University
Innovation Fellows - University Innovation Fellows
program empowers students to become agents of change at their schools.
Participants acquire knowledge of tools, frameworks and program models to help
college students develop an entrepreneurial mindset and creative confidence.
Fellows create new learning opportunities for their peers and inspire them to
seize opportunities, define problems and address global challenges. The program
is run by the National Center for Engineering Pathways to Innovation
(Epicenter), which is funded by the National Science Foundation and directed by
Stanford University and VentureWell.
(workshop in June). Funds from WiSys or professional development grants
may be forthcoming to pay for travel expenses for participants.
Analysis of factors influencing first
time, first year student retention at UW-River Falls - In pursuit of "Distinctive Academic Excellence"
UWRF has set a goal to attract an increasing number of first time, first year
students while simultaneously increasing the academic profile of the entering
class. A key component of this
recruitment challenge is persuading prospective students that UWRF is the
"right fit" for their educational aspirations. Yet for the past 5
years, on average 27% of students admitted as first year/first time students
fail to return to UWRF for their 2nd year of college.
Revitalizing a
Culture of Sustainability through Research-based Civic Engagement - The initiative creates a service
learning opportunity and stipend for any student seeking to research an issue
of Sustainability and Civic Engagement. It establishes a faculty mentor who
will help students to identify a research question addressing the intersections
of Sustainability (ecology/economy/society), and to explore the question
through service learning placements that can be a component of existing
courses, or part of a new 379 Sustainability Service Learning Internship course
to be offered each Spring. The faculty mentor will make site visits to build
community partnerships for service learning, gathering materials in prep for
matching specific students' research and service goals with the needs of
community partners, and writing grants to support student researchers.
Diversity across the curriculum - Strengthen UWRF's commitment to
the "appreciation of individual differences and rich cultural
diversity" through a strategic initiative to incorporate diversity courses
into programs through UWRF. Although there have been college-level initiatives
to improve diversity curricula, there is a lack of diversity in the curricula
on a University-wide scale. Our strategic initiative will provide pedagogical
training to help faculty develop or redesign a course that addresses diversity
in their field of study.
Montessori
Doctoral Program - Develop a Montessori Doctoral
Program which will address a documented worldwide need for additional
Montessori research and an expansion of the Montessori terminal degree from a
Master's to a Doctorate. This initiative
builds upon the successful Montessori Master's degree program at the UWRF
launched with Strategic Initiative funding in 2012, a program which is now
self-funding.
Evaluating the Need for an Autism
Transition Program at UWRF - 1/68 children are born into the
autism spectrum. Many children are high-functioning academically, but lack the
daily living and social skills to consider attending college. Few
post-secondary schools in our area recruit and retain these otherwise qualified
students because of the non-academic challenges the students face; therefore,
UWRF can be a pioneer in creating a transition program for students on the
spectrum that will help them attend and complete college. This initiative asked
that a committee be convened to explore the feasibility of creating a program
at UWRF.