Priorities:Elon University Student Priorities

2016 UIF Pitch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAjhrGy_YII

2015 UIF Pitch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGugNRw0iQ0

Priority 1: Innovating a more Inclusive campus

Purpose:

This is an initiative to have a more casual, easy access dialogues surrounding by diversity. The idea is to have easy conversations surrounding the backgrounds, experiences, turning point, and goals of our beloved faculty members. Elon faculty do a fantastic job of mentoring students but some students are not as willing to reach out for a one on one advising. This program will be designed as a series of ongoing weekly dialogues between a faculty member on a specific theme or question giving the students the opportunity to hear more about how their professors found themselves at Elon or in their area of interest. This program capitalizes on diversity of thought and diversity which is very much present at Elon but lacks a discussion to surround it. This brings the liberal arts education to life outside of the classroom, inspiring students to explore new areas and have a more fluid discussion surrounding inclusion.

Strategies:

• More fluid conversations surrounding diversity, diversity of thought, experience, background
• Faculty transparency = student commitment 
• Ties to: diversity / inclusion, design thinking (personal application), personal wellness 
• Themed, casual discussions

Priority 2: Students Motivating Students in Innovation Learning

Purpose: 

Inform the Elon community as a whole about innovation and entrepreneurship opportunities by allowing students to teach and motivate each other.  By doing this, students can feed off each other and create more ideas than they could when learning on their own.

Strategies:

Allow for students to create their own plans for learning about innovation.

Reach out to teachers to understand the ways in which students learn best.

Evaluate which learning activities seem to help students grasp innovation concepts better than others.

Priority 3: UIF Collaboration with Maker Hub

Purpose: 

To teach students on campus about the innovation and entrepreneurship opportunities on campus, while introducing them to the Maker Hub and all the resources it contains. To explore different innovative projects happening on campus and help students generate ideas in an environment that promotes innovation and entrepreneurship. 

Strategies:

Prepare a list of speakers around campus that have completed an innovative project 

Ask the Maker Hub to speak about the resources they have

Create a design space (“think space”) for students to collaborate and generate ideas for new innovative projects

Provide more awareness about the Maker Hub, the UIF program, the Doherty center, and the I&E program on campus

Priority 4: Burst the Bubble Coding Curriculum

Purpose:

To teach coding to students of all majors without the pressure of a grade, show people what UIF is all about, and recruit other students who inspire change and want to make the campus a more innovative space. This gives people of all majors the opportunity to learn to code in a positive environment without the pressure of a grade.

Strategies:

Decide on the best coding software to teach

Strategize with the team to decide how to best go about creating a curriculum to teach people of all exposures how to code

Contact the computer science department

Priority #5: Sustainable Innovation

Purpose:

The sustainability Innovation mission at Elon University strives to bring more awareness on sustainability in clothing matter. The intention for this project is to allow students to be more engaged on certain innovative ways to incorporate reusable items into clothing. For example, students can learn more about how recyclable ocean plastic can be transformed into everyday essential items. In addition, students can engage in competitions or engineering projects such as 3D printed manufactured items which can allow for higher appeal in the fashion industry as well as less repurposing of waste products. As part of this mission, Elon will use Innovative fabric made from 100% recyclable clothing and clever recycling will be used for innovative projects on campus These projects include competitions, and additional projects aimed for students completing Engineering and biomedical research, etc. 

Strategies:

• Create sustainability on campus by coming up with innovative ways to incorporate reusable items in clothing. 
• Focus on recycling
• Making use out of innovation spaces which increase appeal and then lead to less waste

Priority #6: Elon Innovators Network

Purpose:

One way to encourage others to take their ideas and dreams to the next level is to show them that it has and is being done! This project would seek to shine a light on Elon’s current and past entrepreneurs.

Strategies:

Contact individual currently in charge of Doherty Center Electronic message board TV.

Research students involved with I&E on campus.

Email these students asking for a “profile”.

Feature students on the board and expand to online.

Establish an Elon Innovators page on various social media platforms.

Feature students and alumni working on innovative and entrepreneurial projects.

Priority #7: Interdisciplinary Classes

Purpose:

One opportunity for improvement at Elon is a current lack of interdisciplinary courses which bring together different subjects to engage students in subjects outside of their majors. Elon should create courses to combat this which bring together the different disciplines offered on campus to offer students a well-rounded education by connecting areas of study.

Strategies:

Strategize with a team to create and test prototype (aka mock syllabi, possible coursework, lecturers, etc.).

Get feedback from students to gauge who would be interested, gain support.

Contact the Dean of the Love School of Business, Raghu Tadepalli, about the possibility of the course(s).

Propose course(s) to academic council, department heads of all schools, provost, and more faculty who could help introduce the course(s) into our curriculum.

Priority #8: Increase Innovation and Entrepreneurship Engagement

Purpose:

The campus does not lack innovation or entrepreneurship events and resources. Instead, the campus must cultivate student engagement in entrepreneurship and innovation. There are more events hosted than students who attend. In order to increase engagement with entrepreneurship courses, maker hub spaces, and other opportunities, there must be an investigation into the lack of student involvement.

 

Strategies:

Engage Elon students in conversations and surveys with students in regards to their motivation for attending campus events. The following questions can guide the conversation:

a. How did you find out about this event? (Email Newsletter, Flyer, Word-of-mouth)

b. Is this event related to your major?

c. Were you required to attend?

Analyze data compiled by Nicole Filippo, communications manager, to explore university advertisement engagement rates. It will help determine how to target students who express interest in innovation and

entrepreneurship events.

Implement a method of working from the inside-out: Focus on engaging students who express an interest in innovation and entrepreneurship before reaching out to the broader student body.

Speak with students who have previously run successful events and determine causation for the student-body turnout.

Compile an overview of sources and successful methods of student engagement across campus.

Move entrepreneurship events to theaters with larger foot traffic such as Turner Theatre in the School of Communications.

Related Links

Elon University

Elon University Wiki

University Innovation Fellows

Fall 2018: Gillian Hook, Sydney Thornton

Spring 2018: Yousaf Khan, Regan O'Donnell, Noor Irshaidat, Haley Brengartner 

Spring 2017: Josh Cadorette, Briana Brady, James Setzer, Nick Smith

Spring 2016: Elizabeth Jordan, Gabrielle Vance, Sean Webber, Kyle McKinley, William Kakavas

Spring 2015: Ben Driscoll, Jensen Roll, Matt Snow, Giles Roll

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