Changes

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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The innovation challenge is great and opens up many opportunities to the student body. However, it is heavily based on a business plan and requires the proposal to fit in a specific track that is Product, Service, or Corn. Because of this, we are suggesting we rework the criteria for the challenge and look at ways we can get more students involved and promote or collaborate on other school functions such as the Clinton Global Initiative.&nbsp;<&lt;o:p><&gt;&lt;/o:p>&gt;</span>

<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Because of the work of many of our UIF members, we have seen some encouraging changes in the Innovation Challenge program. First off a fourth track was added to Challenge, social impact, encouraging students to participate in social entrepreneurship. In addition a pitch competition has been added as well as a brainstorming workshop.<&lt;o:p><&gt;&lt;/o:p>&gt;</span>

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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">NDSU had recently begun to bring regional professionals and entrepreneurs onto campus on a monthly basis called, Career Conversations, and its attendance has been abysmal. The value in a system like this could be incredible for opening minds, exposing new trends in the business environment to students and also simply networking, yet very few students attend. The system is flawed but the idea is there. One new method would be to change venues base on the department or realm that the speaker is based around, and also changing the mentality. A one hour lecture over a student's lunch is not an ideal manner, for either the student or the professional, yet having it at the tail end of a small intense course would gain results.&nbsp;<&lt;o:p><&gt;&lt;/o:p>&gt;</span>

<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">This process can open up doors for students and those in the business sector, by simply getting the conversation going, the fundamental element to connection. Bringing in speakers people know and or care about/ discussing topics people are intrigued about can further bridge the gap between the campus and community.&nbsp;<&lt;o:p><&gt;&lt;/o:p>&gt;</span>

<span style="line-height: 1.4; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4444446563721px">Providing students with a place 'with a sign on the door' designating it as purely a space for students to meet and hang out with innovative and entrepreneurial interests in mind will encourage and nourish the formation of ideas and student innovation teams/entrepreneurs, in no particular order. As rules can have a tendency to stifle innovation, the objective is to keep this space as free and open as possible, accessible to all majors and during as much of the day as is feasible.</span>

<span style="line-height: 1.4; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4444446563721px">While a room with a whiteboard is enough to get us started, I'd like to expand upon that as much as possible. I'm considering this a separate tactic as it involves going through different channels and asking for entirely different things from different people. The goal here is to network with as many higher-ups who support the movement as possible (many of whom have already been interviewed for the landscape canvas) and see what kind of extra equipment their department might be willing to lend. We're talking computers, Arduinos, soldering irons, scrap metal, hot glue guns.... anything not 'required' to run the I-space but would still contribute to its usefulness. More importantly, anything not nailed down! People resources are going in this tactic as well. The I-space will require a semi-regular pool of mentors, be they faculty, community leaders, or just motivate volunteers. The purpose of this group will be to offer more everyday advice and counsel than bringing in a speaker or holding an event.</span>

[[Category:Student Priorities|n]]