Open Minis: Innovation on Campus/Maker Spaces

Building Makerspace in Living Learning Communities: The how and the why

This is the journey Oregon State University made to bring makerspace to business and engineering students–in a Residence Hall. OSU applied lean startup methods in designing and implementing these spaces. By constantly iterating and taking student input, OSU went from a makerspace in a storage room to the renovation of an entire floor in three years. By building in a residence hall the makerspace becomes a key component of the living learning community, giving students access to tools and technology on a 24/7 basis. Integration with residence halls changes culture, breaking down the barriers to being innovative and working in interdisciplinary teams. The makerspace has also been integrated into all freshman coursework in the College of Business with every student required to prototype and sell a product design within their first year. The lessons learned are easily transferrable to any program building a new space or curriculum.

Presenters:
Dale McCauley, Oregon State University
Nathan Fuller, Oregon State University

Case Study: Maker space management by minions

The Design Studio is a 5,500 square foot student-run space consisting of several interconnected rooms on the ground floor of a building primarily used to house the mechanical engineering department offices and labs at the University of Delaware. It began in 2012 with just one room that was previously being used as a large storage space, and grew as departmental needs evolved. Students helped design and build the space then and have helped with renovations since, and are critical in the management and daily operation of the space. A small army of 17 undergraduate TAs from various departments (currently mechanical engineering, computer science, visual communications, and art conservation) are in charge of various functions, while a staff member handles only facilities issues and hazardous waste disposal. Two faculty members oversee the operations and integration with core curriculum. This case study covers how we do what we do.

Presenter:
Dustyn Roberts, University of Delaware
Jenni Buckley, University of Delaware

Creating a Maker Culture

Over the past year we have been working to create a makerspace on our campus. In this presentation, we propose to share our journey and lessons learned in creating not just a space, but a maker culture. Key lessons learned that we will share include: getting students and other key stakeholders engaged in the process up front, setting the tone for a welcoming and supportive culture, engaging industry partnerships, and hosting fun events to get the word out.

Presenter:
Mary Raber, Michigan Technological University
Magann Dykema, Michigan Technological University
Bradley Turner, Michigan Technological University

Future Higher Ed: Campus-based hubs for an innovation economy

Actors and observers inside and outside of the college and university worlds are in agreement: higher education is in a state of unparalleled disruption. Rising tuition, new technologies, and emergent modes of learning and knowledge production are shifting the roles and methods of academe faster than most can keep up. In response, many institutions are creating or considering new centers, industry partnerships or institutes that contribute meaningfully to their local or regional economic ecosystems and are also revenue-generating. These partnership models are explorative, iterative and, in and of themselves, modeling entrepreneurism for college and university students, faculty, staff and alumni. Davidson College will share examples of how it is taking up this charge to engender innovation and reflexive value to both campus and community.

Presenter:
Hannah Levinson, Davidson College

Track: Early Stage Innovators