Priorities:Texas A&M University Student Priorities: Part II

Overview

Texas A&M students ought to stay at the forefront of innovation and entrepreneurship, to maintain their ability to provide innovative solutions to today’s challenging problems. An analysis of the Texas A&M innovation and entrepreneurship landscape indicates that Texas A&M is already home to many innovation- and entrepreneurship-focused resources can contribute to developing the innovative and entrepreneurial capabilities of students. Most of the resources, however, are situated in multiple places and outside of most colleges. The scattered and “out-of-sight” nature of these resources diminishes both the value of innovative and entrepreneurial thinking and existing resources to students. Therefore, it is imperative that Texas A&M brings the innovation and entrepreneurial thinking and existing resources to the front-lines, to develop its set of innovative and entrepreneurial leaders.

This wiki page outlines six strategies Texas A&M could employ in the next two to three years to bring the innovation and entrepreneurial movement to life on campus. Underneath each strategy are possible tactics that can be used to acheive each end. The first two strategies also include milestones that I plan to use to begin to spread the innovation and entreprenuership message on Texas A&M Campus.

Strategy #1: Gauge and increase the perceived value of innovation and entrepreneurship at Texas A&M

Tactic 1: Conduct research to gauge the perceived value of innovation and entrepreneurship at Texas A&M

• (4/14) Meet with major stakeholders to understand why innovation and entrepreneurship has not become a movement on campus yet.
• (5/14) Design a survey to gauge student understanding of innovation and entrepreneurship and awareness of and need for innovation and entrepreneurship resources.
• (6/14) Collect survey data and create a report outlining perceived value of innovation and entrepreneurship

Tactic 2: Increase perceived value of innovation and entrepreneurship at Texas A&M

• (5/14) Create a marketing strategy (based on survey results) to increase perceived value and visibility of innovation and entrepreneurship resources on campus
• (6/14) Implement marketing strategy to engage a large audience for existing lectures and competitions

Strategy #2: Increase student access to potential resources of innovation and entrepreneurship at Texas A&M.

Tactic 1: Negotiate student access to existing innovation and entrepreneurship certificates

• (5/14) Meet with major stakeholders to discuss possibility of opening up existing certificate program to more than undergraduate business majors.
• Next milestone will depend on the outcome of described discussion

Tactic 2: Aggressively market the innovation and entrepreneurship message to students through the creation of a leadership team

• (5/14) Develop an application and competencies needed in the student leadership team.
• (6/14) Recruit students (and faculty co-leaders) to market the message of innovation & entrepreneurship to students
• (7/14) Train recruited students on their role and responsibilities (at least one semester commitment).
• (7/14) Invite guest lecturer (Spaces of Invention workshop) to “train” recruited students about creating spaces (pop-up studios) for students.
• (8/14) Trained students go out to market the message and train other students to do the same!

Strategy #3: Develop student access to applied resources of innovation and entrepreneurship at Texas A&M

Tactic 1: Create an experiential program around ideas of innovation and entrepreneurship by bringing all existing resources together, with assistance from recruited student leaders

Strategy #4: Fill gaps in realized resources of innovation and entrepreneurship at Texas A&M

Tactic 1: Build a maker space for students or determine how existing maker spaces can be influenced to incorporate student feedback on the space

Tactic 2: Work with the Technology transfer office to develop student-friendly policies around inventions developed by students.

Tactic 3: Work with the Technology Transfer  & Grant & Proposal Development Offices to develop workshops geared towards helping students take their technology to the market.

Strategy #5: Further develop reframing resources of innovation and entrepreneurship at Texas A&M.

Tactic 1:Sift through the Texas A&M Alumni Network to find alumni who are innovators and entrepreneurs, to create a network of alumni who can become a resource at all stages of the innovation and entrepreneurship movement.

Strategy #6:Renew the entire university curriculum to integrate innovation and entrepreneurial resources and skills for all students at Texas A&M.

These six strategies (and more) may be used to bring innovation and entrepreneurship thinking and resources to students, so Texas A&M students can develop their capacities to be innovative and entreprenurial in solving today's problems and leading tomorrow's challenges!