Priorities:Lipscomb University Student Priorities

Overview: 

Lipscomb University is a place of innovation at it's core, but some of our innovative thinkers and innovative coursework gets buried, and is not easily seen around our campus community. The following page outlines the UIF Candidate Priorities regarding what we believe needs to be brought to our campus in order to improve the I&E culture at our University.

Priority 1: I&E not limited by area of study - Power Hour!

All colleges & departments within Lipscomb University have innovation prioritized as one of their unique offerings to students. Each of the colleges and departments have centered their course work around teaching students to be innovative thinkers, setting them apart from graduates from other colleges. Innovation is part of the core of Lipscomb, but is often buried underneath heavy course loads. Students in the College of Business are encouraged to be entrepreneurial, and students in the College of Engineering are pushed to be innovative. Students in other departments, however, may not have such opportunities and encouragement to be innovative thinkers. 

Students may easily feel boxed in, whether they are aware of it or not. They see the word “innovation” and feel intimidated. They hear “entrepreneurship” and assume it’s only for business majors. Power Hour is a time to break them out of the box, and redfine innovation and entrepreneurship, presenting it as a mindset that all students can have- no matter what their major. 

Power Hour is a group of highly trained students who are innovative thinkers, collaborators, and campus change-makers. This group of students, called Innovation Connectors (IC’s), come into a university class (any area of study) and spend an hour going through curriculum which includes the following: 

• Hands-on Brainstorming exercises (resources provided- sticky notes, markers, white boards, etc.)
• Team-Building Exercises 
• Intentional Innovation Connection (IC’s are trained to hear an idea from a student, and give suggestions for an on-campus point person who can help the idea develop and grow) 

Power Hour will be advertised to Deans and professors, promoting innovation within the classroom. Bringing in a group of students (IC’s) would allow for a peer-to-peer learning and collaboration. The goal of each Power Hour session would be for all participating students to have a better idea of where they can go, what they can do, or who they can talk to when they have an idea related to innovation, entrepreneurship, or simply just wanting to be a change agent in their community. IC’s would be approachable students, who can connect with someone from any area of study, allowing for all students to feel that they can move forward with their ideas, inventions, plans, proposals, etc. 

All we need is one hour- an hour in a biology class, an hour in a nursing class, and hour in an animation class. One hour filled with energy and creativity and encouraging students to shift their mindset- think outside the box, step outside the box, live outside the box! 

Priority 2: I&E and it's legal aspects - Patent Club! 

An introductory, patent/product development awareness meeting dedicated to simply exposing students to the world of product development and how to take their ideas and turn them into reality. It talks a little bit about patents and a little bit about how to take a product and take it all the way. Could partner with Nashville Inventors for this event so that not only people inside Lipscomb can learn, but people outside. Also, it can help enhance Nashville Inventor attendance. A local expert would come in and talk about what they’ve learned and there will also be COB people there to help students get connected with the business department if they’d want it. 

From contacting others, I had positive feedback for an informational session, and not as much around an actual club. Most people I’ve talked to are primarily interested in just gaining the information and moving on from there. Also, engineers are busy. Because of this, an informational session seems more of something students would appreciate more in engineering. Also from talking with the Nashville Inventors leaders, they are not super interested in driving a long way in order to hold their monthly meetings. However, I will talk to them more next week if more students are interested.