Priorities:Converse College Student Priorities

Overview

Converse College was founded on the radical idea that young women deserved a space designed for them to pursue higher education. Since that first year, Converse has continued to help women find their voice, understand their true value, and pursue their vision.  As times change, however, so must we. How might we continue to adapt Converse’s founding principles in order to serve a new generation of women?

We, as students, are entering a post-graduation landscape far different than that of our predecessors. Steeped in technology and connected on a global scale, the tools we need to be successful in the world outside Converse’s campus are ever-changing. It is time for us to foster an innovative, creative ecosystem where failure is nothing but a starting and learning point, and problems are nothing but opportunities. 

Priority 1: Increase awareness of the Social Entrepreneurship minor by adding courses that will spark student interest

The Social Entrepreneurship is an interdisciplinary minor that caters to all majors to students who are interested in learning how to create and maintain social enterprises in order to contribute to society. The courses offered include general business classes, marketing, economics, english, psychology, philosophy, and theatre, but most of the courses are heavily business based. Due to this reason, many students do not realize that the minor exists. Other students simply are not motivated to start or complete the minor because there are not any courses that  guide students to define social problems and design different approaches to solutions. 

Potential Courses that can be added

Diverse Training: Fighting Hate & Bias and Social Justice are two topics that conveniently overlap. This course is different from courses already offered due to the nature of information and topics that would be discussed and the interdisciplinary aspect. This course would involve between 2-5 professors who teach History, Politics, Women’s Studies, Economics, and Philosophy. Topics that would be taught include analyzing underrepresented groups, exploring and analyzing different forms of hate and bias and how they occur, discuss variations of how to achieve equality, learn how to combat hate and bias inside and outside the workplace, and completing a group or class campaign about a specific social issue agreed upon that will take place in Converse for 1 day- 1 week.
Design Thinking would explore what design thinking is by analyzing case study examples. There will be activities conducted in the beginning of classes in order to ignite curiosity and creativity in order to free the mindset of limited possibilities. There will also be a project that would take place in small groups or as a class effort to showcase what design thinking is and to spark interest to Converse students from various disciplines.

Priority 2: Establish a mutually beneficial relationship between Converse initiatives and Converse curricula

EXTRA CREDIT FOR ATTENDING I&E EVENTS ON/OFF CAMPUS

Securing faculty and staff members’ approval for extra credit opportunities will provide great incentive to students. They will take up extra credit opportunities, venture outside their comfort zone, and return to their classroom and campus with a conviction to learn more and do more.

I&E COMPONENT TO CONVOCATION SERIES

Students are required to attend a number of events in different categories every semester in order to develop all aspects of the collegiate spirit. These events span everything from art installations to resume building workshops.

The I&E Convocation Credit component is related to the extra credit proposal above, in that both avenues provide ways to learn more about technology, communication, and creativity outside the traditional spaces of learning.

Priority 3: Create opportunities for all students to be engaged with I&E

Once students are aware of I&E on a grander scale, they can start building the skills necessary to be successful. This priority section focuses primarily on building the skills of Innovation and Entrepreneurship applicable to all disciplines.

LEADERSHIP RETREAT TRAINING

A large portion of Converse's student body holds a leadership position on campus. Once a year, these students converge in a weekend leadership retreat, where they learn the basics of heading the coalitions and student boards they will be taking part in the entire school year. These students are go-getters- they have run for office, started organizations, and serve as extensions of student life.

During this retreat, the principles of design thinking could be taught through placing students in small groups and asking them to tackle a problem creatively. They can move from rapidly brainstorming solutions to presenting their day’s work. This process will strengthen their ability to work in high stress situations, communicate with an interdisciplinary group, quickly prototype and roll out potential solutions, and learn from failures. Use of this model rather than preaching the tenets of leadership would be a fast paced way to get these students immersed in I&E culture while also learning tangible skills that will aid them throughout the school year and beyond. 

Priority 4: Increase Community-Converse Partnerships

UIF FELLOWS COALITION

One of Converse’s largest and mostly untapped advantages is its location in proximity to Wofford College, another UIF school. Other, regional UIF universities with more developed I&E ecosystems include Furman and Clemson.

In planning regional events with colleges like Wofford, Clemson, and Furman, and directing students to resources that Converse may not be able to produce on its own, students will be able to interact with and learn from campus communities right outside their space.

Priority 5: Create Pipeline for I&E Students

In developing students' passion about this movement, we must also understand that they require a path necessary to follow once they are dedicated. Priority four is tasked primarily with the development of concrete institutional pathways which these students can easily navigate. 

INTERDISCIPLINARY, COLLEGE-COMMUNITY BASED PROGRAMMING

An area of potentially impactful growth is the establishment of sustainable relationships between Converse and Spartanburg area businesses and nonprofits. Converse already offers team taught courses, bridging disciplines like English and Biology to give students a new perspective in various topics. We propose that business focused students pair up with students in other disciplines to form new solutions for problems. As a school with a history in social entrepreneurship, solving problems in innovative, business focused ways would be a natural progression in programming. These programs could be tailored to help external entities like the Rape Crisis Center, the regional school system, and local nonprofits. 

Related Links

Converse College

Converse College Student Priorities

Business Model Canvas

Converse College Project Pitch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0cd6s6FWAI

University Innovation Fellows

Spring 2016:

Sanuja Goonetiieke

Spring 2015:

Nadia Gathers