Priorities:Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Student Priorities

Overview

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology is an institute for S.T.E.M. students, with the exception of an Economics as a double major. RHIT has approximately 1700 undergraduate students and approximately 100 graduate students. The faculty members at RHIT are teaching-oriented, and have long office hours for students. Many faculty members are heavily involved in extracurricular clubs.

Innovation is the buzz word on RHIT campus. The “I” word is used in President Speeches, on the back of t-shirts, and with every design-teams goal. The Dean of Innovation and Engagement, Bill Kline, provides as an excellent support for the newly built, Brahnam Innovation Center (BIC).  The BIC is home to a multitude of competition teams. These teams include, but are not limited to: Human Powered Vehicle Team, Rose-Hulman Efficient Vehicles Team, Robotics Team, Concrete Canoe Club, Grand Prix, and Eco-Car. There are also a number of clubs and teams that are located elsewhere on campus. Battle bots, Linux Users Group, Engineers without Borders, and Odyssey of the Mind Club provide innovative experiences for both students and faculty. Students are also encouraged to engage themselves in independent research project. RHIT’s Independent Project/Research Opportunities Program (IP/ROP) is design to help a student with a desire for research and a faculty member tackle special project outside the required curriculum. Funding for these projects is provided by IP/ROP sponsor: ArcelorMittal. At the end of the quarter, students present their research at the End-of-Quarter Symposium. These students have access to the Myers Center for Learning & Research, a building with a MiNDS clean-room, biomedical labs, 3D print shop, and more.

Entrepreneurship is gaining a following on RHIT campus. Over the past 3 years, the development of a student group Rose Innovative Student Entrepreneurs (RISE), initiated by a UI Fellow Wilson Kurian, has generated the beginning of movement on campus. Rose StartUp, an all day workshop devoted to Speakers and small break-out session. RISE has also networked with local entrepreneurs in the greater Indianapolis region to host Venture meetings. In these meetings, students and entrepreneurs can socialize and learn about the focus of the meeting. Entrepreneurship classes are also present within the Engineering Management Department. I have heard from a multitude of students that they have an interest in participating in this class. Unfortunately, some of these students do not have scheduling flexibility to take the prerequisites required for these classes.  Another program on RHIT’s campus is the Leadership Advancement Program.  This program provides students with educational opportunities for leadership that match their opportunities for developing technical skills. The program includes a Leadership Academy, Leadership Workshop Series, Case Study Competition, Crisis Simulations, and Leadership Speaker Series.

GAP #1:RHIT needs to integrate entrepreneurship into the thread of campus culture. Entrepreneurship is only beginning and needs to continue to grow its presence on campus. A strategy to complete this goal requires the addition of Non I&E courses, Inspirational venues such as StartUp Stories, and workshops teaching about patents, startups, and grant writing.

GAP #2: RHIT does not have the proper physical, financial or educational groups to support creative students in their entrepreneurial endevors. To address this problem, the strategy for RHIT would be to create an undergraduate incubator, a Fighting Engineers Angels group, and EnterPrize Development.

Link to Prezi overview of campus ecosystem:

http://prezi.com/w1g_y0wy7kg8/present/?auth_key=et1gpih&follow=h2jr1gefpzoo&kw=present-w1g_y0wy7kg8&rc=ref-57173101

Calling all students

Informational Session (come hear plans, offer feedback and help expand opportunities for all students)

• Where: [Google Hangout On Air <a href="<a href="http://www.google.com/+/learnmore/hangouts/onair.html">http://www.google.com/+/learnmore/hangouts/onair.html</a>">[1]</a> or other existing meeting of students interested in I&E in Engineering.]
• When: [Date, Time]
• RSVP: [your email address, google form, eventbrite or meetup link]

Strategy #1: Integrate Entrepreneurship into Culture

Following are an array of strategies that will fully address Gap #1 over a 2-3 year period:

Tactic #1: Religion, Poverty & Entrepreneurship

Students at RHIT show interest in being challenged and being able to use their creativity to solve complex problem. Currently, Engineers without Borders provides an excellent venue for students to become involved in social entrepreneurship. Teaching students in a class setting will further spark the interest in social entrepreneurship. A high percentage of engineering students at RHIT want their work to be ethically sound and provide a positive impact on the world, whether this be socially or environmentally. 

