Priorities:George Fox University Student Priorities
Contents
- 1 Project Pitch Video
- 2 Overview
- 3 Strategy #1: Encourage I&E through emphasis on the problem solving process and employability
- 4 Strategy #2: Encourage I&E through expansion of innovative spaces
- 5 Strategy #3: Developing innovation connections between departments on campus
- 6 Strategy #4: Develop a platform for students to launch new ideas
- 7 Related Links
Project Pitch Video
Overview
Many of the student priorities at George Fox University are centered around the Maker Hub. We want this space to live up to its name as a "hub" of innovation and entrepreneurship on campus, and to ensure that it is being used to its fullest potential. We also want interdisciplenary students to be able to take advantage of this resourse, so that students with different talents can pool their resources and make something truely special.
Strategy #1: Encourage I&E through emphasis on the problem solving process and employability
Description
Currently, students are evaluated on their performance with an A-F grading system. The current system encourages students to work until a certain level of performance is attained rather than to learn and enjoy problem solving. We want students to focus on the problem solving process and critical thinking skills. These skills will create professionals that see challenges as learning opportunities and desire to expand entrepreneurship and innovation.
Tactic #1
Bring in professional graders to see how the work that students are doing would hold up in an industry setting. This will encourage students to think about improving skills that will be desirable in the workplace, while also networking students to professionals involved in entrepreneurship and innovation in industry.
Tactic #2
Encouraging concept based grading to shift students focus from numbers to learning material and critical thinking. This will foster a mindset of continuous improvement, and will encourage students to learn from mistakes. As a result, critical thinking skills that students have developed will encourage entrepreneurship and innovation.
Tactic #3
Implement an employability grade that reflects students' effort and predicts their performance in a professional environment. This grade is designed to display to employers how well a student demonstrates an innovative and entrepreneurial mindset while in classes, as well shows that the university is investing in the employability of students. The grade shows students application of knowledge, and thus creates an emphasis on practicality rather than on innovation.
Strategy #2: Encourage I&E through expansion of innovative spaces
Description
While there are spaces on campus that encourage entrepreneurship and innovation, these spaces are either not well known or are not large enough for the growing number of students that will use the space as awareness is brought to it.
Tactic #1
Increase the amount of students that use current innovation spaces through more awareness to already existing spaces. Having a greater number and diversity of students in the same spaces will encourage different ideas and contribute to entrepreneurship and innovation.
Tactic #2
Expanding innovation spaces to include fishbowls or other study spaces that give students the freedom to "Dream Big" in creating new ideas. These spaces would be smaller and around different locations on campus. This would make students more confident in approaching innovation spaces.
Tactic #3
Reorganize current spaces to make them more efficient for student success. Use spaces unfit for student use as storage spaces, and transform old storage spaces into usable innovation spaces.
Strategy #3: Developing innovation connections between departments on campus
Description
Many students on campus notice problems in the spaces the live and work, but don't know how to solve them or even that these problems are solvable. We believe that connecting students to innovative spaces would encourage an innovative and entrepreneurial mindset and foster a greater connection between different departments on campus.
Tactic #1
Create a club that connects students with a desire to practice problem solving skills with problems that they could solve in other departments, as well as provide a platform where students can learn the necessary skills to solve these problems.
Tactic #2
Bring students from multiple departments together to solve smaller problems in the local community. Students could learn about resources available on campus and develop teamwork and communication skills with those in other majors. This would also help students focus on the need for their design, rather than jumping straight into the building process.
Strategy #4: Develop a platform for students to launch new ideas
Description:
A major gap in our I&E ecosystem is that students lack the support necessary to launch new ideas. We may be able to develop those resources to demonstrate that an idea has merit beyond the walls of the University
Tactic #1
Create a program where students from multiple majors work together to design a product and create a business model for a competition. Winners of this competition receive support and funding to patent their ideas and launch their business. This will inspire students to dream big and create a realistic proposal, while working with professionals.
Tactic #2
Create resources where students can go to receive support for launching new ideas.
Tactic #3
Generate incentive for students to try new ideas and put in the work to launch them. This would encourage students to engage in innovation by motivating them and removing their fear of failure.
Related Links
Fall 2019:
Fall 2018:
Fall 2017 Fellows:
Fall 2016 Fellows:
Fall 2015 Fellows:
Related links
