Welcome to the Collection! New Innovations Week of September 20, 2010
We welcome the following higher education innovations to the collection this week. Please take a moment to read about them, comment, and rate the innovations.
- The CHEA Initiative. A multi-year national conversation on the future of accreditation. The Initiative seeks to (1) enhance accountability in accreditation and (2) sustain a balance and distinction between accountability to the federal government and the academic work of accreditation.
- Green Boxes at MIT. Student-driven initaitive reducing waste in dining halls and directly addressing sustainabilty on campus through the use of environmentally friendly, reusable containers.
- CampusPhilly. For students, CampusPhilly is a great tool and resource for finding things to do and see in Philadelphia. There's a larger mission behind it, though--to stave brain drain and keep students living and working in the city when they finish college.
- GlobalCampus. Students and institutions alike can focus their search for global learning opportunities and talent in the same way that job sites help job seekers and employers connect.
Let us know if you have a suggestion for an innovation in higher education that we should be including in the collection!
GlobalCampus
| creative, original |    |
| adoptable, replicable | |
| promises impact, influence | |
| inspires, motivates change | |
| paradigm shifting, game changing | |
Why is it innovative?
Students and institutions alike can focus their search for global learning opportunities and talent in the same way that job sites help job seekers and employers connect.
More Information
From the Global Campus website:
Mission
GlobalCampus is a social enterprise bringing opportunities for higher education and further development to talented young people around the world.
A social enterprise is a vehicle for social change, a social mission driven organization which
CampusPhilly
| creative, original | |
| adoptable, replicable | |
| promises impact, influence | |
| inspires, motivates change | |
| paradigm shifting, game changing | |
Why is it innovative?
For students, CampusPhilly is a great tool and resource for finding things to do and see in Philadelphia. There's a larger mission behind it, though--to stave brain drain and keep students living and working in the city when they finish college.
More Information
From Philadelphia Inquirer, New Campus Philly chief brings personal and academic insights,
September 12, 2010:
Campus Philly wants more of the 366,000 students who attend college in the area to stick around after they graduate.
"If large, large numbers of graduates don't stay here, the jobs won't be here, companies won't settle here, and we won't see growth," Diamond said.
From the CampusPhilly website:
Campus Philly is a nonprofit organization that fuels economic growth by encouraging
Green Boxes at MIT
| creative, original | |
| adoptable, replicable | |
| promises impact, influence | |
| inspires, motivates change | |
| paradigm shifting, game changing | |
Why is it innovative?
Student-driven initaitive reducing waste in dining halls and directly addressing sustainabilty on campus through the use of environmentally friendly, reusable containers.
More Information
From the MIT News website:
Say goodbye to plastic-foam containers in the Next House dining hall: Thanks to a new program developed by the residents of Next House, diners now can checkout a reusable “green box.” “The containers were harmful to the environment — and to Next House,” said house dining chair Anne Juan, a junior in mathematics. In the past, Juan noted,
The CHEA Initiative
| creative, original | |
| adoptable, replicable | No Ratings |
| promises impact, influence | |
| inspires, motivates change | |
| paradigm shifting, game changing | |
Why is it innovative?
A multi-year national conversation on the future of accreditation. The Initiative seeks to (1) enhance accountability in accreditation and (2) sustain a balance and distinction between accountability to the federal government and the academic work of accreditation.
More Information
From the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) website:
In the third year of the CHEA Initiative, the focus shifts to action. CHEA will host several national accreditation fora during which participants will review the national conversation to date and begin to frame action plans focused initially on steps that institutions and accrediting organizations can take in the eight areas that have
Current Top-Rated Innovations, September 16 2010
Here is the first of our "current top-rated" posts, a round-up of innovations that have garnered the highest ratings to date.
The Collection is still young, and there are still only a few ratings for most of entries. So what are you waiting for? Start rating! 
We welcome your ideas for additions to the Collection, too!
Some highlights:
- Straighterline has lots of fans, with by far the most raters (9) to date.
