Priorities:Louisiana Tech University Student Priorities

 

2019 Strategic Priorities: 

Strategy #1: Students gain easier access to I&E events on campus through the university academic calendar.

Tactic 1: Work on the academic calendar with the appropriate faculty to make the website more user-friendly and promote student involvement. Currently, the website does not have nearly all events that are happening around campus. Most of these event’s information is sent to students through their emails which get overlooked more often than not. When the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Technology sends an email about upcoming events, for example; students often never see it because they are overwhelmed with so many other events. If this calendar was updated then all events could be filtered through to find exactly what students wanted to see and would also eliminate the need for student organizations to send so many emails. 

Projected Timeline

- Planning and meeting with appropriate faculty during the 2019-2020 academic year

- Implementation beginning Fall 2020

- Significant improvement in student events participation by Spring 2021

Strategy #2: I&E events promoted more efficiently through email

Tactic 1: Louisiana Tech University has a thriving population of student organizations that is growing every day. While this is an excellent way for students to get involved in activities and groups that they really enjoy, our email system becomes really crowded with organization events and activities. By working with the Student Government Association on campus who organizes the student organizations on campus, we could work on making sure that the emails being sent are more pertinent to students and that emails are only sent for important notifications. This would eliminate a lot of the emails that are sent by organizations which aren’t applicable for most students and don’t contain clear information. By decluttering students emails, all emails that are sent would have a better chance at student reception including those sent by I&E organizations which are promoting their events.

Projected Timeline

- Work with SGA throughout the Fall and Winter quarters 2019-2020

- Start meeting with organization leaders to promote new email policies that would lead to more student involvement by Spring Quarter 2020

Strategy #3: Work with campus CEnIT to physically promote I&E events on campus

Tactic 1: Our I&E department makes efficient use of the availability of bulletin boards and flat screen TVs around campus to promote events but some colleges are more particular about what content goes on these screens. I would work interdepartmentally to ensure that I&E events were allowed to be promoted across campus because these events are for all students and promote the campus as a whole. 

Projected Timeline

-Work through Winter Quarter 2019-2020 to get all departments on board

- Implementation by Spring 2020

Strategy #4: Bulldog Entrepreneurs promote I&E through a new event app 

Tactic 1: Work with the Bulldog Entrepreneurs club (BE)  on campus to create a new event app that serves as a resource for students to learn about all events and opportunities on campus. This app/website, while showing all events, would be run by BE to promote specific I&E events. This app would be a way for students to see and filter out all events that they were not interested in and see only what they wanted to view. The University Academic Calendar could keep just relevant university events, the La Tech email would be only for important University notifications and the new app would be for all events and opportunities on campus.

Projected Timeline

- Spring Quarter 2020 work with organizations on backing the project and performing market research withstudents

- Starting Fall 2020 begin working with students to develop app and website 

- Finish new service platform by Spring 2021 

- Begin use Fall 2021

2018 Student Priorities

Strategy #1 - Freshmen are exposed to I&E

Tactic 1- Incorporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship into the First Year Experience Course

The FYE 100 course that all freshmen take Fall Quarter is designed to provide application experiences in communication, critical thinking, and collaboration while students engage in university culture. Incorporating innovation and entrepreneurship into the course will enhance their critical thinking and collaboration skills while also introducing them to opportunities and resources available to them on campus.

Possible scenario – students involved with I&E produce lesson plan (with input from faculty) for one day of instruction in design thinking and what LaTech has to offer for innovation and entrepreneurship ambitions (Thingery, Rawle Center, Top Dog, student organizations). To make the lesson more effective, stagger instruction days so that the I&E students who produced the lesson plan can actually teach the class to the freshmen, showing student leadership in I&E and that a community for it exists on campus.

Projected timeline

-        Planning during fall quarter 2018

-        Trail runs in select class during Winter 2018

-        Refine model and fully implement during Fall 2019

Tactic 2– Innovation and Entrepreneurship event at orientations during summer.

