Priorities:Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Student Priorities

Overview

The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Landscape Canvas at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is relatively well-established but is severely lacking in student involvement This lack of involvement stems from a lack of exposure to the resources available on campus and an unclear "access point" for students to begin their involvement in the I&E Ecosystem at Rensselaer. 

Though there is a lack of involvement, Rensselaer clearly values entrepreneurship, as indicated by an excerpt of The Rensselaer Plan found below:

"It is imperative that Rensselaer students learn about opportunities to get involved in entrepreneurial pursuits early on in their college career in order for Rensselaer to effectively achieve the goals stated in the Rensselaer Plan." (The Rensselaer Plan - 6.1 Entrepreneurship Education and Research)

Entrepreneurship is a way of life that springs from fundamental education and research programs. We work to infuse understanding and encouragement of entrepreneurship through all schools and programs. 

Our Plan

• Expand the Institute’s fundamental research activity in technological entrepreneurship and the management of innovation.
  • Teach the fundamentals of entrepreneurship — and intrapreneurship — to students across all majors, establishing a general curriculum requirement in this area.
  • Expand opportunities for students to create innovation by increasing the number of hands-on courses, such as: Introduction to Engineering Design, Inventors Studio, and Multidisciplinary Design Laboratory; programs such as Product Design and Innovation, and competitions such as the Formula SAE car project.
  • Provide opportunities for students to work in settings where technology is being commercialized, such as entrepreneurial faculty projects, internships, and co-op experiences.
  • Create opportunities in the Rensselaer Union and in the residence halls for students to propose, design, and implement projects, processes, and organizations. 
  • The joint venture between the NCIIA and Epicenter is all about values and empowering students, with the goal of bringing ideas to life that will be beneficial to society and to the economy. Values such as raising people, especially the most needy, out of poverty and helping them fulfill their potential. These are the kind of values that students must be empowered with and that must be ingrained into engineering education.

 

Why does RPI curriculum need to be revamped?

A majority of RPI student want to make a difference in the world. They want to change it for the better for billions of people. But, they must be equipped with the right skill sets in order to do so. Innovative and entrepreneurial thinking must be better ingrained into their education. They must learn that TECHNOLOGY has the ability to play a critical role in solving these kinds of problems. Leveraging the power of smartphones, sensors, and the Internet is key in order to create DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES for health, education, environment, and raising the standard of living. Integrating these values into engineering education is key to empowering students to develop a strong sense of empathy and a passionate desire to take action.

• Some key books that are value-driven, which state that work must be based on clear values are:
  • How Will You Value Your Life - Clayton Christianson
  • Start with Why - Michael Sinek

Students and professors must be fully aware of the fact that the world has changed. Acknowledgment is not enough. RPI has an opportunity to be one of the LEADERS in using technology to benefit billions of people. Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, the President of RPI, has made innovation and entrepreneurship one of the key goals in the Refresh Rensselaer Plan.Her input, and that of the Provost and the Deans at RPI must be heard. Their suggestions regarding the efforts to expand the ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship at RPI must be noted and vocalized; the department heads and heads of curriculum ineach department at RPI must be drilled down with this information.

What We Teach MUST Change.

 Professor Tina Seelig said it beautifully in her Innovation Engineer talk - we must learn how to think in the terms of  "? + ? = 10" not "5 + 5 = ?". Sure, “engineers make sure bridges don’t fall down," it is their responsibility. But engineers can also create new ways to communicate, new paths to education, and new technology that makes it possible for any one person, anywhere in the world, to get the best possible healthcare and education.

Another beautiful example is Max Little's TED talk about Parkinson’s diagnosis. His innovation is massively scalable, continues to learn, and costs essentially nothing. Shouldn’t healthcare, education, and opportunity fit the same requirements? Why aren't students stretched to reach for the ideal in their designs?

It is so very important to provide students with the right skills.

“Knowledge and Thoroughness” is the current RPI motto, along with "Why not change the world?" But what will, and should, the new motto be?  "Change the world" is too vague and does not adequately point out the threats posed by inequalities.

Students need to learn to see opportunities without being told what to do, and they need to make their visions into reality. They can't sit back asking "Why not change the world?" but rather, they need to sit back and say "How can I change the world?" "What is the next step?" "What difference can I make TODAY?" and "Am I doing work that is making an impact? Am I building the skill sets I need?"

Technology must be focused on making life better for the 99%, not for the elite and their fancier kitchens, cars, or toys. If students learn to focus on the most needy, then everyone can use the technology. There are many people right in North Troy, New York who are struggling to survive.  THEY are our customers, not the 1%.

Overcoming the barriers to success

1) School Curriculum

The Early Adopters and Getting the Movement Started

•  Faculty Reach
  •  The faculty certainly have not been forced to think differently like this, but they MUST now be encouraged to think differently
  • Start with a few faculty members - the “early adopters” - who will introduce creativity, opportunity-finding, innovation, and an entrepreneurial ATTITUDE into their courses.

2) Events that Promote Entrepreneurship

•  Events that Inspire
  • Encourage students to take their academics more seriously, and look at their learning as an opportunity to develop their portfolio of skill sets that will equip them with the tools to make a difference in the world. 
  • Gain support from alumni and from companies who hire RPI graduates.
  • Reach out to companies that advise each of the departments on campus and get input on changing the curriculum.

3) Maker Space

• Creating a location for students to collaborate on school work, independent studies, and startups. 
  • Our school lacks a facility where students can work 24hours a day. While we do have some facilities that contain machinery and work tables, most are only open during the hours of 8am-6pm, the exact time when most students are in classes. After interviewing RPI students, it has become apparent that opening a facility open 24 hours would greatly benefit them by giving them an environment where they can work for long periods of time, when they don't have classes, and with other students.
  • We are in the process of securing a location in the "J-Building" on campus to serve as a Makerspace. We are continuing to interview students about how much this space would benefit them and how they would like it to be set up.

Overall Goal for RPI

Change the culture and curriculum of RPI to get more students involved with entrepreneurship and provide a location where students can apply what they have learned to their own personal startups.

Related Links

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Student Priorities

University Innovation Fellows

Spring 2016:

Jim Boulter

Jordan Dunne

Ray Parker

Hayley Roy Gill

Spring 2014:

Meghan Olson