Priorities:Susquehanna University Student Priorities

Overview

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Susquehanna University is a private liberal arts college located in the town of Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. Susquehanna University is dedicated to helping students become proactive leaders through academics, service, and personal assets, which is represented through the University motto “Achieve, Lead, Serve”. Susquehanna allows students to engage and facilitate conversation through our clubs and organizations as well as our Global Opportunities (GO) program, which connects students with the world by establishing a GO academic requirement. While there are opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship, such as the Entrepreneurship and Innovation minor, the university has room for improvement. 

One of the biggest challenges that Susquehanna faces is the lack of collaboration between the Sigmund Weis Business School and the School of Arts and Sciences. Students focus on individual departmental disciplines and associate the words "entrepreneurship" and "innovation" strictly with business. The main objective of our University Innovation Fellows Leadership Circle is to implement more innovation and entrepreneurship programs on campus and promote interdisciplinary collaboration.

Spring 2015 Pitch -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6fupPb51eI

Fall 2016 Pitch -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhbBjd26XYA

Student Priorities

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STRATEGY ONE: DRIVE INNOVATIVE MOMENTUM 

Raise awareness about innovation and entrepreneurship, and ideas on campus

• Inspire and promote interdisciplinary collaboration through innovative events
  • TEDx Susquehanna: Spring 2018
  • Pitch Contest: Spring 2018
• Initiate PR campaign in order to involve students in University Innovation Fellows (UIF), innovation on campus and event planning for TEDx and Pitch Contest 
  • Focus on entrepreneurship as an interdisciplinary subject
  • Grow exposure of the Entrepreneurship & Innovation minor across campus
• Developcontinuityplan to have funding established in advance for every semester of UIF to eliminate gaps in fellow classes and create stability and sustainability 
• Identify sources of funding available to students, facultyandstaff
  • Option for funding for students working with faculty or staff mentors on innovation projects
  • Publicize fund including application and award process
  • Establish separate pots of funding for students, facultyandstaff
• Talk to faculty and students about introducinga Innovationand Entrepreneurship Major
• Discuss with department heads about introducing design courses that fall into different departments

STRATEGY TWO: DEVELOPMAKERSPACE/CENTER FOR DESIGN, INNOVATION, CREATIVITY ANDENTREPRENEURSHIP

Create a physical center for collaboration and innovation at Susquehanna

• Discover exact student needs for components of the space
• Evaluate potential spaces
  • Createspacewhere the local community may have access
  • Find funding and designate space 
• Utilize as a creative, DIY space where students can gather to create, invent and learn
  • Often includes 3D printers, software, electronics, craftandhardware supplies and tools
• Host pop-up classes regarding lean startup, design thinking and more
  • Pop-up class highlighting previous successes regarding innovation and entrepreneurship on campus and what made them successful
  • “Speed-dating” session between staff, faculty, students and local businesses
• Involvecommunityin themakerspaceto collaborate and discover what problems locals needsolved
• Bring industries to campus in order to understand current problems
  • Identify needs in our region/county/town and collaborate with local partners to innovate
  • Engage local businesses to help students see innovation as a process and not necessarily just technology/product based
  • Assist nonprofits with communication documents
    • Partner with Johnson Center for Civic Engagement and Greek Life to increase service opportunities in this realm

STRATEGY THREE: STRENGTHEN AND GROW EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

• Integrate experiential learning into existing curriculum for all students
  • Establish at least one experiential course in every academic department
• Partner with Political Science department and interested students, facultyandstaff to leverage our role as a large Snyder County employer in order to promote pro-innovation policies in Harrisburg
• Increase student involvement in long-term research (projects lasting at least two semesters)
• Strengthen and expand on offerings and aspects of Susquehanna’s Global Opportunities/Cross CulturalStudy Abroad Requirement
  • Createmechanismfor students studying abroad to contribute to recruiting international students: short-term or degree-seeking
  • Establishtemplatefor returning GO students who are now inspired to engage with world-wideservice or community engagement: “plug and play” into localcommunity
    • Additionally, establishtemplatefor departing GO students to proactively research volunteer opportunities they will have while abroad/research nonprofits in the area
• Establish a “life-entrepreneurship” type program forfirstyearand sophomore students basedon:who am I, where am I going, and how do I get there?
  • Focus on values – how to best incorporate values intocareerpath and goals
  • Create and sustain a culture of self-efficacy and self-governance, particularly in the residence halls
• Involve students in applied research
  • Createan innovativeGlobal Opportunities (GO) Short program tied to a faculty’s research, involving continuous research before and after the trip
  • Begin with identifying a problem, then return to solve the problem, and later implement innovative idea abroad

STRATEGY FOUR: IMPLEMENT INNOVATIVE HEALTH STRATEGIES

• Bring movement to students: install walking desks on campus (treadmill with desk attached, enabling students to exercise and study simultaneously)
  • Start with a few in the library and/ormakerspace, eventually have more in academic buildings
• Increase student input regarding dining/cuisine options througheasierfeedback mechanism
• Partner with Aramark to increase culinary education events on campus
  • Opportunities for students to learn how to cook through Adulting 101-Sessions and Residential Life Community Programs
• Launch color system at dining locations: red, yellow, green for healthiness level of food options to giveperspectiveof ratioof healthy to unhealthy options and encourage healthy behavior

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Related links

Pitch Video, Fall 2016

Pitch Video, Spring 2015

Susquehanna University Student Priorities

Students:

Ethan Eastwood  (Spring 2015)

Alexis Gargin  (Spring 2015)

Pierce Logan Perkins  (Spring 2015)

Tiffany Richards  (Spring 2015)

Hana Feiner (Fall 2016)

Aviel Stein (Fall 2016)

Rachel Tate (Fall 2016)

Alexandra Haller (Fall 2017)

Damian Munoz (Fall 2017)

Daniel Yim (Fall 2017)