2021 Cohort
14
edits
Changes
m
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>
=== What Skills Do Our Students Need To Suceed In the Future? === <br/>“Knowledge and Thoroughness” is the current RPI motto, along with "Why not change the world?" But what will, and should, the new motto be? "Change the world" is too vague and does not adequately point out the '''threats '''posed by inequalities. <br/><br/>Students need to learn to see opportunities without being told what to do, and they need to make their visions into reality. They can't sit back asking "Why not change the world?" but rather, they need to sit back and say "How can I change the world, '''for the better'''?" "What is the next step?" "What difference can I make TODAY?" and "Am I doing work that is making an impact? Am I building the skill sets I need to do what I love?"
=== <br/> === === Faculty Reach<br/> ===
no edit summary
= Overview =
<span style="font-size:small;">The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Landscape Canvas at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is relatively well-established but is severely lacking in student involvement. This lack of involvement stems from a lack of exposure to the resources available on campus and an unclear "access point" for students to begin their involvement in the I&E Ecosystem at Rensselaer. </span>
'''''<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">"It is imperative that Rensselaer students learn about opportunities to get involved in entrepreneurial pursuits early on in their college career in order for Rensselaer to effectively achieve the goals stated in the Rensselaer Plan. </span>Entrepreneurship is a way of life that springs from fundamental education and research programs. We work to infuse understanding and encouragement of entrepreneurship through all schools and programs.<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">" </span>'''''<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">(The Rensselaer Plan - 6.1 Entrepreneurship Education and Research)</span>
= <span style="font-size:larger;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Fall 2019 2021 Strategic Priorities</span></span><br/> =
= Priority #1 Showcase the Design and Innovation =Giving Students Inspiration by seeing someone like them achieve '''<span style="font-size:small;">Stage 1: Find Students who are already Designing and Innovating</span>''' *Reach out to students who have created or are trying to create something cool.*Prioritze students who are using or used campus resources.*Look for a diverse group of students from different backgrounds <nowiki>''''</nowiki>'''''Stage 2: Develop the content''''' *Interview studnets to learn more about their interests and backgrounds*Document their projects with pictures and clear explanations*Work with the communication center to ensure that content is effectively presented '''<span style="font-size:small;">Stage 3: Build the Platform</span>''' *Create a website that will serve as the platform where the stories will be shared*Develop the website so that it is easy to use *Ensure that the goals of the students are shared and the resources that they used. '''<span style="font-size:small;">Stage 4: Launch and Spread the word</span>''' *Advertise the websited by posting the link on school social media*Continuoulsy update the website and add more student innovators<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>=<span style="font-size:larger;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Fall 2019 Strategic Priorities</span></span> = = <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Project Pitch Video</span> =
<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">{{#Widget:Youtube|id=Q1QpUgULfjo}}</span>
== <span style="font-size:larger;">Priority #1 Expose I&E by hosting a "Desginathon"</span> ==<div><span style="font-size:larger;">'''• What we have discovered is that most students on campus have no clue what I&E is. '''</span></div><div><span style="font-size:larger;">'''• Stage 1: Outline the structure of the “Designathon”'''</span></div><div><span style="font-size:larger;"> o Create an outline as to what time slots will be dedicated to certain tasks (ie, designing, customer discovery, prototyping, working on the presentation, pitching) </span></div><div><span style="font-size:larger;"> o Ask innovators and entrepreneurs on campus what they think should be the structure/guidelines</span></div><div><span style="font-size:larger;"> o See or think about how structured or unstructured the designathon should be. Should we give them a problem to fix or should we allow the participants to do whatever it is they want to. </span></div><div><span style="font-size:larger;"> o Test the outline in a small group consisted of the UIF members as well as our UIF guides. </span></div><div><span style="font-size:larger;">'''• Stage 2: Organize a designathon for The Foundry or Entrepreneurship Club at RPI'''</span></div><div><span style="font-size:larger;"> o Test out the designathon in a smaller scale for individuals who we know are interested in I&E</span></div><div><span style="font-size:larger;"> o Get feedback from everyone involved in the program and see what steps are necessary to improve it. </span></div><div><span style="font-size:larger;"> o Plan and become finalized with the concept</span></div><div><span style="font-size:larger;">'''• Stage 3: SPREAD THE WORD!!!!'''</span></div><div><span style="font-size:larger;"> o Put up posters all around campus </span></div><div><span style="font-size:larger;"> o Talk to professors and deans to spread the word</span></div><div><span style="font-size:larger;"> o Go to the hackathon and hand out flyers </span></div><div><span style="font-size:larger;"> o Send emails to individuals involved in other similar clubs</span></div><div><span style="font-size:larger;">'''• Stage 4: Run the program & take notes'''</span></div><div><span style="font-size:larger;"> o Host the program again, but on a larger scale (hopefully)</span></div><div><span style="font-size:larger;"> o Conduct a survey after the event to see what can be improved upon</span></div><div><span style="font-size:larger;"> o Improve the event for the future and keep on prototyping!</span></div><div><br/></div>== Priority #2 - Idea Space ==
Concept: the creation of a space where people can share their ideas about I&E
