Priorities:Texas Tech University Student Priorities Page

Strategy # 1: Resource Consolidation on Website

Leadership Circle Representative: Valente Rodriguez

Tactic #1: Organize each resource by category

• Description: Create a user friendly interface for students/faculty/staff to easily access I&E related resources
  • Milestones:
    1. Meet with OVPR administration
    2. Meet with point of contact for each resource
    3. Develop draft for web layout
    4. Relay information to director of communication for web development

Strategy # 2: Communication on Resources collaboration with clubs

Leadership Circle Representative: Benjamin Simmons

Tactic #1: Establish Contact with TTU Advising Faculty

• Description: Develop a small group of faculty advisors throughout every college to inform their students of coming entrepreneurship. We will follow the steps mentioned below.
• Milestones
  1. Make contact with college advisors. (Accomplished) 1/15
  2. Create a Texas Tech funded entrepreneurship program for students to join. 3/15
  3. Expand group to companies who wish to invest money in Tech student’s ideas  8/15
  4. Grow entrepreneurship program to other colleges. 1/17

Tactic #2: Obtain Funding for entrepreneurship programs.

• Description: Develop plans to obtain money to start and run Texas Tech entrepreneurship programs.
• Milestones
  1. Make contact with Texas Tech entrepreneurship department. (Accomplished) 1/15
  2. Merge existing entrepreneurship programs to one well funded successful program. 9/15
  3. Continue to promote funding through existing entrepreneurship department as well as alumni funding. 1/16

Strategy # 3: Lab Survey Program

Leadership Circle Representative: Taylor

Tactic #1: Establish Lab Survey Team

• Description: Develop a team under the authority of the Office of the Vice President for Research. This team will carry out the tactics described below.
• Milestones:
  1. Pitch to administration: 2/15
  2. Begin interview process for the Tech Lab Survey team: 3/15
  3. Train selected candidates: 6/15
  4. Add to I&E resources page (priority 1): 8/15

Tactic #2: Laboratory Landscape Canvas

• Description: Evaluate current laboratory status (needs, unnecessaries, changes) across all colleges.
• Milestones:
  1. Tech Lab Survey Team conducts first round of assessments across campus. This will include inquiries regarding lab course, research and internship space: 8/15
  2. Feedback from faculty, students and affiliated lab personnel on value of lab survey assessments: 11/15

Tactic #3: Implement Changes

• Description: Determine the most essential and urgent changes within the available budget.
• Milestones:
  1. Change in lab spaces - Meeting for review with involved faculty and/or students, Tech Lab Survey Team and OVPR administration. Assessment of user satisfaction: 3/16

Tactic #4: Alternatives for improvements without funding

• Description: If lab-affiliated personnel have an idea for improved equipment, research methodology, etc. they are encouraged to use the TTU research park (expected completion 7/15) makerspace area. Approved ideas will likely receive funding for prototype development.
• Milestones:
  1. Use of makerspace: 3/16 and on-
  2. Requests for funding to support innovative ideas: 4/16 and on-

Strategy # 4: ​Makers Space

Leadership Circle Representative(s): Taylor + Victoria

Tactic #1:

• Allocate space at the TTU Research Park for the use of students, faculty and staff at Texas Tech. Here, they will have the ability to transform an idea into a marketable product.
• Milestones:
  1. Space available: 7/15
  2. Requests for funding: 8/15

Strategy # 5: Increase Opportunities to Experiment with Innovation and Entrepreneurship Through Practice

Leadership Circle Representative: Victoria

Tactic #1: Internships

• Description: Consolidate, facilitate, and promote internal and external internship/fellowship opportunities (especially for those outside of the college of engineering)   
• Milestones:

1. Reach out to current departments to facilitate cross talk: 2/15
2. Either create a new central department or update existing department: 3/15
3. Build a web page of information: 3/15
4. Hold promotional events: 4/15

Tactic #2: Hands-on Learning Classes

• Description: Promote and create classes that teach the application process of theories learned in a class
• Milestones

1. Reach out to faculty network for discussion: 3/15
2. Find either internal or external support sources: 4/15
3. Class offering: Spring 2016

Tactic #3: “Dorm Room Fund” of Texas

• Description: Create an organization similar to http://dormroomfund.com/in which students run a venture firm that invest in student ideas of this local area.
• Milestones:

1. Find experienced mentors: 3/15
2. Find initial funding: 4/15
3. Call for students: Summer/Early Fall 2015
4. Invest in student ideas: 10/15

Strategy # 6: OTC opportunities and collaboration between colleges

Leadership Circle Representative: Frank Atore

Tactic #1: Have interdisciplinary classes that are taught by at least two professors from different departments or colleges

• Description: Train and provide hands on learning on how to design around a problem from conceptual to finished product in a one semester course.  
• Milestones:
  • Reach out to current departments and colleges to facilitate cross talk and find volunteers: 2/14
  • Either create an institute for design in the research park or retro fit existing department: 3/15
  • Obtain funding for the program at $500 per student group and funding for travel to need areas (market) : 4/15
  • Promote program to undergraduate seniors and graduate students 7/15

