Priorities:Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Student Priorities
Contents
Overview
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology is an institute for S.T.E.M. students, with the exception of an Economics as a double major. RHIT has approximately 1700 undergraduate students and approximately 100 graduate students. The faculty members at RHIT are teaching-oriented, and have long office hours for students. Many faculty members are heavily involved in extracurricular clubs.
Innovation is the buzz word on RHIT campus. The “I” word is used in President Speeches, on the back of t-shirts, and with every design-teams goal. The Dean of Innovation and Engagement, Bill Kline, provides as an excellent support for the newly built, Brahnam Innovation Center (BIC). The BIC is home to a multitude of competition teams. These teams include, but are not limited to: Human Powered Vehicle Team, Rose-Hulman Efficient Vehicles Team, Robotics Team, Concrete Canoe Club, Grand Prix, and Eco-Car. There are also a number of clubs and teams that are located elsewhere on campus. Battle bots, Linux Users Group, Engineers without Borders, and Odyssey of the Mind Club provide innovative experiences for both students and faculty. Students are also encouraged to engage themselves in independent research project. RHIT’s Independent Project/Research Opportunities Program (IP/ROP) is design to help a student with a desire for research and a faculty member tackle special project outside the required curriculum. Funding for these projects is provided by IP/ROP sponsor: ArcelorMittal. At the end of the quarter, students present their research at the End-of-Quarter Symposium. These students have access to the Myers Center for Learning & Research, a building with a MiNDS clean-room, biomedical labs, 3D print shop, and more.
Entrepreneurship is gaining a following on RHIT campus. Over the past 3 years, the development of a student group Rose Innovative Student Entrepreneurs (RISE), initiated by a UI Fellow Wilson Kurian, has generated the beginning of movement on campus. Rose StartUp, an all day workshop devoted to Speakers and small break-out session. RISE has also networked with local entrepreneurs in the greater Indianapolis region to host Venture meetings. In these meetings, students and entrepreneurs can socialize and learn about the focus of the meeting. Entrepreneurship classes are also present within the Engineering Management Department. I have heard from a multitude of students that they have an interest in participating in this class. Unfortunately, some of these students do not have scheduling flexibility to take the prerequisites required for these classes. Another program on RHIT’s campus is the Leadership Advancement Program. This program provides students with educational opportunities for leadership that match their opportunities for developing technical skills. The program includes a Leadership Academy, Leadership Workshop Series, Case Study Competition, Crisis Simulations, and Leadership Speaker Series.
GAP #1:RHIT needs to integrate entrepreneurship into the thread of campus culture. Entrepreneurship is only beginning and needs to continue to grow its presence on campus. A strategy to complete this goal requires the addition of Non I&E courses, Inspirational venues such as StartUp Stories, and workshops teaching about patents, startups, and grant writing.
GAP #2: RHIT does not have the proper physical, financial or educational groups to support creative students in their entrepreneurial endevors. To address this problem, the strategy for RHIT would be to create an undergraduate incubator, a Fighting Engineers Angels group, and EnterPrize Development.
Link to Prezi overview of campus ecosystem.
Overview of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Campus Ecosystem
Calling all Students
Informational Session - possible plans, offer feedback and help expand opportunities for all students
- Where: Myers 110
- When: 10/24/13
- RSVP: stengekh AT rose-hulman DOTedu
Strategy #1: Integrate Entrepreneurship into Culture
Following are an array of strategies that will fully address Gap #1 over a 2-3 year period:
Tactic #1: Religion, Poverty & Entrepreneurship
Students at RHIT show interest in being challenged and being able to use their creativity to solve complex problem. Currently, Engineers without Borders provides an excellent venue for students to become involved in social entrepreneurship. Teaching students in a class setting will further spark the interest in social entrepreneurship. A high percentage of engineering students at RHIT want their work to be ethically sound and provide a positive impact on the world, whether this be socially or environmentally.
Team Leader::Katelyn Stenger and Dr. Jessica Livingston
Milestones:
- 11/13 Talk with Faculty, Find interested Professors - Dr. Jessica Livingston
- 12/13 Present to Interested Faculty and Pitch the Idea to them
- 01/13 Work with Faculty Member who sparked specific interest and talk with the Registrar about offering it in spring quarter
- 02/13 Create course description and Provide Support for Professor throughout course
- 03/13-08/14 Find course work and layout. Invite speakers to talk in addition to the normal professor.
- 08/14 The course starts
Tactic #2: Startup Stories
Description
Many students express interest in entrepreneurship but need the edge to make that jump. Stories, when told well, are interesting, funny, upsetting, unusual, and most importantly MEMORABLE. Stud nets need to hear stories how others have failed, how they have preserved, and how they have succeeded. Entrepreneurs will provide excellent background to their own struggles when creating a venture.
The Startup Stories will be similar to how a speaker series will be set up. There will be an audience sitting and a speaker talking at the front of the room. To encourage more interaction between the audience and the speaker, the stage will be small - similar to a small concert venue. Seats will be crowded around the stage. Away from the speaker, food and drinks will be available. After each speaker, the audience and the speaker will break for 15 to 20 minutes to network and talk with the speaker and ask questions directly.
Team Leader:: RISE Club - Bryce Filho
Milestones:
- 11/13 Bring the Idea to Table in RISE meeting, discuss when, where and how. Start brainstorming entrepreneurs and alumni.
