Resource:How to utilize faculty and other resources on campus for successful interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial work
Contents
Introduction
In order to have a healthy entrepreneurship ecosystem on campus there needs to be more collaboration between the different colleges. A successful startup requires a wide variety of skills to not only be able to create a working product, but create a product that people want to use. In order to support this, you need to effectively use all of the resources available at your disposal.
Needs and Goals
In order for students to work together on interdisciplinary projects there needs to be a pipeline for building and supporting those connections. You need to have faculty and administrators invested in supporting classes or regular projects that students know will exist regularly. Regularity is important because it helps build a reputation and a community around that pipeline, providing new students more support.
Introducing potential and new students to interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial programs, classes, and clubs during campus visits and orientations is important for informing students with such interests. University Innovation Fellows should tap into existing programs and strive to grow their imporantance on campus.
Students of every major can benefit from interdisciplinary work. Classes that blend various majors together have the potential to create, innovate, and problem-solve areas that are overlooked when only one type of mindset is in the classroom. For example, the Chemical Engineering and Nursing class at Tennessee Tech uses students strengths in their different fields to create medical devices. These students must present their product and work to ensure that a built prototype would work. Entrepreneurial skills are laced throughout the coursework and strengthen students’ skills. Setting the bar for campus’ interdisciplinary work is imperative to the effective collaboration of students and their preparedness for future work.
Support
Establishing connections both on and off campus is vital for interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial work to succeed. Creating a network of on-campus connections allows for increased involvement when working on both current and future endeavors.
Your support system will be build of a set of “friendly” student organizations, faculty, administrators, and businesses. It’s entirely possible that although you may be prevented from accessing a resource via one avenue, you may be able to access it in another (such as getting to use a 3D printer in one department instead of another). It’s important to build a support network that you can work with in a symbiotic manner. However, it is important to give back to those who gave to you. If it is only a one way relationship, your partners will be less likely to help you in future endeavors.
Below are some creative ideas as to how you can build relationships:
- Student Organizations: Generally working together on events is a good starting point.
- Faculty: Giving them opportunities to talk about their research, finding them good student researchers, and helping them find a way to commercialize their research can all be options (depending on the person).
- Departments: Generally it helps to host “high profile” events that make the department look better, you can also (in some cases) help them solve key problems of their own using an innovative solution. Either of these will build support.
- Businesses: Working with them to host events, helping them find employees or interns, or even in some cases pitching a successful solution to one of their core problems can help build a relationship with businesses.
The general idea is to provide something for the other member of your ecosystem resulting in receiving a buy-in from them. Ultimately, you need a support network to make your plans succeed in the long-term.
Cost
Initiatives fall into two categories, either being started by students or the administration. These two cases can have a significant impact on the cost of the program. It doesn't mean you can't have a program, as we've seen it's absolutely possible to achieve amazing results on a budget.
Student Initiative
Administration Supported Initiative
Leadership
In order to reach multiple branches of disciplines, and be able to create a plan to introduce and teach students entrepreneurial skills, a group of leaders on that campus is beneficial, and in most cases, necessary. These leaders need to reach out to faculty while also getting “all of the right people” in the room in order to see successful results in interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial work. Apply leadership skills towards approaching faculty in a respectful and objective manner. Often times, it will take multiple meetings and conversations to reach a goal. Begin by developing a relationship with the most cooperative and supporting faculty that will backup goals and ideas in the early stages. This leads to smoother transitions towards successful interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial work. Both students and faculty recognize key leadership qualities such as negotiation and mediation skills, so prepare to be flexible with needs and goals, while holding ground on the premise of the interdisciplinary or entrepreneurial work. Along the way, keep in contact with individuals met throughout the process, because those connections that will be of future benefit.
Launch
Lessons Learned and General Tips
The UIF our team interviewed, Abigail Collins, informed us about the iCube at Tennessee Tech University, which promotes interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial work and collaboration. Here is an awesome video to encapsulate what the iCube has to offer students.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAJoK8bRBus
Making memoriable connections with faculty, along with standing behind your idea is the most important tip to having a successful interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial work.