Tactic #2: Internship opportunities in the Office of Technology Commercialization for students

• Description: Gain hands on learning on how to market technology and form a business around a technology
• Milestones
  • Reach out to the office of the VPR on openness to do program: 2/15
  • Find funding sources for the program and the IP backlog in the OTC: 3/15
  • Send out student survey for program: 4/15
  • Promote program to undergraduate and graduate students: 5/15

Tactic #3: Departmental “Champions” or points of contact for entrepreneurial design and studies

• Description: Be a point of reference for faculty to communicate their current research endeavors and a reference for the OTC to relay market or industry interests to faculty.
• Milestones:
  • Find experienced and enthusiastic innovators: 3/15
  • Create a database or knowledge base for faculty to vote on each others ideas or suggestions (before posting, they rank others ideas, but not theirs): 4/15
  • Discuss funding availability with the OVPR 5/15
  • Discuss with OTC about employing subject matter experts in the OTC to be counterparts to the departmental champions.9/15

Strategy # 7: Transportation improvement

Leadership Circle Representative: Frank Atore

Tactic #1: Rental Bikes on Campus

• Description: Have bikes stationed on areas around parking lots and campus perimeter
• Milestones:
  • Liability and restrictions
  • Funding availability in current transportation budget
  • Establish payment system (use student ID)
  • Security cameras at bike stations

Strategy #8: Lack of Developers for Startups Needing Software

Leadership Circle Representative: Isaac Griswold-Steiner

Tactic #1: Implementing Web-CAT Autograder in CS Department

• Description: Have the Computer Science department use an auto-grader for labs and develop better programming assignments.
• Milestones:
  • December 2015:
    • Get the chair and associate chair of the department onboard with the project.
    • Secure funding for a server to run the system.
  • January 2016:
    • Get a working Web-CAT server up and running (and capable of grading Python, Java, or C++ assignments)
  • February 2016:
    • Find professors willing to test the autograder
    • Finish getting Python, Java, and C++ working on Web-CAT
  • March 2016:
    • Finish documenting how to setup and use Web-CAT (hopefully make some videos for that as well).
    • Create additional demo projects to show how to use Web-CAT
    • Trial run the system with students and TAs/Faculty and get feedback.
  • April 2016:
    • Secure a way for students to get elective credit if they develop good programming assignments for courses (or plugins for the system).
  • May-August 2016:
    • Test run the system with TAs, Students, and Professors. Take additional feedback and try to solve issues.
  • Fall 2016:
    • Run a course or courses using this system.
  • 2017 and after:
    • Expand the system to other departments at TTU.
    • Maintain and build a support structure for the system in the CS department.
    • Reach out to other schools and try to help them do the same.

Tactic #2: Programming Courses for Non-CS Majors

• Description: Have a course in the concepts of programming (run by students or the department) for non-CS majors.
• Milestones:
  • May-August 2016:
    • Use CS For All (from Harvey Mudd) to create a trial run of a course for Non-CS majors (2-6 motivated individuals).
    • Use the feedback to develop a larger course that can be run by students each semester.
  • Fall 2016 and Spring 2017:
    • Run a trial course for non-CS majors, larger this time (10-20 students).
    • Take feedback and improve
  • Stretch Goals for 2017+ (or, if I can find the support):
    • Build enough interest to get the CS department to have an official course based off of CS For All.
    • Use the CS For All course as a way to improve CS education within the department as a whole (more implementation in addition to the theory).

Tactic #3: Software Development Club Community Integration

• Description: Currently the Software Development Club is somewhat small and casual. The goal is to make it larger and more driven, integrating it more with the I&E community on campus (and hopefully the country).
• Milestones:
  • Summer 2016:
    • Build a framework for integrating new officers and motivating them to overachieve. Possibly build a points system for the entire club. Rewards would include getting money to go to conferences.
    • Take select individuals and ensure they have (and continue) projects through the summer to act as inspiration for the rest of the team.
    • Train officers to relate on a personal level with members.
  • Fall 2016:
    • Get the members more self-motivated and in smaller teams (3-5 per team).
    • Change the culture and encourage members to work on projects for at least 5 hours per week instead of the 2 we do now.
    • Change weekly meetings to be more team-building, planning, getting help, and less about sitting quietly and coding.
  • 2017 and after:
    • Work with other student organizations to find out what software they need. Teach design thinking to the CS majors during the process of doing these projects.
    • Get the Software Development Club traveling more, visiting conferences and hackathons.

Video Presentation:

Related Links:

Spring 2015 UIF Leadership Circle Candidates:

Francis Atore

Benjamin Simmons

Valente Rodriguez

Victoria Young

Taylor Person

South Plains Connection:

Marshal Head

Campus Overview

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