- A new entry this week, Rutgers Business School Entrepreneurship Pioneers Initiative, comes in at #2 (though with only 1 rater so far, who knows if they'll maintain their rank).
- Another new entry this week, SCVNGR, squeezed into the top rated overall.
Top-Rated Overall
| Innovation | Current Overall Rank | Current Overall Score | Total # of Raters to Date |
| Straighterline | 1 | 4.49 | 9 |
| Rutgers Business School Entrepreneurship Pioneers Initiative | 2 | 4.00 | 1 |
| Indiana's Partnership with Western Governors' University (WGU) | 3 | 3.90 | 2 |
| Brian Matthew's Vision of a Post-Library Commons World | 4 | 3.90 | 2 |
| "Entrepreneurial Mindset" Program at Pitt | 4 | 3.90 | 2 |
| Democracy's Colleges Call to Action | 6 | 3.70 | 2 |
| "The Triple Helix" Project at RPI | 6 | 3.70 | 2 |
| Franklin W Olin College of Engineering | 8 | 3.60 | 2 |
| No-Dues Membership Model at UMass Amherst Alumni Association | 9 | 3.60 | 2 |
| TeacherMates Mobile Devices at Stanford School of Education | 10 | 3.50 | 2 |
| SCVNGR | 10 | 3.50 | 2 |
| Rutgers Business School Entrepreneurship Pioneers Initiativ |
Here are the top-rated (rank of 1 - 5) in each of the five dimensions of innovation:
Top-Rated Creative, Original
Top-Rated Adoptable, Replicable
| Innovation | Current Rank on This Dimension |
Current Score on This Dimension |
| Brian Matthew's Vision of a Post-Library Commons World | 1 | 5.00 |
| Indiana's Partnership with Western Governors' University (WGU) | 1 | 5.00 |
| Integrating Art into the MBA Curriculum at McGill University | 1 | 5.00 |
| Rutgers Business School Entrepreneurship Pioneers Initiative | 1 | 5.00 |
| The Accelerator and Project Olympus at Carnegie Mellon University | 1 | 5.00 |
Top-Rated Promises Impact, Influence
| Innovation | Current Rank on This Dimension |
Current Score on This Dimension |
| Straighterline | 1 | 4.67 |
| Brian Matthew's Vision of a Post-Library Commons World | 2 | 4.50 |
| "Entrepreneurial Mindset" Program at Pitt | 2 | 4.50 |
| "The Triple Helix" Project at RPI | 2 | 4.50 |
| Indiana's Partnership with Western Governors' University (WGU) | 5 | 4.00 |
| Student Service & Tax Breaks | 5 | 4.00 |
| Rutgers Business School Entrepreneurship Pioneers Initiative | 5 | 4.00 |
Top-Rated Inspires, Motivates Change
| Innovation | Current Rank on This Dimension |
Current Score on This Dimension |
| "Entrepreneurial Mindset" Program at Pitt | 1 | 5.00 |
| Democracy’s Colleges Call to Action | 1 | 5.00 |
| Straighterline | 3 | 4.44 |
| TeacherMates Mobile Devices at Stanford School of Education | 4 | 4.00 |
| Rutgers Business School Entrepreneurship Pioneers Initiative | 4 | 4.00 |
Top-Rated Paradigm Shifting, Game Changing
| Innovation | Current Rank on This Dimension |
Current Score on This Dimension |
| Straighterline | 1 | 4.78 |
| Trends in College Spending (TCS) Online | 2 | 4.50 |
| Indiana's Partnership with Western Governors' University (WGU) | 3 | 4.00 |
| Bachelor’s Degrees from Community Colleges | 3 | 4.00 |
| Student Service & Tax Breaks | 3 | 4.00 |
| No-Dues Membership Model at UMass Amherst Alumni Association | 3 | 4.00 |
| "The Triple Helix" Project at RPI | 3 | 4.00 |
| Franklin W Olin College of Engineering | 3 | 4.00 |
Welcome to the Collection! New Innovations This Week
We welcome the following higher education innovations to the collection this week. Please take a moment to read about them, comment, and rate the innovations.
