Changes

= Overview<br/> =

Washington State University Vancouver offers to their students the opportunity to recognize the importance of innovation and entrepreneurship throughout its many areas of study.&nbsp; There is at least one course in every major that delves into entrepreneurship and why consideration should be made. The perceived reality of innovation and entrepreneurship occurs in the Creative Media and Digital Culture program as students are exposed to advanced topics in multimedia authoring and in special topics for specific fields in the digital world.&nbsp; The School of Science and Engineering has several courses on product fabrication and design.&nbsp; The Professional Sales Certificate of WSUV is open to students of every major and teaches important skills of self-marketing and business navigation while offering the opportunity to participate in national sales competitions. The innovation ecosystem is enhanced with weekly workshops on specific topics in technology, art, and leadership.&nbsp; Washington State University Vancouver also provides several opportunities for students to take their interest a step further.&nbsp; When students realize the importance of innovation and entrepreneurship they can get involved in a deeper way by applying for a &nbsp;real world internship through their program or by signing up for the small business policy course.&nbsp; This course exposes entrepreneur minded students to the world of market demand and product introduction and is applicable to every discipline imaginable.&nbsp; The campus also serves as a growing market for entrepreneurial focused clubs allowing space and mentorship for students to collaborate with and inspire each other.&nbsp; The school even offers a multitude of state of the art lab spaces with premier equipment and supplies for students to see their ideas become physical prototypes.&nbsp; With nearly two dozen specialized laboratories throughout campus there is no lack for developmental innovation resources to apply knowledge of innovation and entrepreneurship to specific challenges.

== Tactic #1: Engineering Lab Boot Camp ==

*It’s a shame to see beautiful lab space not be fully taken advantage of by students.&nbsp; The state of the art engineering lab spaces were completed in 2011 and have been open to students since.&nbsp; An extensive amount of research and class work goes on inside the labs however they are not being used by students to innovate, fabricate and prototype student ideas that aren’t connected to their existing studies.&nbsp; It poses the question of how much the students realize their labs can do and if their knowledge of the equipment is deep enough to work on their own.&nbsp; A good amount of the available equipment is equal in quality and purpose to equipment used in engineering careers and a head start on use can only be beneficial. &nbsp;An&nbsp;'''Engineering Lab Bootcamp''' would engage students through a series of workshops on how best to make use of the resources they have available.&nbsp; It could offer the possibility of student interaction and collaboration to explore special topics and specific applications of their labs.&nbsp; It would help students realize the potential of entrepreneurship by providing the tools to innovate something new to benefit the world they occupy.&nbsp; Similar workshops have been adopted in the Creative Media and Digital Culture program and in the Fine Arts program.&nbsp; Guest speakers are brought in and students are provided with a one on one experience with the opportunity to make something of their own.&nbsp; When applied to the engineering department it would open up the student body to a new set of skills and opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship.&nbsp;

== Tactic #2: Vancouver Extension of WSU Pullman Office of Commercialization ==

*The&nbsp;[http://commercialization.wsu.edu/ Office of Commercialization] at Washington State University in Pullman Washington is a successful transfer office that offers students consultation on preserving intellectual property, applying for patents and seed funding, and even offering incubator space for new companies to develop and grow.&nbsp; The students at WSU Pullman have a tremendous resource that operates alongside existing companies and with the mentorship of successful entrepreneurs and faculty.&nbsp; This incredible resource has been tremendously successful since its inception.&nbsp; However, the resource is only available to the students at WSU Pullman and no equivalent on the satellite campuses exist.&nbsp; A network of engineering, business, digital culture and art students are left without an incubator or research park to see the same realization of ideas.&nbsp; The infrastructure for the Office of Commercialization exists and the students in Vancouver are ready for this outstanding resource.&nbsp; By offering an equivalent of the Office of Commercialization, even on a small scale to start, students will have a place to begin with their student ventures.&nbsp; The status quo offers a patchwork quilt of resources for students that requires a great deal of research and effort to compile the right resources in the right places.&nbsp; By centralizing these resources through a tech transfer office it would make the ability for realization more available, accessible and efficient. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

== Tactic #3: A Dedicated Physical Innovation and Entrepreneurship Space ==

*The [http://foundation.wsu.edu/ Campaign for Washington State] has a goal for a research space in Vancouver in the long term..&nbsp; This bold goal is currently in its funding stage with an estimated commencement date in late 2015.&nbsp; When one looks at the master plan for the developing campus in Vancouver there are multiple buildings in the works with the Innovation Space being a foremost goal.&nbsp; Although student involvement in this project isn’t explicitly necessary there should be a student voice on the project.&nbsp; The tactic would involve the formation of a student council to monitor the ongoing progress and be a communication channel for the students and alumni with a stake in the space.&nbsp; With deeper student interest and awareness of the project the planned space can really become something that students will be able to take full advantage of.&nbsp; It will help future students plan their university experience and allow students exploring graduate education a space for innovation in the long term.&nbsp; The road of innovation and entrepreneurship can be rough but with the right resources and space can be encouraging.&nbsp; WSUV is currently standing as a premier research university and an incubator space can take that research and transform it into so much more.&nbsp; The reframing of entrepreneurship begins with something as simple as a place to meet.&nbsp; Students should be aware that the university realizes this and has goals to meet these needs.&nbsp; The Campaign for Washington State offers this opportunity and provides long term goals for reframing of innovation and entrepreneurship in Vancouver.&nbsp;

[[Brittany Wouden]]