Priorities:University of Canberra Student Priorities

Strategy #1 - Create a student led Innovation Committee

Following the research involved in the landscape canvas of UC's current Entrepreneurship and Innovation ecosystem, it becomes clear that UC offers a range of I&E resources that is catered towards the wider community. Whilst this is important and beneficial towards the UC community, there is an obvious disconnect of these resources towards students who want an introductory "taste" of I&E.

This is where the formation of a strong, student-led Innovation committee of students would be incredibly beneficial in promoting the various entrepreneurship resources that we have right on campus. This promotion will come in the form of events, activities, guerilla marketing, which will occur over a cross-platform social media.

 

Milestones:

1. Recruit and elect suitable student leaders who will form an Innovation Committee
2. Allocate roles to recruited student leaders (President, Vice-President, treasurer, 1st Year Leader, Event Organiser etc.)
3. Plan a series of related events that highlight and advertise UC's Entrepreneurship resources
4. Facilitate special events catered for First Years
5. Involve local industry to promote UC's E&I ecosystem
6. Perform effective changeover of roles to incoming students as current student leaders graduate.

 

Strategy #2 - Improve social events and collaboration between clubs and societies

Examining the current social and cultural clubs on campus at UC, we possess an incredibly diverse range of sporting, academic, social and cultural societies. Within some of these societies, there already contains a tie to outside organisations, some having origins from these organisations, such as  Enactus, Rotaract or Amnesty International. These direct ties towards community, share common goals and aspirations with that of human centered entrepreneurship and Innovation, whereby the common goal of finding solutions to situations and problems affecting the world is universally shared.

Based on some interviews with current presidents of societies on campus, it was identified that each society tends to keep to their respective groups, where crossing and collaboration rarely occur. If this were to be changed, whereby societies can celebrate their shared common goals and values, social events can be combined to create larger numbers and thus bring more awareness to social events.

Milestones:

1. Conduct 1 on 1 interviews with every club and society on campus to
2. Host regular meet-ups, doco nights and competitions, between clubs
3. Oraganise a week of  fun cross-society games and competitions that showcase I&E that is relevant to the club
4. Create a website for clubs and societies that is regularly updated with points of contacts, drops in info sessions, and 'what's been happening' interactive forum'
5. Recruit significantly more students to be members by promoting incentives (skills gained, networking opportunities, make friends with like minded people etc.)
6. Introduction of tech based societies that align with advancements in 

 

 

Strategy #3 - Establishing an Entrepreneurship & Innovation Help Centre

With the release of UC's latest strategic plan 'Distinctive by Design' which outlines UC's own milestone endeavors for the years 2018-2022, Entrepreneurship and Innovation  was at the forefront for strategic importance to the Institution. Therefore, an invested interest should occur in the establishment of an E&I Help Centre on campus, a common hub whereby students can receive advice whilst developing a passion for E&I principles.

This facility will possess a wide range of built in amenities and facilitative collaboration spaces, from engineering styled labs to open conference room where students can convene to work on group assessments.  It will be a multi purpose space for students, and by students, which can home all club and society meetings and events.  This space can also be used to incubate the beginnings of UC's first startup's in the future.

 

Milestones:

1. Establish rapport with relevant faculty and administration on the prospect of either utilizing a pre-existing space or the foundations of a new space.
2. Seek whether there is sufficient demand from students and faculty
3. Locate sufficient funding (grants, Student Services and Amenities Fee etc.)
4. Source the relevant people to mange the help centre
5. Utalise the center as a connection point to resources both on and off campus.
6. Launch of the E&I help centre

 

Strategy #4 - Incorporate a UIFresh approach to curriculum for first year's

During interviews with incoming first year students at UC, it was found that whilst many said they would be interested in learning about Entrepreneurship and Innovation , they wouldn't necessarily go out of their way to seek various avenue's and pathways. This can be amended by bringing the E&I to first years,  during orientation week, where they are initially discovering what UC has to offer.

The incorporation of design thinking into the curriculum of first year students in all faculties will be incredibly beneficial, as the design thinking skills learned will produce a significant impact on the entrepreneurship and innovation landscape at UC, which will bring long term and continual benefits to students own professional careers.

 

Milestones:

1. Gain faculty permission to run a UIFresh inspired design thinking workshop for incoming students as part of orientation week.
2. Oraganise a planning committee of dedicated students who have a vested interest in E&I from a range of background majors.
3. Analyse existing curriculum for first years and  see what need improvements and amendments.
4. Introduce new E&I introductory elective courses for first year students
5. Present a report findings to the faculty and chancellor for implementation
6. Advise any implementation of changes to the course.

​Related Links

UC UIF Wiki 

University_of_Canberra

Spring 2018 UIF

Amannda_huot