Team Leader::Katelyn Stenger

Milestones:

1. 11/13 Talk with Faculty, Find interested Professors
2. 12/13 Present to Interested Faculty and Pitch the Idea to them
3. 01/13 Work with Faculty Member who sparked specific interest and talk with the Registrar about offering it in spring quarter
4. 02/13 Create course description and Provide Support for Professor throughout course
5. 03/13 The course starts

If course cannot be offered in Spring, work on Fall quarter.

Tactic #2: Startup Stories

Description

Many students express interest in entrepreneurship but need the edge to make that jump. Stories, when told well, are interesting, funny, upsetting, unusual, and most importantly MEMORABLE. Stud nets need to hear stories how others have failed, how they have preserved, and how they have succeeded. Entrepreneurs will provide excellent background to their own struggles when creating a venture. 

The Startup Stories will be similar to how a speaker series will be set up. There will be an audience sitting and a speaker talking at the front of the room. To encourage more interaction between the audience and the speaker, the stage will be small - similar to a small concert venue. Seats will be crowded around the stage. Away from the speaker, food and drinks will be available. After each speaker, the audience and the speaker will break for 15 to 20 minutes to network and talk with the speaker and ask questions directly.

Team Leader:: RISE Club - Bryce Filho

Milestones: 

1. 11/13 Bring the Idea to Table in RISE meeting, discuss when, where and how. Start brainstorming entrepreneurs and alumni.
2. 12/13 Plan more solid details about what day this will be done. Ensure sponsorship for the event and funding for the catering and goods.
3. 01/14 Event is coming up soon, ensure room reserved, begin to publicize
4. 02/14 Have entrepreneurs and alumni submit what story they will be telling, gather volunteers to aid in execution.
5. 03/14 Recheck the needed places, reservations, count, schedule ect. and host the event

If dates, funding or speakers do not work out, plan for the fall.

Tactic #3:Presentation on Patents and Workshop SEED Grant Funding

Many students may have excitment with an idea and research they have conducted through Independent Projects / Research Oppurtunity Projects (IP/ROP). They may have ideas on how to make this research marketable, but do not have the knowledge to start. A workshop at the end of each quarter, after the End-of-Quarter Symposium for the IP/ROP may be helpful to provide insight on how to utilize research to get the ideas patented. Free resources that can aid in the initial paperwork of the paten process will be provided. Also, providing a contact for students to a lawyer or an appropriate faculty member for patent review will be benificial.

In addition to Patents, students will need to know how to get their startups well... started. Financially, SEED Grants can aid in these student ventures. A workshop on how to get SEED Grant Funding will provide the resources and the first steps to starting the process. In the workshop, students will understand what SEED Funding is, what it can do for students, how it can be used, and how to apply for it. This workshop should be offered in the spring quarter at RHIT, when students are just finishing up research and possibly solidifying patents. In addition, the school year will be ending. So, time for writing this hefty document will be available for aspiring individuals.

Team Leader:: IP/ROP member TBD

Milestones:

1. 11/13 Bring the Idea to Table in IP/ROP meeting, discuss when, where and how. Discuss feasibility and interest with IP/ROP members.
2. 12/13 Plan more solid details about what day this will be done. Ensure sponsorship for the event and funding for the catering and goods.
3. 01/14 Event is coming up soon, ensure room reserved, begin to publicize Patent Presentation
4. 02/14 Have entrepreneurs and alumni submit what story they will be telling, gather volunteers to aid in execution.
5. 03/14 Recheck the needed places, reservations, count, schedule ect. and host the Patent Presentation
6. 04/14 Publicize SEED Grant Funding
7. 05/15 Host event.

Strategy #2: Establishing the Resources

Following are an array of strategies that will fully address Gap #2 over a 2-3 year period:

Tactic #1: Undergraduate Incubator

Description [250 words on why this strategy will solve this gap on your campus]

Team Leader::TBD

Tactic #2: Fighting Engineer Angels

Description [250 words on why this strategy will solve this gap on your campus]

Team Leader:: TBD

Tactic #3: Creative Inquiry

Description [250 words on why this strategy will solve this gap on your campus]

Team Leader: TBD