Pre-training

Achieving change is difficult, no matter the circumstance. Can you name a person who started a movement without any opposition or resistance? Several factors, including current systems, interpersonal dynamics, and historical mindsets/processes can stand in the way of individuals bringing about positive change in the world. Academia in the U.S. is not exempt from these factors, and is a very complex system, especially when trying to achieve lasting institutional impact at your school.

What we have learned, however, is that students can be very powerful change agents who skillfully navigate the journey to positive change if given the proper tools. This is what the University Innovation Fellows program is about. To achieve change, you have to envision the future you want and compare that future to where you are now. The path to fulfill your vision may be circuitous, and it varies based on the individual charting the course. But, leveraging your unique passion, interest and energy, we can help you chart a path to change and provide you a peer network of support throughout your journey.

Why should anyone care?

To inspire change, you need to get to the heart of why students and faculty should care. Watch the following TEDxPugetSound video by Simon Sinek:

What makes a movement?

Watch the following two videos, keeping in mind the following questions:

What are the main ingredients of a movement?
Can you have a leader without followers?
Can you have a movement composed of many leaders?

Here are your next action items to begin your journey:

Part 1: Interact. Create a profile with your photo and bio.
Part 2: Watch. It's a 20-minute video from our colleague at SAP on education.
Part 3: Read. It's a quick 4 pages from Making Space for Creativity.
Part 4: Engage. Reflect on what you just read, and share your thoughts on other candidates' reflections.
Part 5: Engage. Get to know your team.

Part 1: Interact. Create a profile with your photo and bio.

We spend a lot of time together online, so creating a profile for yourself on this wiki is a big component of building relationships with other candidates and the Fellows team. To continue creating your fellow page, please proceed with the following steps;

Go to https://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Special:Upload, selecting an image of yours from your computer
- Do not forget to change the default file name to a more descriptive one; for example, if it is "IMG_5942_4452.jpg", please change it to "Robert profile picture.jpg" in the destination file name.
- Tick on any "Ignore any warnings" and upload the file. (after upload, do not close the tab)
Now, go to https://universityinnovation.org/wiki/Special:BlankPage/CreatePublicProfile, to create your fellow page.
- Fill in name, select school+cohort, and paste the file page URL, as indicated in the form. You may now close the other tab.
- Fill in other fields; you may use Wikitext to make it better.
- Create your fellow page, and now your username link on the top bar will turn blue, and when you click it, you will land on your fellow page.

Here are three resources to get sharing you personal story:

To know more about how to use the UIF wiki, visit Wiki Training pages.

Part 2: Why does higher education need to change?

The school to work pipeline

You'll hear many academics say that a college or university is not a business. However, it's useful to step back and understand the dynamics at play between administration, staff, faculty and students. It's helpful to understand how money flows and what the financial strains are in the system. Thinking about higher education as an industry can help you understand what motivates different constituents in the system. Watch the following video to understand the system you will have to navigate as a change agent*:

Note: This is a private, work-in-progress video from a group of our colleagues at SAP. Please do not share broadly.

Part 3: Making Space for Creativity

Contemplate the question above when reading, Chapter 2: What is the Purpose of Higher Education from the e-book Making Space for Creativity, page 11-15 (starts on page 25 of the PDF).

What's wrong with the current system?

Then check out this animated summary of Sir Ken Robinson's talk "Changing Educational Paradigms."

If we were doing it right, what skillsets and mindsets would students have coming out of college?

This movement is about ALL students cultivating their creative abilities. Design thinking, creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship methods help us in doing so. We'll touch on all of it in training but of all of these words entrepreneurship is perhaps the biggest hot button. It's a turn-off for many students, evoking thoughts of greed, capitalism and risk. For others, it represents the potential to make a difference, create jobs and be independent. Regardless of whether or not you have startup dreams, an entrepreneurial mindset is of vital importance in your career and entrepreneurship training can help you acquire that mindset. Why is it so important? Our friends over at the KEEN program answer that well in the following video.

How do you explain it to the academics?

A little over a year ago, the founders of the UIF program were invited to write an article in the journal Liberal Education for the Association of American Colleges and Universities. We've been told by many student and faculty change agents that it presents a logical argument for why change is needed and why students are important levers to bring about that change. Read the article that follows and share it with other potential change agents on campus:

Part 4: What's your WHY?

Jump to the discussion

Part 5: Get to know your team

Over the course of three zoom meetings, we expect your team to share three assignments you complete individually. Do not move on to Assignment #2, until your team has met and discussed Assignment #1, and so forth.

The team of candidates selected for your school were picked intentionally. You each bring very different lived experiences. You may have different priorities and work styles. And, you may each have different superpowers. The best teams are like the X-Men. Each has a very different power which is deployed when the team needs it. Teams like these have a mature way of approaching work. They realize their differences, develop systems to ensure regular communications, and give one another the support they need to do their best work. Investment in getting to know and understand one another is the secret ingredient to harnessing each person's superpower and doing your best work together as a team during the Fall. We are providing you three assignments to complete as a team between now and August 28. Set up three, one-hour zoom meetings spread out over July and August. Ideally, you are polling each teammate, including your uiguide, and confirming all dates at once. Teammates should complete each assignment 24 hours beforehand to provide time to reflect. Then, come together to share as Humera does in the videos below:

Assignment #1: Do the assignment individually, then meet with your team

Assignment #2: Be sure to have completed assignment 1 before moving on to assignment 2

Assignment #3: Be sure to have completed assignment 2 before moving on to assignment 3

Assignment #4: Complete the team reflection together

Team Reflection: Have one member of your team click to make a copy of this Team Reflection Google Doc, provide all other teammates with editing permission, have every member of your team complete their part, then add the document to the SHARED google drive.

Faculty champion meeting

Your faculty champion is one of the most important assets to your UIF efforts. They are your institutional link and should become your "partner in crime" as you work to make a difference at your institution. We highly recommend you meet with them weekly -- even if it is by video conference -- to get their input into your work. For your first meeting, use the following activity to get to know one another:

Time: ~45 minutes

Resources: A copy of the questions below

Participants: Candidates and faculty champion(s)

Activity:

1. Elect one person as a "timekeeper" of sorts

2. The timekeeper will read aloud the first question after which each person will take turns answering the question. Don't over-think the question and no need to go into great detail. Use this as an opportunity to get to know one another better.

Questions:

a. My favorite flavor of ice cream is...

b. The last book I read (that wasn't required for school) was...

c. My nickname and the story behind it is...

d. The accomplishment I am most proud of so far is...

e. The biggest thing that drives me in the work that I do today is...

f. If I had to do the last three years over again, I would have...

g. What I want to be doing three years from now is...

h. What I want you to know about me is...

3. Debrief how that conversation went. How is this different from typical interactions between students and faculty?

4. Make sure to establish a weekly time and place to connect before adjourning the meeting.

Congrats! You're ready for orientation on August 26 at 10 am eastern!

If you have not yet registered for orientation on August 26 at 10 am eastern, please register here.

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2025:Pre-training