Overview

Susquehanna University is a private liberal arts college located in the town of Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. Susquehanna University is dedicated to helping students become proactive leaders through academics, service, and personal assets, which is represented through the University motto “Achieve, Lead, Serve”. Susquehanna allows students to engage and facilitate conversation through our clubs and organizations as well as our Global Opportunities (GO) program, which connects students with the world by establishing a GO academic requirement. While there are opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship, such as the Entrepreneurship and Innovation minor, the university has room for improvement.

One of the biggest challenges that Susquehanna faces is the lack of collaboration between the Sigmund Weis Business School and the School of Arts and Sciences. Students focus on individual departmental disciplines and associate the words "entrepreneurship" and "innovation" strictly with business. The main objective of our University Innovation Fellows Leadership Circle is to implement more innovation and entrepreneurship programs on campus and promote interdisciplinary collaboration.

Spring 2015 Pitch - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6fupPb51eI

Fall 2016 Pitch - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhbBjd26XYA

Student Priorities

STRATEGY ONE: PARTNERSHIP WITH UNICEF

Partner with UNICEF and implement the Innovation in Education campaign on campus.

Collaborate with UNICEF and the campus initiative.
- Innovation in Education Campaign.
- Ideal Start-up date - Fall 2019.
Integrate Innovation in Education Campaign on campus to raise awareness of the needforinnovation and entrepreneurship programs on campus at the local and global level.
- Focus on Innovation and or Entrepreneurship as an interdisciplinary focus.
- Grow exposure of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation minor on campus.
- Encourage local awareness of Innovation in Education and plausible solutions.
- Facilitate global awareness of Innovation in Education and plausible solutions.
Develop a continuity plan to sustain Innovation in Education Campaign on campus in future years to create stability and longevity of the plan.
Identify resources and funding available to students, faculty, and staff.
- Funding for students working with campus initiative on innovation projects on and off campus.
- Publicize funding, stakeholder assistance, and global outreach to maintain campus-wide participation.
- Connect with student leaders on campus with a focus in philanthropy work
  - Greek Life and philanthropy organization collaboration.

STRATEGY TWO: DEVELOPMAKERSPACE/CENTER FOR DESIGN, INNOVATION, CREATIVITY ANDENTREPRENEURSHIP

Create a physical center for collaboration and innovation at Susquehanna

Discover exact student needs for components of the space
Evaluate potential spaces
- Createspacewhere the local community may have access
- Find funding and designate space
Utilize as a creative, DIY space where students can gather to create, invent and learn
- Often includes 3D printers, software, electronics, craftandhardware supplies and tools
Host pop-up classes regarding lean startup, design thinking and more
- Pop-up class highlighting previous successes regarding innovation and entrepreneurship on campus and what made them successful
- “Speed-dating” session between staff, faculty, students and local businesses
Involvecommunityin themakerspaceto collaborate and discover what problems locals needsolved
Bring industries to campus in order to understand current problems
- Identify needs in our region/county/town and collaborate with local partners to innovate
- Engage local businesses to help students see innovation as a process and not necessarily just technology/product based
- Assist nonprofits with communication documents
  - Partner with Johnson Center for Civic Engagement and Greek Life to increase service opportunities in this realm

STRATEGY THREE: STRENGTHEN AND GROW EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

Integrate experiential learning into existing curriculum for all students
- Establish at least one experiential course in every academic department
Partner with Political Science department and interested students, facultyandstaff to leverage our role as a large Snyder County employer in order to promote pro-innovation policies in Harrisburg
Increase student involvement in long-term research (projects lasting at least two semesters)
Strengthen and expand on offerings and aspects of Susquehanna’s Global Opportunities/Cross CulturalStudy Abroad Requirement
- Createmechanismfor students studying abroad to contribute to recruiting international students: short-term or degree-seeking
- Establishtemplatefor returning GO students who are now inspired to engage with world-wideservice or community engagement: “plug and play” into localcommunity
  - Additionally, establishtemplatefor departing GO students to proactively research volunteer opportunities they will have while abroad/research nonprofits in the area
Establish a “life-entrepreneurship” type program forfirstyearand sophomore students basedon:who am I, where am I going, and how do I get there?
- Focus on values – how to best incorporate values intocareerpath and goals
- Create and sustain a culture of self-efficacy and self-governance, particularly in the residence halls
Involve students in applied research
- Createan innovativeGlobal Opportunities (GO) Short program tied to a faculty’s research, involving continuous research before and after the trip
- Begin with identifying a problem, then return to solve the problem, and later implement innovative idea abroad

STRATEGY FOUR: IMPLEMENT INNOVATIVE HEALTH STRATEGIES

Bring movement to students: install walking desks on campus (treadmill with desk attached, enabling students to exercise and study simultaneously)
- Start with a few in the library and/ormakerspace, eventually have more in academic buildings
Increase student input regarding dining/cuisine options througheasierfeedback mechanism
Partner with Aramark to increase culinary education events on campus
- Opportunities for students to learn how to cook through Adulting 101-Sessions and Residential Life Community Programs
Launch color system at dining locations: red, yellow, green for healthiness level of food options to giveperspectiveof ratioof healthy to unhealthy options and encourage healthy behavior

Priorities:Susquehanna University Student Priorities

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