<div>Step 1: Find a location</div><div>~On campus location that all students can access </div><div>~Relatively centralized and well known</div><div>~Supplied by the university </div><div><br/></div><div>Step 2: Resources</div><div>~Plenty of small-scale building supplies so people can get their ideas out</div><div>~Legos, clay, blocks, etc.</div><div><br/></div><div>Step 3: Getting the word out </div><div>~Flyers and word of mouth </div><div>~It is important a critical mass is reached so that one can share there ideas with others and have a discussion about them</div><div><br/></div><div><div>Something similar has been attempted before, so it is important that everything attempted before is taken into account, including successes and failures so that hopefully this time it is more successful</div><div><br/></div></div>== Priority #3 Showcase the Design and Innovation ==
Giving Students Inspiration by seeing someone like them achieve
*Look for a diverse group of students from different backgrounds
<nowiki>''''</nowiki>'''''Stage 2: Develop the content'''''
*Interview studnets to learn more about their interests and backgrounds
*Continuoulsy update the website and add more student innovators
== Priority #4 Increase Motivation to Create Change ==
<span style="font-size:medium;">'''Creating change is not something that is easy to do and can feel overwhelming.'''</span>
*Monitor speakers to make sure that there is still enough relatable speakers to the students
= <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 23pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fall 2018 Strategic Priorities</span> =
=== <span id="docs-internal-guid-7dfbc7b8-7fff-27be-8366-36a9b81244a3"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Priority #1 - Expand and market programs to increase freshman participation</span></span> ===
<ul style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">
<li><span id="docs-internal-guid-7dfbc7b8-7fff-27be-8366-36a9b81244a3"><span style="font-size: 11pt; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One large problem we discovered is that there are not many opportunities on campus to “discover” innovation and entrepreneurship</span></span></li>
</ul>
=== <span id="docs-internal-guid-7dfbc7b8-7fff-27be-8366-36a9b81244a3"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Priority #2 - Educate student and faculty leaders on campus about design thinking frameworks and tools</span></span> ===
<ul style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">
<li><span id="docs-internal-guid-7dfbc7b8-7fff-27be-8366-36a9b81244a3"><span style="font-size: 11pt; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The design thinking model </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">is very applicable to clubs and other organizations on campus.</span></span></li>
</ul>
=== <span id="docs-internal-guid-7dfbc7b8-7fff-27be-8366-36a9b81244a3"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Priority #3 - Connect students to campus I&E organizations/groups</span></span> ===
<ul style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">
<li><span id="docs-internal-guid-7dfbc7b8-7fff-27be-8366-36a9b81244a3"><span style="font-size: 11pt; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A large problem is that students do not know what I&E opportunities exist and how to find/contact organizations that are working on projects in need of student support/help</span></span></li>
</ul>
=== <span id="docs-internal-guid-7dfbc7b8-7fff-27be-8366-36a9b81244a3"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Priority #4 - “Expose” I&E</span></span> ===
<ul style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">
<li><span id="docs-internal-guid-7dfbc7b8-7fff-27be-8366-36a9b81244a3"><span style="font-size: 11pt; background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stage 1: Contact Innovators and Entrepreneurs at RPI</span></span><ul style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">
</ul></li>
</ul>
<br/><br/><div></div>= <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Project Pitch Video</span> =
<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">{{#Widget:Youtube|id=xwYI0Ztzox8}}</span>
= <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Culture of Innovation Project Pitch Video 2</span> =
<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">{{#Widget:Youtube|id=VGlD3RJNJdE}}</span>
= Our Goals =
*<span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Expand the Institute’s fundamental research activity in technological entrepreneurship and the management of innovation.</span></span>
<span data-cke-bookmark="1" style="display: none;"> </span>
=== Why does RPI curriculum need to be revamped?<br/> ===
A majority of RPI student want to make a difference in the world. They want to change it for the better for billions of people. But, they must be equipped with the right skill sets in order to do so. Innovative and entrepreneurial thinking must be better ingrained into their education. They must learn that TECHNOLOGY has the ability to play a critical role in solving these kinds of problems. Leveraging the power of smartphones, sensors, and the Internet is key in order to create DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES for health, education, environment, and raising the standard of living. Integrating these values into engineering education is key to empowering students to develop a strong sense of empathy and a passionate desire to take action.
Students and professors must be fully aware of the fact that t'''he world has changed'''. Acknowledgment is not enough. RPI has an opportunity to be one of the LEADERS in using technology to benefit billions of people. Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, the President of RPI, has made innovation and entrepreneurship one of the <u>key goals</u> in the Refresh Rensselaer Plan.<span style="color:#000000;">Her input, and that of the Provost and the Deans at RPI must be heard. Their suggestions regarding the efforts to expand the ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship at RPI must be noted and vocalized; the department heads and heads of </span>curriculum in <span style="color:#000000;">each department at RPI must be drilled down with this information.</span>
=== '''What are the Changes that MUST Be Made?'''<br/> ===
''' '''Professor Tina Seelig said it beautifully in her Innovation Engineer talk - we must learn how to think in the terms of "? + ? = 10" not "5 + 5 = ?". Sure, “engineers make sure bridges don’t fall down," it is their responsibility. But engineers can also create ''new ways to communicate'', ''new paths to education'', and ''new technology ''that makes it possible for any one person, anywhere in the world, to get the best possible healthcare and education.