Most freshmen attend one of the orientation session the summer before attending to become familiar and excited about LaTech. Implementing an I&E event they attend during orientation would provide them the opportunity to know about what resources are available and spark their interest before weight of classes and other responsibilities set in during the quarter.

Possible scenario – students involved with I&E host a demonstration of design thinking in Thingery that orientation groups cycle through. Students receive crash course on the design thinking process, they find out where the Thingery is located, and are given the opportunity to sign up for workshops in the school year and I&E affiliated organizations.

Projected timeline

-        Planning during academic year 2018

-        Trail run during upcoming organizational browse

-        Refine and implement during summer of 2019

Strategy #2 - I&E Organizations' significance is better communicated across campus

Tactic 1– Emphasize the importance of joining I&E organizations during a short lesson in the First Year Experience class.

In an attempt to motivate students to become more involved among campus I&E organizations, teachers could teach a lesson on the importance of participating in said organizations. The focus will be on the experience it would provide students and the benefits it would reap for both the students, school, and community.

Possible scenario- Speakers can come in to testify as to why getting involved in I&E organizations is beneficial to students during both school and later on in life. Teachers can show the different organizations offered, and what each one focuses on. Students can take some sort of “test” based on skills, values, and interests to discover which organization they best fit with.

Projected Timeline

-       Planning during Fall Quarter 2018

-       Trial Run will occur in selected Winter 2018 class

-       Refine model and fully implement during Fall 2019

Strategy #3 - Students have opportunity to experience I&E in locations they frequent

Tactic 1– During Fall Quarter, Innovation Alliance will organize daylong event, or week of smaller events, celebrating I&E with support from Innovation Enterprise. The event would include I&E topic presentations from campus and guest speakers, activities in the Quad and Centennial Plaza that demonstrate some aspect of I&E (20,000 passions, design thinking crash course, elevator pitch game), and an expo of local entrepreneurs and innovations showing students the work they are doing in the student center.

Projected Timeline

-       Planning during academic year 2018-2019

-       Event occurs during latter half of Fall Quarter 2019

Tactic 2 – Smaller scale I&E days with one per quarter organized by Innovation Alliance with support from Innovation Enterprise. I&E days would include one guest speaker (on campus or from region) and an engagement activity in Quad or Centennial Plaza. Would be less pressure on the organizers and spread out excitement for I&E among quarters instead of once at beginning of year.

Projected Timeline

-       Planning during Winter Quarter 2019

-       Test run during Spring Quarter 2019

-       Refine model and host first official I&E day Fall Quarter 2019

-       Continue each following quarter (excluding Summer Quarter for now)

  

Strategy #4 - I&E organizations have support from the university

Tactic 1– Vocal, financial, resource support from the university (specifically Innovation Enterprise) for I&E organizations like Bulldog Entrepreneurs and Operations Tech (innovation club). The university collaborates with I&E student organizations to gain help in planning and promoting events/curriculum/initiatives on campus thereby including various student perspectives and interest in university planning.

2017 Student Priorities

Strategy #1 - Freshmen experience I&E

Tactic 1 - Incorporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship into the First Year Experience Course

The FYE 100 course that all freshmen take Fall Quarter is designed to provide application experiences in communication, critical thinking, and collaboration while students engage in university culture. Incorporating innovation and entrepreneurship into the course will enhance their critical thinking and collaboration skills while also introducing them to opportunities and resources available to them on campus.

Possible scenario – students involved with I&E produce lesson plan (with input from faculty) for one day of instruction in design thinking and what LaTech has to offer for innovation and entrepreneurship ambitions (Thingery, Rawle Center, Top Dog, student organizations). To make the lesson more effective, stagger instruction days so that the I&E students who produced the lesson plan can actually teach the class to the freshmen, showing student leadership in I&E and that a community for it exists on campus.