- 12/13 Plan more solid details about what day this will be done. Ensure sponsorship for the event and funding for the catering and goods.
- 01/14 Event is coming up soon, ensure room reserved, begin to publicize
- 02/14 Have entrepreneurs and alumni submit what story they will be telling, gather volunteers to aid in execution.
- 03/14 Recheck the needed places, reservations, count, schedule ect. and host the event
If dates, funding or speakers do not work out, plan for the fall.
Tactic #3: Workshops on Buisness Modeling and Patents
Many students may have excitment with an idea and research they have conducted through Independent Projects / Research Oppurtunity Projects (IP/ROP). They may have ideas on how to make this research marketable, but do not have the knowledge to start. A workshop at the end of each quarter, after the End-of-Quarter Symposium for the IP/ROP may be helpful to provide insight on how to utilize research to get the ideas patented. Free resources that can aid in the initial paperwork of the patent process will be provided. Also, providing a contact for students to a lawyer or an appropriate faculty member for patent review will be benificial. Students will learn the full steps for a buisness plan process through a series of workshops held in the spring on 2014.
Team Leader::Ray Anderson
Milestones:
- 11/13 Ask for interest on campus from professors and students
- 12/13 Begin finding funding for event and plan for XX amount of students. Decide on dates. Invite speakers of relavence and plan for the workshop schedule.
- 01/14 Continue to invite speakers and plan for workshop. Schedule for spaces and catering.
- 02/14 Create and Send out workshop invites. Require students to RSVP
- 03/14 Create a list of volunteers to help run the event. Hold event and ask for feedback from students.
Strategy #2: Establishing the Resources
Following are an array of strategies that will fully address Gap #2 over a 2-3 year period:
Tactic #1: Undergraduate Accelerator
Description :RHIT students are interested in initiating businesses with their own ideas, but many lack the necessary knowledge to do so. The students who want to learn more about entrepreneurship can through an Accelerator Program. There is no reason for students to wait until after graduation when an accelerator can provide students with workspace, functional workshops on how to incorporate, how to divide equity, how to handle intellectual property, and finally the networks and connections to start a business while in school. The accelerator will provide students with an entrepreneurial community and support needed from initial inventigation and exploration of a concept to launch and growth.
Team Leader:: Dr. Craig Downing
Milestones:
12/13 - Talk with faculty, students, administration, clubs and other interested personnel about proposal. Form a committee of interested people.
01/14 – form committee and meet on proposal of ideas and expectations or accelerator program
02/14 – Network with local entrepreneurs, lawyers, and other professions who may want to help in the accelerator program; find possible sponsors
03/14 – Develop plan for program - the program is aimed at teaching freshman students an introduction to entrepreuneurship.
04/14 – begin publicizing program, solidify persons involved in program and program content
05/14 – continue publicizing program for sign up
08/14 – meeting with committee to discuss plan for the upcoming school year.
09/14 – Start program - continuous publicity
Tactic #2: User-Friendly Resouces
Description: A problem on RHIT's campus is often that students do not know where certain resources are, or even what is available. To aid in helping students on campus, a GUI will be designed to establish what resources are available and where. This resource will be available on the RHIT Student's Page and also a main page for computers in the Maker's Space. Students will be able to navigate the website easily and know where to go for specific needs. A blog that also acts as an active archive for students is being made. Student and faculty can view past events and also past speakers. A list of alumni's contact inofrmation with experience in innovation or entrepreneurship will be available on this blog as well.
Team Leader:: Bryce Filho and Katelyn Stenger
Milestones:
11/12 - Propose idea to CS/SE department and discuss feasibliity. Possibly have the GUI as a design contest for a class for students.
12/12 - Give all areas of interests, all resources available and where to contact such people.
01/14 - Plan for design cirriculum in the Spring Quarter.
02/14 - Finalize plan, and begin enrollment
03/14 - Classes start
05/14 - Decide on appropriate design, give design to marketing to integrate on RHIT's home page.
08/14 - Launch tool for students. Make public at Laptop Orientation for Freshman. Send out email to all of campus.
Tactic #3: Establish Maker Space
Description: RHIT students need a space to culture entrepreneurship and to develop their start ups. A maker space will provide this need to RHIT students. A maker space is a community-oriented workspace designed to encourage exploration, experimentation, and collarboration amoung people with common technological interests. It will be a place for student to design and think in new ways, and give students tools to realize their ideas in creative and innovative ways.The space will be open to new ideas as well as emerging technologies. The space will be geared toward experimentation, open not only to technologies with direct and predictable applications to academic cirriculum but also to experimental ideas. The maker spce will be open to all students and faculty interested entrepreneurship development. The space will provide a variety of tools, ranging from physical computing such as Raspberry Pi, Code/Soft Computing, Interfaces, Imaging, Fabrication, Aerial Tools, CAD software such as SolidWorks, Music, and Resource Directories.
Team Leader: Ryan Tanaka and Katelyn Stenger
Milestones:
12/13 - Talk with interested faculty about Space and desired outcome of implementation of space.
01/14-Form a group of interested people on and off campus.
03/14- Establish sponsors, space, funding, and setting
04/14 - Prepare layout of space
05/14 - Finalize plan
06/14 - Begin construction of maker space
07/14 - Continue construction
08/14 - Finish construction of space
Impact
