UVU Launches Innovation Academy

As part of our student success strategy, UVU is constantly seeking ways to innovate to benefit our students and support our faculty. 

With this goal always at the forefront of our minds, we are excited to announce the UVU Innovation Academy. The academy will build on the work that has been done in the Office of Engaged Learning to become UVU’s hub for supporting and initiating engaging programming and opportunities that prepare our students for work and life.

Dr. Tammy Clark, current Associate Provost for Engaged Learning, will lead the UVU Innovation Academy and assume the title of Associate Provost for Academic Innovation. The Innovation Academy will be comprised of the existing Office of Engaged Learning as well as new components:

• Excellence and Innovation Initiative (e2i): This is a student-driven initiative that provides support for student projects as well as strong industry collaboration and mentorship. All students are invited to participate by applying for e2i Igniter funds or by joining a project team.
• UVU Excelerate and project-based learning (PBL) initiatives: These opportunities connect course curricula with projects from external partners, providing students with opportunities to work within teams to create a tangible product. The Innovation Academy will serve as a resource to support current PBL efforts, such as capstone projects. As part of this initiative, the Office of Teaching and Learning has also developed a PBL certification for faculty. Additionally, the Innovation Academy will coordinate Makerspaces on campus to provide a single contact point for support. It will also establish a system for training and staffing for the space(s) that require oversight.
• Integrated Studies: The department of Integrated Studies will move to program status and be housed in the Innovation Academy. It will continue to award degrees as it has in the past, through the combination of academic department-based minors. Its home in the Innovation Academy will serve to encourage greater participation of academic units across campus.
• Curricular innovation: The Innovation Academy will also create an interdisciplinary sandbox to support faculty who want to create interdisciplinary courses, microcredentials, and academic programs. Faculty will be invited to bring interdisciplinary ideas to this sandbox as part of the university’s efforts to seek collaboration, vet ideas, and explore other resources for launching new, interdisciplinary programming that meets the needs of students and employers.

UVU strives to be an agile institution that focuses on student success and provides exceptional education, credentials, and experiences to fulfill the workforce needs in our region. Our engaged learning philosophy and programs prepare students to be ready for the workforce, communicate within diverse teams, solve increasingly complex problems within our global society, and become life-long learners. Our new Innovation Academy will strengthen our programs and support in these areas.

We look forward to working with faculty, students, staff, and external partners as we provide enriching experiences that lead to greater student success.

 

Dr. Astrid S. Tuminez
President

Dr. F. Wayne Vaught
Provost and Sr. Vice President
Academic Affairs