Priorities:University of Dayton Student Priorities
Contents
Overview
Strategy #1: Create a Student Run Incubator
Tactic #1: Form an Idea Validation Panel
One of the most difficult tasks as an entrepreneur is determining if an idea is worth pursuing. While there is a shark-tank program in development at the University of Dayton, there is currently no resource for early stage project advising. Through forming a panel of student entrepreneurs and faculty, a program can be established so that students can have their ideas vetted before they form a team and start pursuing the venture. This program would also serve as an early stage venture advising resource for student entrepreneurs.
Tactic #2: Create a Database of Innovators
Many students currently have entrepreneur ideas, but lack the connections needed to move from ideation to a working product or startup. Often as a result of little collaboration across department lines, there are many cases where a team of engineering students lack business expertise, business students lack technical (engineering) knowledge, or where any of these groups lack artistic ability. By creating a database of high achieving and talented students from across the the entire university, student innovators could easily fill the gaps that exist in their teams.
Strategy #2: Inspire Students (TEDxUdayton)
Hosting a TEDxUdayton with individuals with a proven mindset in I&E will help inspire students who want to understand what it takes to succeed in innovation and entrepreneurship. A dual focus will on that students leave with the knowledge of resources on campus, to learn, experiment, pursue and spin out after the presentation. Standard Symposium offers the perfect time to host this event. Is an all-day event to celebrate graduate and undergraduate academic achievements, in addition all course are canceled so that students can engage in any number of events that fit their interest.
Problem Addressed
As the School of Engineering gears itself towards a strategic plan to renovate Kettering Labs (home to engineering) it is important that we accelerate the culture of I&E. Students need to have an awakening of the resources available to them currently and in the future. Hosting a TEDx event that feature successful innovators and entrepreneur will give students a confidence in themselves to pursue their own ideas.
Implementation
Pitch the idea to the Provost Office and again approval to proceed.
Collaborate with Provost Office and Standard Symposium Day committee, for commitment to host in 2017.
Test attendance with a few speakers at the 2016 Standard Symposium.
Starting budgeting for event and have proposal written by end of spring 2016 semester
Acquire a license from TEDx
Start searching for funding and have a feasible plan by beginning of 2016 summer semester.
Have invites sent to speaker prospects by the first week of November 2016.
Host on Standard Symposium Day, April 20th, 2017.
Strategy #3: Recognize Student Accomplishments
Strategy #4: Incorporate I&E Into Coursework
I think one of the most important ways to foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship within a school is to incorporate these traits into the classroom. Clubs and extra-curriculars are all great ways to further your passion for innovation, but the only way to guarantee that all students gain this valuable mindset is to enforce it in the classroom. I believe that one of the best parts of our makerspace is that it provides professors an added resource to promote an innovative mindset within their students. This includes assigning homework or group project assignments that require students to not only use the makerspace, but collaborate with their group members. Collaboration with this makerspace is key, because our goal is for the entire university to benefit from this advanced and creative space, not just engineers. For this reason, we are proponents of changing/adding classes to the university's curriculum that pull in students from all majors and encourage a collaborative culture within those students. We want to foster an environment in which students are excited about working with students from other majors because we feel that this not only creates a more successful product, but prepares them for the real world in which they will be forced to work with others who may not share their same perspective. In summary, we want the makerspace to play a significant role in the university's curriculum by encouraging collaboration with students from different majors and mindsets.
Strategy #5: Develop Student Experiential Resources
Tactic #1: Organize a Hackathon
While there was an Air Force Hackathon held locally in recent years, the University of Dayton has yet to sponsor a hackathon on their own campus. Organizing a hackathon provides a great amount of potential to bring students together from many different departments within the university in order to solve a common problem. In addition to fostering multidisciplinary collaborations, a hackathon has the potential to introduce a wide variety of students to innovation based activities.
Tactic #2: Get Students Involved with Design Competitions
Based on faculty input, one of the highly desired outcomes of the planned maker space is to foster multidisciplinary collaborations. One potential way to accomplish this is for the UIF cohort to organize design teams to compete in national design competitions as well as locally hosted competitions for University of Dayton students.
Related Links
University of Dayton Student Priorities
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