Learning Resources

Abstract: Through cross-disciplinary collaboration, Pennovation Works at the University of Pennsylvania has become a successful place for entrepreneurship in the 21st century. The Philadelphia campus unites research and private venture in a central innovation incubator and generates a diverse community, new economy, and enhanced visibility for its institution. We will reveal our methodology for how institutions can generate new economies, define an innovation campus identity, and utilize brownfields. Come learn how integrated design of collaborative space can inform a non-traditional innovation campus.

Abstract: Urban innovation districts are becoming more prevalent at a time when universities must rethink the way they build. In this session, we will demonstrate how Drexel University used a mixed-use high rise building within an urban innovation zone to support growing enrollment. You will discover how to utilize mixed-use urban high-rises for creating innovative ecosystems for students, faculty and employers. Come learn how to create a vibrant academic environment within leased space and explore an innovative and cost-effective approach for future expansion and contraction at your institution.

Abstract: In this session, we will discuss a process that any campus can use for creating a place for students to generate ideas and solve problems such as researching needs, crafting vision, planning spaces and services, piloting programs, and designing spaces. You will learn how to identify student needs; make a case for purposeful programming, services, and space that support innovation and problem-solving; and possess greater comfort with risk-taking and ambiguity as well as deliver mission-critical activities.

Abstract: Makerspaces designed for collaborative learning are appearing on campuses throughout the United States, including at Drexel University. These spaces succeed because they permit students to collaborate, observe, and learn from professors and peers. Unique to the Drexel project is the intermingling of engineering undergraduates, graduate students, post-docs, faculty, and commercial interests in one facility with laboratories, machine-shop equipment, and informal study areas. Facilities that give students great visibility into nearby research, contain areas where they can take breaks without leaving the building, and lend themselves to informal encounters with peers, faculty, and others result in better academic experiences for undergraduates.

Abstract: Industry and academia are partnering like never before as entrepreneurship and maker culture become more important to our economy and a regular fixture in higher education curricula. With the influx of allied industry partnerships, evolving pedagogies, entrepreneurship programs, and a maker culture comes a pressing need for new spaces, ranging from fabrication and prototyping studios to innovation districts devoted to new kinds of research partnerships. Schools like the University of Washington, Babson College, and Arizona State University are leading the way on new collaborations. In this article, Sasaki planners and urban designers examine how design disruption will guide the development of campuses that enable 21st-century teaching, learning, and research paradigms.

Abstract: This article explores how the University of the West Indies can become economically sustainable and relevant by using its human capital to generate wealth and develop strong linkages between academia, the private sector, and governments. It makes a clear distinction between institutional and research-driven innovations, listing examples and best practices found throughout the university. Further, it presents a practical road map for enhancing both organizational- and research-based innovations within the university while aligning its vision of becoming an innovative institution with government policies and the private sector agenda. It also proposes key performance indicators to benchmark innovations at the university that can be emulated by other tertiary level institutions regionally and internationally.

Abstract: “Designing Innovative Campuses For Tomorrow’s Students” explores increasing investment by higher education institutions in new programs and facilities that boost on-campus innovation and entrepreneurship. This trend is a response, in part, to the changing expectations and demands of Millennial and Generation Z students and their future employers. The impact of this movement, though, goes far beyond those constituencies—changing everything from campus housing to the economic development role of higher education institutions. The examples of Clemson University’s Watt Family Innovation Center and the University of Florida’s Infinity Hall are provided to illustrate the scope of influence and success of these changes.