Priorities:Arizona State University Polytechnic Student Priorities
Contents
Overview
Arizona State University has a slew of impressive innovation and entrepreneurship opportunities with which students may engage themselves. With over 300 majors, across 15 different schools, several certificates, multiple campuses, and satellite research and innovation centers geared towards pushing students towards entrepreneurship, ASU has made it a priority to harness the ideas and talents of its students. The central hub for entrepreneurship at Arizona State University is located online through the Office of Entrepreneurship & Innovation, as well as on campus resources such as Changemaker Central and the Startup Village. These offices span the resources available on the ASU Tempe, Polytechnic, and SkySong campuses (those most involved with entrepreneurship and technological innovation) as well as other satellite research institutions affiliated with ASU. Information contained on the Office of Entrepreneurship & Innovation website includes:
- Research locations and strategies on campus
- Technology transfer services and programs
- The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group
- Additional services and support for student and faculty entrepreneurs
- Resources and funding opportunities for entrepreneurs
With the new focus of ASU's entrepreneurship programming, the SkySong campus houses the Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative, a program which produces approximately 20 student-led startups each year. Additional resources such as Techshop in Chandler, AZ, have transformed the way students interact with their ideas. Students can now conceptualize something and then take it to the production phase simply by seeking out the tools and knowledge to make it happen. Additionally, the creation and remodeling of the Startup Labs have added to the number of resources that students have at their disposal to make and tinker with.
Though there appears to be a wealth of opportunities and resources available to students at ASU, there still needs to be a cultural evolution of the student body to become culturally motivated to utilize all of the resources available. This is primarily due to the lack of a place where students can come in and share ideas, brainstorming them into fruition. Students need to be able to come into a space with an idea and leave with the confidence that they can then head over to Techshop or the Startup labs able to bring it into reality.
Strategy #1: Cultural Evolution
The following are an array of tactics that will be implemented over a 6-8 month period
Tactic #1: A Peer-Led Idea Studio
Description: An Idea factory is a place where students can bring their ideas and whiteboard them with others, identifying the problem they are trying to solve and creating a solution. This idea of refinement, taking a big idea and making it a smaller concept that can be applied to one problem, is an incredible chance to take the open mind of students and apply them complex problems we face in the world.
Team Leaders: Brandon Smith and Stephanie Dolinger
Milestones:
- Identify an underutilized location on campus that can be redesigned and branded as a Innovation and Design Center 03/15
- Work with school officials to construct an action plan for building out the Innovation and Design Center 04/15
- Begin renovation of the Center 05/15
- Begin promotion of new space 07/15
- Grand opening of Innovation and Design Center 08/15
Tactic #2: Inspiring Students To Action
- Description: Students want to be creative. A project like this is at the very core of why the come to this campus at Arizona State University. By encouraging peers to share in the spirit of entreprenuerism, taking on big complex issues and then helping them create solutions that are easily implemented in modern society. This can be done by promoting things such as the MAKE club on campus, which promotes the idea of brainstorming and tackling large complex issues. Also involving other clubs and organizations for freshman, further instilling the idea of entreprenuism in students for generations to come.
- Team Leaders: Brandon Smith
- Milestones:
- Get students to back the creation of a new space 03/15
- Gather the most entreprenuerial minded students on campus and start thinking of the best solutions 04/15
- Bring entrepernurial minded students into the new space to mentor fellow students 08/15
Tactic #3: Increasing Student Involvement Diversity
The rates of involvement in innovation and entrepreneurship for female and underrepresented groups on the campus are not representative of the population. It is important that all student demogpraics are involved and represented in I&E activities and programs. To accomplish this, there will be an active and ongoing campaign to engage the female and under represented groups of students on the Polytechnic campus. The development of the Women's Entrepreneurship Club (WE Club) be a part of the engagement. The WE Club will coordinate events on the Polytechnic campus, other ASU campuses, and in the community that will educated, encourage, and excite students to get involved in entrepreneurship.
Team Leader: Stephanie Dolinger
Tactic #3 Timeline: 3/21/15
Creative Convergence XX (CCXX) - A one day summit focused on women's entrepreneurship. The events of the day will include interactive workshops, speed-mentoring sessions, and a Pitch Event sponsored by the Small Business Association. This is the inagural event and will become and annual summit. The Women's Entrepreneurship Club is responsible for organizing the event and will meet biweekly to do so.
April 2015
Hold a Venture for America Event that encourages soon to be graduates with the Venture for America opportunity.