Projected timeline

-        Planning during academic year 2017-2018

-        Trail runs in select classes during Fall 2018

-        Refine model and fully implement during Fall 2019

Tactic 2 – Innovation and Entrepreneurship event at orientations during summer.

Most freshmen attend one of the orientation session the summer before attending to become familiar and excited about LaTech. Implementing an I&E event they attend during orientation would provide them the opportunity to know about what resources are available and spark their interest before weight of classes and other responsibilities set in during the quarter.

Possible scenario – students involved with I&E host a demonstration of design thinking in Thingery that orientation groups cycle through. Students receive crash course on the design thinking process, they find out where the Thingery is located, and are given the opportunity to sign up for workshops in the school year and I&E affiliated organizations.

Projected timeline

-        Planning during Winter Quarter 2018

-        Trail run during Time out for Tech Spring

-        Refine and implement during summer of 2018

Strategy #2 - Students have opportunity to experience I&E in locations they frequent

Tactic 1 – During Fall Quarter, I&E related student organizations (Bulldog Entrepreneurs and OpTech) organize daylong event celebrating I&E with support from Innovation Enterprise. The event would include I&E topic presentations from campus and guest speakers, activities in the Quad and Centennial Plaza that demonstrate some aspect of I&E (20,000 passions, design thinking crash course, elevator pitch game), and an expo of local entrepreneurs and innovations showing students the work they are doing in the student center.

Projected Timeline

-       Planning during academic year 2017/2018

-       Event occurs during latter half of Fall Quarter 2018

Tactic 2 – Smaller scale I&E days with one per quarter organized by I&E related organizations (Bulldog Entrepreneurs and OpTech) with support from Innovation Enterprise. I&E days would include one guest speaker (on campus or from region) and an engagement activity in Quad or Centennial Plaza. Would be less pressure on the organizers and spread out excitement for I&E among quarters instead of once at beginning of year.

Projected Timeline

-       Planning during Winter Quarter 2018

-       Test run during Spring Quarter 2018

-       Refine model and host first official I&E day Fall Quarter 2018

-       Continue each following quarter (excluding Summer Quarter for now)

Strategy #3 - I&E organizations have support from the university

Tactic 1 – Vocal, financial, resource support from the university (specifically Innovation Enterprise) for I&E organizations like Bulldog Entrepreneurs and Operations Tech (innovation club). The university collaborates with I&E student organizations to gain help in planning and promoting events/curriculum/initiatives on campus thereby including various student perspectives and interest in university planning.

 

Strategy #4 - Support for I&E development after graduation

Tactic 1 – Establish “Collaborative Community” group of entrepreneurial students

Support creation and development of a “Collaborative Community” with space on campus for entrepreneurial students to work on startup ideas, collaborate with others working on their own startups, and have opportunity to develop network for after graduation. Ground work for this is already laid with a few students and faculty setting up the vision for this group and first steps towards creation having been taken. Full implementation with university support will allow students on campus to meet and develop their ideas for startups and entrepreneurial skills together.

Projected Timeline

-       Allocate space for students to meet completed

-       Recruit students at different levels of idea development to start the community end of fall quarter 2017

 

Tactic 2 – Mentoring Network between entrepreneurial minded students, alumni, and local business owners

Establish a university sponsored network where students that want to dive into entrepreneurship, alumni that are involved with entrepreneurial activities, and local entrepreneurs can meet, communicate, collaborate, lend resources/expertise, and learn from each other. The individuals with a lot of experience can officially mentor less experienced members meeting online or in person weekly or monthly to strengthen community connection between like-minded people in the region.

Projected Timeline

-       Recruit and logistics planning for network during academic year 2017/2018

-       Soft launch of network to work out bugs and issues fall 2018

-       Pending soft launch is effective, official launch spring quarter 2019

Related Links

Louisiana_Tech_University

https://youtu.be/j-ao8DN2w2w

Fall 2018 UIFs

Lexie_Lybrand

Fall 2017 UIFs

Ryan_Botts