Date

Mar 20, 2014

Attendees

• Neil Hair

• Deborah Blizzard

Goals

• Members of the Presidents Round Table met to review our charge and offer insight.

Discussion Items

• Interdisciplinary - is it important?
  T shaped people mentioned. Question the value of the degree name. More about the name of the university than the degree. What have they done with the degree. Counter argument made - not necessarily about the name of the university. Industry appreciation noted along with the discipline. Stories of RIT grads helped provide contextual understanding of the wider 'product' we build. Some people interpret interdisciplinary degrees as soft. Support for interdisciplinary approaches- 'its essential'. 'its vital'. Differentiated skills are critical. Interdisciplinary programs are those which train people to look at problems differently, from different perspective which can only come from interdisciplinary programs. How do you demonstrate that you're are part of the long tail which offers value. 
   
• Extra curricular / extra work - important?
  Study abroad is considered big, as is part time work. Sports etc.. how has this molded your outlook on life. Round Table is in favor. Faculty are only part of the guidance question. Professional councilors or concierges that can advise students. Some jobs don't need it. Creative could mean excellent problem solving skills. 
  
  
• Image and delivery - what does innovation and creativity look like?
  Minors are important. Questions about university structures. We need to do a better job of counselling students. Is this mandatory. Experiential learning is important in reviewing how creative or innovative a candidate is. Co-op experience is critical as well. Being able to articulate what you've done. Helping students articulate the benefits of their experience.
  
  Big question - how do we define innovation? A tool to measure this is important.