Priorities:Tennessee Technological University Student Priorities
Contents
Overview
Tennessee Tech has the potential to become a top school for innovation. Its campus is filled with students who care about and want to solve real problems. Its also filled with a faculty that is doing a variety of research, some faculty members are even taking their research to market.
Below are some goals that should be implemented in order to take Tennessee Tech to the next level in regard to innovation and entrepreneurship. It is split up into two main tasks that are made up of 3 parts.
Task 1.
The first task is to make the student body more interested in I&E.
Step 1.
The first step is gathering the students together. This will be done by creating an organization or club that will serve as a place for innovative people to meet and discuss. This will be what brings everyone together to work on the same goal. It will also serve to create an atmosphere of entrepreneurship so that students will have a place where they can talk about their ideas and find people to join their teams.
Step 2.
The next step is to make the students stick around by making it valuable. This will be done by hosting more events and speakers. Things like Tedx can really inspire the students in ways that just bringing them together in the same room can't. With more experiences like this, students will decide to take a bigger part in the organization and be more inspired as well.
Step 3.
The final step is to give the students more personal skills in I&E. This will make the picture clearer and give them a better understanding of what I&E is. We will host workshops that give students the skills they need to go from having an idea to making it a reality.
Task 2.
The second task will focus more on giving students the ability to pursue I&E. Once they are interested, this will give them the opportunity to really go after it.
Step 1.
The first step will be to create more classes that focus on I&E. This will eventually lead to an I&E concentration, something like a minor. We are already offering a brand new class this summer that will put students in teams and offer them the chance to learn about designing a product for a market. As more classes like this are integrated into the curriculum, I hope to be the first student to graduate with a Chemical Engineering degree with a minor in I&E.
Step 2.
The next step is to introduce students to the Biz Foundry on campus. This is a local accelerator and is a great place for people to go if they have a business idea or if they just need business advice. Not many people on campus know about this place, so it will be an important project to get the word out so student can take advantage of the opportunity.
Step 3.
The final step is to create a maker space. Something similar to the d.school we visited at Stanford. Students need a place to go and work on their ideas, ideally while surrounded by students who are doing the same. We are breaking ground this summer, and the faculty has stated that we should have this space constructed by Fall Semester 2014. This will be a room filled with materials, 3D printers, and high-end software that any student can use.
Conclusion
The most important part of advancing the campus is to uplift the students first. By making them interested, and then giving them the opportunity to act on that interest, Tennessee Tech will become an amazing place for innovation.
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