Project Pitch Video

Student Priorities

Strategy #1: Educate Students About Innovation and Entrepreneurship Constitutes

Tactic #1:Host a Panel Asking Professors How They Define Innovation & Entrepreneurship

When talking to professors and faculty on campus, we discovered that everyone has a slightly different definition of “innovation” and “entrepreneurship” that varies across departments. One way to create a comprehensive sense of these subjects on Quinnipiac’s campus would be to host a forum in which professors can offer their personal definitions and impressions of these words, starting the conversation and engaging different parts of the university. Students would be invited and encouraged to attend.

Tactic #2: Social Media and Student Media

In order to spread the word about programs with regards to defining innovation and entrepreneurship on Quinnipiac’s campus, we will be utilizing both popular social media and student run media. We will create pages on trendy online platforms, such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, in order to generate awareness and spread information about our programs. Additionally, we will engage the student run media programs, such as the QU Chronicle (newspaper), WQAQ (radio), and Q30 (television). These platforms will not only inform students about what is happening on campus but it will also showcase students who are leaders of innovating on campus.

Tactic #3: Encouragement by Professors

By meeting with deans and faculty, we will encourage professors to spark discussion of innovation and entrepreneurship in their classes. Since this is a widely applicable concept, it can be implemented into many different disciplines. In this way, we can generate more interest in the subject and overcome the stigma of the actual words “innovation” and “entrepreneurship”.

Tactic #4:Blank Posters So That People Can Fill in Their Definitions of I&E

In order to cover all platforms to reach out to students, we plan on providing idea sheets across campus so that students can take out a pen and write down what they think Innovation and Entrepreneurship is. This will be a fun exercise that sparks students’ curiosity into the new Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center.

Tactic #5: Share Stories of Innovators and Entrepreneurs Across Different Subjects

To solidify people’s understanding of I & E, it will be essential to share success stories from those who have pursued innovative ideas in different areas of life. This will not only give examples of projects from different disciplines, but also inspire people to pursue their own ideas. We will share these stories on our Social Media platforms so that students can see how their friends are already involving themselves in the program.

Strategy #2: Students Unaware About the Resources Offered on Campus

Tactic #1: Posters Around the University

Based on the responses to what innovation and entrepreneurship means to different people, we can create posters that appeal to a wide range of students and faculty. By putting these posters up in high traffic areas, we can generate more awareness for the resources already on campus. When students stop to read these posters, they can find the QR code that will lead them to Quinnipiac’s I&E social media pages.

Tactic #2: Faculty Encouragement Through Classes to Utilize Resources

Through individual courses, professors can encourage their students to utilize the resources on campus through project assignments or through “field trips” to the Center for Innovation and Engineering as well as the 3D printing lab. In addition, many professors can encourage assignments and presentations to be done in a more creative fashion by requiring students to create prototypes or physical products to bring and show their class.

Tactic #3: Student Media Advertisement

Quinnipiac has many strong student media groups on campus, all of which use advertising. Through these avenues, including the newspaper, the radio station, and the television station, I&E can run advertisements for the resources that are present on campus to increase student use. This will create a collaborative effort that will not only reach out to students but will also grab the attention of the students and faculty that work for the various media groups on campus. In addition to advertisements, we can also have them run stories on innovators on campus to encourage other students to pursue their ideas.

Tactic #4: Increased Social Media Presence for Existing Centers/Organizations

Many clubs and resources have social media presence, but it is very weak if it is present at all. We will work on getting those resources without social media onto popular platforms, and increase the presence of those who have existing accounts. This will help get the names of the programs in circulation with the popular media on campus, which will generate awareness. This also increases our collaborative efforts with organizations across campus to encourage interdisciplinary learning.

Tactic #5: Time Slots With Trained Faculty to Teach Students About the Resources

In order to increase student use of the programs, specifically the engineering labs that include 3D printers, there needs to be a resource available to teach people how to use these resources. We will organize times for trained faculty to host workshops in which they teach any students willing to learn about the machines available. Once students know what these pieces of technology can do and how to use them, they are more likely to take advantage of the space as a resource.

