Pilot Project Review: Innovation Hub's Origin
Launched in May 2016, the Innovation Hub at the University of Toronto aims to enhance the student experience through creative solutions. Guided by the questions, "Who are our students?" and "How is the world changing for them?", it uses user research and empathy-driven methods. The Hub collaborates with students, staff, and stakeholders, resulting in five core projects. Future goals include improving the volunteer program, opening a makerspace, and strengthening community relationships.
Fall/Winter 2017-2018
How is the world changing for our students?
Over the two-year pilot period, our work at the Innovation Hub has evolved substantially. Initially, we took a broad approach to improving our understanding of the UofT student experience and generating innovative ideas that could improve life at UofT by addressing unmet student needs. This approach transformed into a consultation model in which the Innovation Hub works with various UofT departments, applying the same methodologies to a more specific question or challenge related to the student experience.
KEY FINDINGS
Below is a review of Innovation Hub's core projects in its pilot year:
- Chill Spots: Chill Spots was proposed as an initiative to meet students’ desires
for welcoming communal spaces. - U of T Concierge: The UofT Concierge was an idea that was proposed to help
students who felt lost within the university’s sprawling ecosystem. - Neighbourhood Communities: Neighbourhood Communities was an idea that grew out of the realization that students who live off-campus often feel disconnected from the campus community.
- Future Readiness: Future Readiness was proposed with the goal of helping students transition from university into the workplace by offering them a framework with which they could build confidence, seek guidance, and share experiences.
- Student-Faculty Exploration Cafe: The Student-Faculty Exploration Café was an idea that stemmed from the desire of both students and faculty to have access to a shared, non-academic space in which they could meet and connect.
