~space on campus that would serve as the maker space~~ framework for how the ~~DDI initiative~~club will run. #Begin the registration process with the office of student organizations.#Adversties around campus and get students involved. 

== Establishing a legal support system for undergraduate students ==

During our research for the University Innovation Fellowship (UIF) program, we realized that the Office of Economic Innovation and Partnerships (OEIP) primarily caters to the needs of faculty members and graduate students, when it comes to legal advice and support. While OEIP has supported a few undergraduate teams in the past, undergraduate students might benefit from a student-led law clinic. The idea would be to identify students who are interested in pursuing law as a career, and match them with students who need legal advice pertaining to filing a patent or establishing a startup, for example. This idea might provide guidance to students who may not completely understand the implications of patent violations and lawsuits, and might work as a preventive measures to avoid such a detrimental scenario. The idea is inspired by the concept established by [http://news.mit.edu/2015/support-students-business-cyber-law-0909 MIT and Boston University School of Law]. This would be a long term project. 

#Follow up with a survey to record instances where legal help was required by undergraduate students, but was not available

#Identify potential collaborators for the project

#There are a littany of resources through the Venture Developement Center and the Horn Program - advertise their existence and get students to seek advice. 

= 2017 Cohort Student Priorities =

== Increasing Awareness of I&E Programs on Campus ==

The University of Delaware has many programs meant to increase I&E for students across campus, but many students are not aware of these programs.

'''Project 1: Increase Awareness of I&E Programs across Campus'''

To implement the project, the steps that need to be taken are:

#Brainstorm ideas to increase awareness of I&E programs on Campus

#Create smaller projects to increase I&E program awareness in specific areas, as shown below

== Integrating I&E Programs throughout Different Majors ==

I&E Programs are well estabilished in specific majors such as engineering majors and entrepreneurship majors. Many majors in colleges such as the College of Arts & Sciences do not have capstone classes that necessarily promote the development of innovation. One way to improve the lack of innovative classes in other departments would be to integrate these capstone classes, requiring students from different majors to work together on a single product/design. 

'''Project 2: Establish an Interdisciplinary Capstone Project'''

To implement the project, the steps that need to be taken are:

#Reach out to I&E faculty for leadership and guidance

#Reach out to department heads in traditionally innovative fields to establish a connection and drive interest in the collaborative capstone

#Brainstorm which departments would complement each other well- i.e. marketing + engineering

#Run a few trials across one or two capstones to gauge information on "rights" and "wrongs"

#Integrate early-on collaboration, not just with a senior capstone. Start collaboration in EGGG101 (Engineering101) and equivalents

== Increasing Freshman Involvement in I&E Programs ==

Many freshman on campus are unaware of the several I&E programs available to them. In order to really start promoting I&E programs across campus, we should make people aware of the availability early on in their college careers. 

'''Project 3: Pair with a Freshman Entrepreneurship Program'''

To implement the project, the steps that need to be taken are:

#Reach out the the Delaware Innovation Fellows (DIF), a program designed to integrate I&E into students' curriculae starting freshman year

#Brainstorm ideas for a workshop for the DIFs to host in order to increase freshman participation in I&E

== Encouraging More Creativity and Social Change Based Innovation over Product Based Innovation ==

Many of the I&E programs already established on campus are moreso focused on a single product. We want to promote innovation in a more creative sense, such as creating a positive social change on campus.

'''Project 4: Promote Innovative Social Change on Campus'''

To implement the project, the steps that need to be taken are:

#Reach out to different RSOs across campus

#Brainstorm ideas for effective change on campus

#Host coffee chats to discuss important topics such as increasing awareness of diversity on campus

== Encouraging the Continuation of I&E Projects Beyond the End of the Semester ==

Many creative ideas and basis for ideas are generated and developed during I&E courses, but after the semester ends students lack the time, motivation, incentive and/or accountability for them to follow through or develop the idea further.

'''Project 5: Create a Mentoring Board to Help Further Develop I&E Project'''

To implement the project, the steps that need to be taken are:

#Contact faculty and experienced students who may be interested in comprising an Innovation Mentoring Board

#Pair mentors with students interested in further pursuing an I&E idea based on interest/experience with said idea

#Mentor(s) assist student with I&E project through finding funding and improving the idea

#Idea has a much better shot at success

= Related Links =

[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17gb2EKwdQ4tVg3qPzKz-jEuvr2077rqDbXVHvm1JDmY/edit#gid=119987244 Landscape Canvas ]

[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-MXAwj5wd4VniDhfnRR6RmOA9JOV2QqZ7fpki8H9mDo/edit 2017 Landscape Canvas]

[http://universityinnovation.org/University%20of%20Delaware University of Delaware]

'''University of Delaware Student Priorites'''

[http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Abigail_Dela_Paz Abigail Dela Paz]

[http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Olivia_Kirkpatrick Olivia Kirkpatrick]

[[Branden_Bateman|Branden Bateman]]

[[Megan_Masterson|Megan Masterson]]

[http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Jacob_Fertell Jacob Fertell]

[http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Margaret_Heffernan Margaret Heffernan]

[http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Matt_Criscuolo Matthew Crisuolo]

[http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Ryan_McCawley Ryan McCawley]

[[Jason Bamford|Jason Bamford]]

[[Zachary Jones|Zachary Jones]]

[[Ashutosh Khandha|Ashutosh Khandha]]

[[Nadia Kiamilev|Nadia Kiamilev]]

[[Category:Student Priorities|u]]

[[Category:Student Priorities]]

[[Category:University_of_Delaware]]

[[Category:Student_Priorities]]

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