Tactic #6: Host Events in the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Another way to increase student awareness and involvement is to host events in the actual Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Getting students to physically go to the space for a forum, a workshop, or other event, will increase the likelihood that they will go there again to use it as a resource. The main problem on Quinnipiac’s campus is awareness, such that this center has been open for about a year and not many students know that it exists. If we can make it a regular part of the lives of QU students, we will gain a lot of momentum for Innovators and Entrepreneurs.

Strategy #3: Different Disciplines Do Not Work Together Often, Schools/Departments Are Fairly Isolated

Tactic #1: Invite Professors to Have Interdisciplinary Problems/Competitions

Quinnipiac is very good at hosting and getting participants for annual events on campus, however we often see that these events can only apply to one major or one field of learning. In order to spark collaboration, we need to host events that encourage students in different fields to work together. This is why we want to invite professors to have collaborative assignments between different majors in class so students can have an experience that better reflects what they will encounter in the real world.

Tactic #2: Hackathons Advertised to Be Appealing/Open to All Majors

Every semester, Quinnipiac has a Hackathon that aims to encourage all students to come and participate, however many students are deterred by the notion that they have to use programming in their project. In order to appeal to more students, we should reach out to all students for the Hackathon so that students of all majors can collaborate on a project. Thereby making it so that not everyone at the hackathon would need to know how to code but rather one Computer Science student would be working with a Business student, an English student, and a Film student. This would open up the project to many perspectives while providing many different areas to develop an ending presentation on.

Tactic #3: Integrate Cross-Disciplinary Courses

One huge source of collaboration on campus is when courses are cross-listed for two majors. In these classes, students not only interact with students outside of their major but they also are taught in a way that reflects both of the courses present in the class, thus broadening their understanding of the subject. If we can create more of these classes, we can have students enhance their own education by getting them interested in a variety of subjects.

Tactic #4: Encourage Multidisciplinary Senior Capstones

If students are encouraged to work on projects and participate in classes with students from other majors then it would only be natural for these students to work together on their senior capstone. Just like in their professional careers, each student will have to work together with people that did not study the same subject as them, therefore it would be beneficial for them to create a project with students outside of their major.

Strategy #4: Not Enough Resources Are Available to Pursue/Spin Out on Projects.

Tactic #1: Expand the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

The center is a space on campus that has already been created by the university to provide students a space where they can create their ideas. In this space, students can get access to lawyers, marketers, and other resources to carry out their ideas. This space was created very recently and thus does not have a lot of resources that students can readily utilize, however we plan on working with the center in order to promote Innovation on campus.

Tactic #2: Create a MakerSpace

Currently there is a lack of physical space and materials where students can bring their ideas to life. Although we do have a 3-D printing lab in the School of Engineering, it is not well known and it is the only resource available. If the school were to provide students with a space, machines, and low-resolution prototyping material, students would be able to build prototypes and physical examples of their ideas, thus encouraging students to move on to the next step.This space will also act as Quinnipiac’s Tech Transfer office so that students can also get the legal help they need to claim their ideas.

Tactic #3: Advertise Research Projects More Broadly

Students are welcome to participate in research projects that they come up with themselves but also projects that faculty are pursuing. While this is a great notion, it is not well known around campus that this option is available. Many students think that their only option for further exploration in their field are internships. If we could advertise for research projects in a larger way, such as a job posting of what is happening around campus, we can show students that there are many opportunities available for them.

Tactic #4: Involve Local Businesses to Participate with Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competitions on Campus

In order to encourage students to take their learning and ideas beyond graduation, it would be a good idea to involve local businesses with programs and events that are happening on campus. Professionals from the area can act as judges for competition or can offer to be mentors for students that are looking to go into their field. This not only helps students with job placement but it gives students another person to learn from to enhance their education.

Priorities:Quinnipiac University Priorities

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