Priorities:Wofford College Student Priorities

Wofford College Student Priorities

Overview

Strategy 1: Increase student access to innovation and entrepreneurship resources

Go watch this video about what we are doing here at Wofford College

Student Priorities Project Pitch

Contents

Tactic 1: Alumni Network/ Terrier Link

• Description: To implement a database with Alumni profiles and information that can be accessed by current students and other alumni with a secure log in. Alumni can also opt out of having their profile on the database, if not willing to share personal information. This database will be similar to linked-in just for Wofford. This will allow students and alumni to access information conveniently and efficiently so that they have better communication and connection within the Wofford community. Also, I hope to update Terrier Link, which is our career database and possibly join it with the Alumni database. Many current students are unaware of this resource and not using it to the best of their ability, because it is not easy to understand or quick.
• Team Leader: Alex Arsi

Milestones:

• Meet with faculty/students to get their opinions and Ideas with the database. 2/15/15
• Meet with Alumni Development 3/15/15
• Meet with Kelly in the Space 3/15/15
• Set up website 5/15/15
• Send out email to alumni 7/15/15
• Convey importance to alumni and students of the database by media releases and classes 8/15/15
• Share it with faculty to use within class room 8/15/15
• Keep up with marketing 9/15/15
• Update website 12/15/15

Our intention is that this database will help students connect easily to internships, careers, and alumni, and visa versa. This is important for innovation and entrepreneurship because it allows students to be able to take self intiative to have lunch or a meeting with people older and wiser than themselves. This will allow students to branch out of their avenues of their major and explore themselves and their futures. Our hope is that through this database that we can change the sigma of people sole focus on themselves, whether it be grades or having fun. College is preparing us for life and we must look forward to make sure we are the most prepared.

Tactic 3: Makerspace

• Get access or create a network of educators in the maker community. Connect on a local level with makers and supporters of the maker movement. Spring ‘15
• Form relationships with faculty members in charge of 3D printer and students who may be interested in creating a physical makerspace. Spring ‘15
• Establish a plan for what we expect to see in the makerspace. What tools and resources would be available. What do we want the primary of the makerspace to be? Spring ‘15
• Explore funding and grant options. Tap resources from connection made in the local community. Spring ‘15 Fall ‘15
• In the meantime create a group of students who are interested in creating using the 3D printer and other miscellaneous materials to explore ideas. Use a free space for the improvised makerspace. Spring ‘16
• Make plans for physical addition for makerspace. Work on getting tools and materials for space.  Fall ‘16 Spring ‘17
• Team Leader: Cole McCarty

Strategy 2: Enhance the atmosphere of entrepreneurship on campus

Tactic 1: TEDx Event

• Description- A TEDx event for Wofford College (TEDxWoffordCollege, TEDxWofford, etc.) that will be centered around innovation and entrepreneurship topics. Among these topics should be recognising a need, product design, design thinking, risk taking, startup management, and other topics that are central to entrepreneurship and innovation. The event will be held in the fall of 2015, as the event will require at least five months to plan and get off the ground, as estimated by TED.
• Team Leader: Richard Fields
• Milestones:
  • Meet with the necessary faculty/students to be able to put on the event (activities coordinators, marketing faculty, among others) 2/13/15
  • Set a tentative date for the TEDx event, and start gathering names of and contacting potential speakers 3/6/15
  • Apply to TED for a license to coordinate a TEDx event (their response requires at least eight weeks) 3/6/15
  • Begin preliminary advertising (very basic) for the event 4/1/15
  • Hear back from TED with positive approval to host a TEDx event 5/15/15
  • Have a set date for the TEDx conference 6/12/15
  • Have a complete list of speakers for the conference 6/12/15
  • Begin the main advertising campaign for the event 8/1/15
  • Start discussing a follow up TEDx event with Wofford faculty (start discussions in September or October)
  • Hold the TEDx conference at Wofford College (sometime in September, October or November)
  • Start planning the next TEDx event (to be held in Spring 2016)
  • Team Leader: Richard Fields

The last milestone will be brought backwards given necessary circumstances. I intend to hold the second conference in the spring of 2016 if possible. I plan for TEDx events to become a regular (each semester, or each year) event at Wofford. Also, we are hoping that the first of our TEDx events (fall 2015) will act as a springboard to help us raise interest in and conduct a startup weekend at Wofford College.

Tactic 2: Startup Weekend

• Description- There is a group in Spartanburg (where Wofford is located) that conducts a startup weekend each year. However, this never reaches Wofford students. We want to conduct a startup weekend on Wofford’s campus in order to achieve maximum student involvement.
• Team Leader: Undecided
• Milestones:
  • Begin coordinating the startup weekend with faculty and local professionals (spring 2015)
  • Hold the startup event (sometime after the aforementioned TEDx event)

The description of our intentions and the milestones set forth are very vague because we have yet to select a leader for the project--our Leadership Circle members all currently have other projects. Even so, someone will likely pick up this project, as we find it important. The startup weekend will follow from the TEDx event, and we plan to use them both to effectively cultivate the entrepreneurship environment.

Related Links

Wofford College Overview

Cole McCarty

Richard Fields

Alex Arsi

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Related links

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► Wofford College (2015 Fall cohort)

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► Wofford College (2016 Fall cohort)

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► Wofford College (2017 Fall cohort)

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► Wofford College (2018 Fall cohort)

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► Wofford College (2019 Fall cohort)

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  Priorities:Wofford College Student Priorities

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