Big Ideas initiative moves forward as campus community weighs in on 蜜桃传媒破解版下载's future
More than 700 ideas. That鈥檚 how many students, faculty, staff and community members across 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 have responded so far to Chancellor Justin Schwartz鈥檚 call to help shape the university鈥檚 future.听
Launched during Schwartz鈥檚 2026听State of the Campus address, the Big Ideas initiative invites the campus community to submit bold, forward-looking ideas to guide 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 next era of societal impact. The initiative comes as the university celebrates its 150th anniversary鈥攁 moment Schwartz described as both a celebration of the past and an opportunity to imagine what comes next.
鈥淲hen you invite a community to think boldly, and give people a path to act, they will answer the call,鈥 Schwartz said during the address. 鈥淭his is just the beginning.鈥
A campuswide effort
The Big Ideas initiative is supported by a 12-member working group of faculty and staff who bring a range of academic, professional and lived experiences to the process. The group is reviewing submissions to determine which ideas should move forward for leadership consideration.听听
The working group is co-chaired by Waleed Abdalati, director of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences and professor of geography, and Stefanie Johnson, professor of organizational leadership and information analytics and director of the Center for Leadership.
Rather than seeking fully developed proposals, the initiative is intentionally focused on imagination鈥攁sking contributors to put forward ideas that are ambitious, meaningful and potentially transformative.
What the campus is saying
As submissions have rolled in, several themes have begun to emerge鈥攐ffering insight into what community members care about most, where friction exists and where possibility feels within reach.
One of the most common themes centers on teaching, curriculum and learning. Many ideas focus on rethinking degree pathways, expanding interdisciplinary curricula and embedding career readiness and real-world skills more directly into academic programs. Together, these ideas point to a desire for a more integrated, applied and future-facing learning experience.
Another strong area of interest is artificial intelligence, data and digital transformation. Contributors across disciplines are asking how 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 can lead in shaping an AI-driven world. Ideas range from new research centers to practical improvements such as upgraded digital infrastructure and smarter student systems. AI-related ideas span education, research and creative work, and operations.
Research, institutes and innovation also feature prominently. Many submissions call for cross-disciplinary collaborations and bold investments in areas such as space, climate and sustainability.
鈥淭here is a clear appetite to double down on 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 identity as a public research powerhouse,鈥 Abdalati said, 鈥渁nd to amplify that identity further on the national and global stage.鈥
Top idea themes
- Teaching, curriculum and learning
- Sustainability听
- AI, data and digital transformation
- Research and creative work, institutes, innovation
- Student experience
- Affordability and access
- Health and well-being
- Infrastructure and campus experience
- Accessibility, equity and belonging
Focus on students, affordability and well-being
Ideas related to student experience also emerge frequently, particularly around career readiness, internships and workforce development. The volume of these submissions suggests students are seeking clearer pathways from education to impact, Johnson noted.
Affordability and access appear repeatedly as well, with contributors raising ideas related to tuition, financial transparency and basic needs such as housing and food security.
Health and well-being, especially mental health, represents another significant area of focus.
鈥淭he volume of ideas underscores that mental health and well-being are central to student success, faculty effectiveness and the overall functioning of the institution,鈥 Johnson said.
Submissions addressing infrastructure and campus experience鈥攊ncluding housing, transportation, space utilization and even the overall feel of campus鈥攁lso surface often.
鈥淭hese ideas range from practical to imaginative,鈥 Johnson said, 鈥渂ut they all point to the same thing: the physical and operational environment matters more than we sometimes acknowledge.鈥
Woven throughout many of the themes is a focus on accessibility, equity and belonging, reflecting a consistent push to make the university more inclusive by design and in outcomes, Abdalati noted.
What comes next
The Big Ideas working group is currently reviewing submissions with the goal of identifying concepts with the greatest potential for lasting impact.
Selected ideas will be shared back with the campus community in future rounds of engagement, creating opportunities for feedback, collaboration and refinement. They also will be credited to the individual or team who proposed them, and students, faculty and staff whose ideas advance will have opportunities to remain involved as those ideas take shape.
鈥淭his next phase matters,鈥 Abdalati said. 鈥淚t opens the door for people to raise their hands and say, 鈥業 want to be part of this.鈥欌
Over the summer, promising ideas will move into incubators鈥攕mall, focused groups that will begin turning concepts into more concrete proposals. In the fall, the university plans to move into action on selected ideas while launching the next round of Big Ideas submissions.
As the initiative continues, campus leaders emphasize that the strength of Big Ideas lies in broad participation.
鈥淭oday鈥檚 big ideas will shape 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 legacy,鈥 Schwartz said. 鈥淭he ideas are coming from everywhere, and we hope the campus community keeps pushing us to think boldly.鈥
Thank you for your ideas!
Everyone who submitted an idea by March 26 was entered into a randomized prize drawing. Congratulations to the spring 2026 prize recipients:
- Lisa Barlow
- Lucas Geerts, student
- Erin Hutchinson
Note: Prizes are a result of a random drawing and are not related to ideas submitted. Ideas are still under review.听
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