Changes

= <span style="font-size:large;"><span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;">Converse College </span></span> =<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-ad11b24a-38fa-add2-3796-035a0e1bf7a9"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;">Converse College is an all-women’s liberal arts college in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Founded in 1889, Converse College continues to adhere to its founder's ideals, seeking to inspire "voice, value, and vision" in its students.</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;">It has received press in past years for lowering its tuition by 43 percent. In 2014, it ranked 23</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;">rd </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;">among Regional University South’s college rankings. At the end of the 2014/2015 academic year, Converse initiated many progressive changes to its curriculum and culture under the umbrella "LEAD" Action Plan. The LEAD Plan (Learning, Enrollment, Access, and Activation) </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;">at Converse College includes the addition of programs, certificates, and centers in a</span></span></span><span style="font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: medium; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;">variety of disciplines, an experiential learning graduation requirement for all majors, and the </span><span style="font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: medium; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;">"Creativity that Works" plan in the School of the Arts. Converse College also has a strong presence in the Spartanburg community for service and service learning; this January, Converse had the highest participation rate for students actively involved in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.</span></p>== <span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;">Promoting student innovation and entrepreneurship</span></span> ==<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;">F</span></span><span style="font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">or what Converse (presently) lacks in engineering and technology programs and resources, i</span><span style="font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">t makes up in student passion and initiative.&nbsp;</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); white-space: pre-wrap; font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: medium; background-color: transparent;">Students are encouraged by faculty, staff, and campus leaders </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;">to participate in innovative activities, provide solutions for campus-wide problems, and create programs or organizations to tackle them. </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;">There is no formalized problem solving or venture creation process, but some channels students can access when looking to implement solutions or open dialogue are the individual academic departments, the Center for Professional Development, the Office of Student Life, the Center for Leadership and Service, the President's Office, and the Student Government Association (SGA).</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;">A significant portion of the student body is actively involved in the SGA. Three prominent student</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;">-centered initiatives in the 2014/2015 year were WISE (Women Involved in Saving the Environment), Converse College Radio, and ''The Conversationalist'' (the Converse online newspaper). Converse College Radio, in particular, has been entrepreneurial from its inception a few months ago. At present, </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;">there is no SGA organization that caters to the specifically entrepreneurial needs of the students.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"></span></p>== <span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;">Encouraging faculty innovation and entrepreneurship</span></span> ==

<span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-ad11b24a-38fa-add2-3796-035a0e1bf7a9size:medium;"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0tahoma, 0geneva, 0); verticalsans-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparentserif;">Converse College is an all-women’s college Faculty are encouraged to engage in Spartanburginnovative teaching methods, South Carolinaincluding addressing typical subject matters in out of the box ways. Founded in 1889This includes everthing from teaching economics through Harry Potter, Converse continues to adhere creating a Career Peer mentoring service through the Career Development Center. However, there is no formailzed system through with teachers and faculty are spurred to its founders idealspush entrepreneurship and innovation in the classroom. Innovation is pursued on a personal basis, seeking to provide and is a comprehensive liberal arts education direct response to young women from across the globe. It has received press in past years students clamoring for lowering its tuition by 43 percentbetter options. In 2014, it ranked 23</span><span style="font-size: 9px; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent&nbsp;">rd </span><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;">among Regional University South’s college rankings.</span></span>

== Promoting student innovation and entrepreneurship <span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;">Actively supporting the university technology transfer function</span></span> ==

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-familysize: Arialmedium; "><span style="font-sizefamily: 15px; white-space: pretahoma,geneva,sans-wrap; background-color: transparentserif;">Converse currently has no formalized function to support student ventures on campus. Students are encouraged looking for venture support should look to participate in innovative activitiesoutside sources of information, provide solutions for campus-wide problemslike the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Social Entrepreneurship Retreat, area businesses such as the Iron Yard, and create programs or organizations like-minded students on campus to tackle them. There is no either start an initiative for a formalized problem solving function or venture creation process, but some channels students can access when looking to implement solutions or open dialogue are the receive specialized instruction for their individual study departments, student life offices, student government association, and the president's officeventures.</span></span>

== Encouraging faculty innovation and entrepreneurship <span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;">Facilitating University-Industry Collaboration</span></span> ==

Faculty are encouraged to engage in innovative teaching methods<span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva, including addressing typical subject matters sans-serif;">Converse currently has no formalized partnerships with companies or groups in out the space of the box ways. This includes everthing from teaching economics through Harry PotterI&E, however, individual students have gone on to creating a Career Peer mentoring service through the Career Development Centerwork with local incubators, labs, art studios, and so on. However, there is no formailzed system through the fruits of these individual partnerships have not resulted in permanent relationships with teachers and faculty are spurred to push entrepreneurship and innovation in the classroominsitution. Innovation is pursued on a personal basisConverse would fare well to more succinctly create these partnerships, and is a direct response so interested students have pipelines to students clamoring for better optionsfollow once interested.&nbsp;</span></span>