===What Skills Do Our Students Need To Suceed In the Future?===
Technology must be focused on making life better for the 99%, not for the elite and their fancier kitchens, cars, or toys. If students learn to focus on the most needy, then everyone can use the technology. There are many people right in North Troy, New York who are struggling to survive. THEY are our customers, not the 1%.
= Overcoming The Barriers to Success =
== Fall 2016 ==
1) School Curriculum
**We are in the process of securing a location in the "J-Building" on campus to serve as a Makerspace. We are continuing to interview students about how much this space would benefit them and how they would like it to be set up.
== Spring 2017 ==
As of spring 2017, a new makerspace for ALL students is currently up and running. "The Forge" is located in the basement of the DCC, and is equipped with five 3D printers, a 3D scanner, laser cutter, smartboard, and a touchscreen presentation monitor. [https://www.facebook.com/RPIMakerSpace/ [1]] The space is quite impressive yet cozy. Effectiveness is yet to be gagued as the UIF team and other students are still working on promoting the club and student awareness of the space. There is also a new workshop currently in the process of being finished, which is open to all Humanities/STS students who are usually restriced from acessing the engineering workspaces.
== Fall 2017 ==
A big theme we are wokring on this semester is communication. After interviewing students we have ocme to realize that RPI has a lot of resources to offer that are not being used becaues students do not know about them. There are also a lot of restrictions that are diffiuclt to keep straight. For example, the metal shop is only available to engineers while the woodshop is only available to humanities/ STS students. Students are confused about what is available to them. Our goal is to connect the students with the resources available. Another weak spot that we found when doing the landscape canvas was that most of the classes that expose students to I&E are not taken until they are upperclassmen. This somewhat excludes freshmen and sophomores from learning about I&E.
=== School Curriculum and Culture<br/> ===
==== <span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Misinterpretation of entrepreneurship</span><br/> ====
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13.333333015441895px;">Students don't really know what a career as an entrepreneur looks like, or working on a startup. The status quo is to get an internship or a co-op, go through the general courses, and then apply for jobs as a senior. Because of this, four years of education is not looked at as "how can I build the skills required to do what I want to do", but how can I get the best grades and resume to get a job when I graduate.</span>
==== Fear of the Unknown<br/> ====
*<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Intellectual Property</span>
<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Faculty are major stakeholders in the entrepreneurship ecosystem at RPI. Professors at RPI are very passionate about their research, but they keep it seperate from their in-class teachings.</span>
<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">There was a class at RPI for 3 semesters titled “How To Change The World” which was geared towards engaging freshman students in design thinking, creative problem solving, and social entrepreneurship. The class was discontinued following the death of the founding professor, Burt Swersey, and has yet to be reincorporated into the curriculum. The few students who took that course, name the material taught as the primary factor in their transition towards more entrepreneurial venture</span>s.
=== Entrepreneruship Events<br/> ===
<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Many students are not fully exposed to student entrepreneurship before their senior year.</span>
<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">The few entrepreneurship events on campus are geared towards students with mature start-ups, very few are for students interested in I&E.</span>
=== Student Leadership<br/> ===
<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Like schools of similar size RPI boasts a repetoire of 200 clubs.</span></span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Many interests are captured and cultivated, there are a number of clubs geared towards I&E. These clubs keep student interest high,</span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">so there is a large amount of dedication. A leader's energy must be able to keep that interest high and keep clubs running and growing faculty advisement. </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">In many of the clubs geared toward entrepreneurial endeavors a culture of “doing” is not being cultivated.</span>
<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">For these clubs to thrive, ideally, there would be a ripple effect of excitement coming from the leaders flowing to the newest members.</span>
=== Consistent Branding, Location and Organization of Existing Resources ===
The entrepreneurship resources facilitated by, or partnered with, RPI are reserved for start-ups that have matured and have working products.
c. Long term: Create an I&E ecosystem around this class similar to RCOS.
= <span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Our Plan [Spring 2017]</span></span> =
#<span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-f2c472b6-de69-cb64-e2cd-2e3362608398"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Resource Management/Awareness</span></span></span></span>
##Create a society which connects students, faculty, and alumni to work together on projects, startups, and research. TIE in all the resources and make them available to students. "Missionaries" for I&E" to spread a culture of innovation. Tacking the cultural problems at RPI by increasing the community and expanding it to those who currently are not involved.
= Overall Goal for RPI =
<span style="font-size:large;">To change the culture and curriculum of RPI to teach students to think critically and creatively, to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset, and to create a habitat where students can apply what they have learned to their own personal startups, clubs, and organizations.</span>
= Related Links =
[[Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute]]