Innovation and Culture

Academic Senate Retreat August 17, 2010

Making maximum impact

Discussion Leader: Sandeep GuptaResource liaison: Krisztina Holly

Breakout session

USC will have greater impact if it can:• Nurture a culture of innovation on campus.• Develop a robust ecosystem to support the innovation process.• Advance skills among our faculty and students for lifelong innovation.• Effectively translate USC ideas into society.

Barriers to collaboration and inter-disciplinarity: • Territorialism• Hierarchy• Turf battles• Decentralization

Proposed activitiesRewards: Tenure and promotion guidelines should include

interdisciplinarity, collaboration, and the non-traditional dissemination of knowledge (including commercialization). Also, influence department-level guidelines for tenure and

promotion.

Events and Programs: Connect faculty across disciplines through events and programs. Centralized approach to manage access to newsletters or event

invitations based on areas of interest. A new program that will do for graduate students’ engagement in

scholarly research what Visions and Voices has done for UG students’ engagement with the arts

Space Design: Design of physical space for people to collaborate and connect. A new University Club. Utilize spaces in libraries.