== Actively supporting the university technology transfer function <span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;">Engaging with Regional and Local Development Efforts</span></span> ==

<span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); white-space: pre-wrap;">As an Algernon Sydney Sullivan school, Converse currently has no formalized function a longstanding tradition of service to support student ventures others. In recent years, this focus has continued on campusto social entrepreneurship. Students looking for venture support should look &nbsp;A select number of collegiate courses are dedicated to outside sources of informationSocial Entrepreneurship’s applications in the surrounding community, like and worldwide. Particularly interested individuals can choose to attend the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Social Entrepreneurship Retreat, area businesses such as Enterprise retreat in the fall or spring sessions. Converse has also sent a team to the Iron Yardfoundation’s social venture competition. Converse continues to increase its Social entrepreneurship offerings, or like-minded students on campus from courses and seminars to either start an initiative for a formalized function or receive specialized instruction for their individual venturesexploratory learning trips.</span></span></span>

== Facilitating University<span style="font-Industry Collaboration size:medium;"><span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;">Future</span></span> ==

Converse currently has no formalized partnerships with companies or groups in the space of I&E<span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva, howeversans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-ad11b24a-38fa-add2-3796-035a0e1bf7a9"><span style="color: rgb(0, individual students have gone on to work with local incubators0, labs0); vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;">In 2014, art studiosConverse funded its first university Innovation Fellow, Nadia Gathers. Funding this program has put Converse’s dedication to constant growth and so oninstitution-wide innovation at the forefront. However, the fruits of these individual partnerships have not resulted It joins other upstate universities in permanent relationships with the insitution. Converse would fare well to more succinctly create these partnershipsprogram, including Wofford, Clemson, so interested students have pipelines to follow once interestedand Furman.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span>

<span style="font-size:medium;"><span style= Engaging with Regional "font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;">Converse currently offers extensive programs in skills such as leadership, managerial processes, and Local Development Efforts ==others necessary to build a successful repertoire outside of college or university. It also provides multiple opportunities for students to conduct individualized institutional research.</span></span></span>

<span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;">As an Algernon Sydney Sullivan school, Converse has a longstanding tradition of service to others. In recent years, this focus has continued on to social entrepreneurship. &nbsp;A select number of collegiate courses are dedicated to Social Entrepreneurship’s applications in the surrounding community, and worldwide. Particularly interested individuals can choose to attend the Sullivan Social Enterprise retreat in the fall or spring sessions. Converse has also sent a team to the foundation’s social venture competition. Converse continues to increase its Social entrepreneurship offerings, from courses and seminars to exploratory learning trips.</span></span></span>

<span style="font-size:medium;"><span style= Future "font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;">Among the news initiatives that will all be in effect by the end of the 2016/2017 academic year are</span></span></span><span style="font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: medium; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;">the </span><span style="font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Business Professional Development Certificate (Economics, Business, and Accounting), the</span><span style="font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">&nbsp;Digital Arts Certificate (English, Graphic Design, and Computer Science), and&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">&nbsp;the&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">the&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;">Vocational and Career Development Curricular Integration Plan in the School of the Arts (Art & Design, Theater and Musical Theater, School of Music, and Dance).&nbsp;</span></span>

<span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-ad11b24a-38fa-add2-3796-035a0e1bf7a9size:medium;"><span style="font-sizefamily: 15px; fonttahoma,geneva,sans-family: Arialserif; "><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;">In 2014, Converse funded its first university Innovation Fellow, Nadia Gathers. Funding this program has put Converse’s dedication to constant growth and institution-wide innovation at the forefront. It joins other upstate universities in the program, including Wofford, Clemson, and Furman.</span></span></span>

<span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;">Converse currently offers extensive programs in skills such as leadership, managerial processes, and others necessary to build a successful repertoire outside of college or university. It also provides multiple opportunities for students to conduct individualized institutional research. </span></span></span> <span style="font-size: 15pxmedium; "><span style="font-family: Arialtahoma,geneva,sans-serif; "><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;">Presently, they offer only one course specifically geared towards entrepreneurship and has no formalized internal structures for individuals to pursue such a path if they are interested. </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;">Although it’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is in its infancy, Converse’s dedication to fostering female leadership and excellence primes it for a revolution in the space.</span></span></span>