- Atlas Black Business Textbooks. The use of the graphic-novel genre provides a medium where key concepts are presented in a story format, allowing for an increase of student engagement with course content.
- SCVNGR. Using this location-based mobile app as a means to facilitate student engagement with orientation programs & student activities may contribute to greater student retention.
- Rutgers Business School Entrepreneurship Pioneers Initiative. The program focuses on revitalizing the city of Newark and in order to do this develops a variety of partnerships in the community, and emphasizes community development as well as economic growth.
- The Accelerator and Project Olympus at Carnegie Mellon University. The Accelerator and its Project Olympus are taking direct action to avoid brain drain in the Pittsburgh area by supporting top entrepreneurial talent and creating local career opportunities.
Let us know if you have a suggestion for an innovation in higher education that we should be including in the collection!
The Accelerator and Project Olympus at Carnegie Mellon University
| creative, original | |
| adoptable, replicable | |
| promises impact, influence | |
| inspires, motivates change | |
| paradigm shifting, game changing | |
Why is it innovative?
The Accelerator and its Project Olympus are taking direct action to avoid brain drain in the Pittsburgh area by supporting top entrepreneurial talent and creating local career opportunities.
More info:
From the Pittsburgh Business Times, Accelerator: Black Locus Readies Project, September 10, 2010:
How does your financing shape up?
“So far, we have received funding from Alpha Lab, the Tepper Accelerator Program, and from business plan competitions that we won. We are currently talking with local programs that support start-up companies, as well as with angel investors.”
You’re also part of Alpha Labs and Project Olympus. What benefits does your company receive through those and
Rutgers Business School Entrepreneurship Pioneers Initiative
| creative, original | |
| adoptable, replicable | |
| promises impact, influence | |
| inspires, motivates change | |
| paradigm shifting, game changing | |
Why is it innovative?
The Rutgers Business School Entrepreneurship Pioneers Initiative is aimed at first-generation entrepreneurs, helping to bring new ideas and approaches to the entrepreneurial community. The program focuses on revitalizing the city of Newark and in order to do this develops a variety of partnerships in the community, and emphasizes community development as well as economic growth.
More Information
From the Entrepreneurship Pioneers Initiative website:
The Entrepreneurship Pioneers Initiative is a comprehensive program developing entrepreneurs in the North Jersey region that invests in the human capital and social capital of first generation entrepreneurs. Selected participants receive intensive training to help them grow their business, group and 1-on-1 counseling, networking opportunities, and mentoring.
From Diverse Issues in Education, Rutgers University Helps Entrepreneurs Revitalize Newark, September 10, 2010
The center takes a broad approach to its work. It partners with nonprofits to help them develop ideas to generate more revenue. It works with homeless shelters to help better meet the needs of the destitute, partly because business owners may be reticent about relocating to a city teeming with hundreds of homeless people loitering nearby. It also explores innovations, such as
SCVNGR
| creative, original | |
| adoptable, replicable | |
| promises impact, influence | |
| inspires, motivates change | |
| paradigm shifting, game changing | |
Why is it innovative?
Using this location-based mobile app as a means to facilitate student engagement with orientation programs & student activities may contribute to greater student retention.
More Information
From the SCVNGR website:
SCVNGR is a game.
And playing is easy. Go places. Do challenges. Earn points! That’s the core of it, but there’s a whole lot more. Discover cool new places. Do exciting new things. Share what you’re up to with your friends. Unlock badges (and even real world rewards) by doing quick, fun challenges at your favorite places as you go about your daily life.
From Mashable, On SCVNGR the Checkin Game Is What You Make It, August 12, 2010
The idea behind user-generated challenges is to allow game players to define the game for themselves. SCVNGR players could already select from a few seeded challenges such as
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Top Rated Innovations
- StraighterLine (10)
- Trends in College Spending (TCS) Online (14)
- "Entrepreneurial Mindset" Program at Pitt (3)
- Indiana's Partnership with Western Governors University (WGU) (2)
- Brian Mathews' Vision of a Post-Library Commons World (2)
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