Michigan Tech is always striving for excellence among its faculty and students. The new Tech Forward 2.0 initiative, which is currently being drafted, will be the next big step. The 2.0 initiative is giving eight different groups within the university the opportunity to develop plans to make Michigan Tech better in the future. These groups previously built the framework for the 2018 Tech Forward initiative. Out of the proposals from each of the eight groups, only five will be selected for the 2.0 initiative.
The Education and Workforce Development group met on Tuesday, Oct. 7, to discuss and brainstorm new frameworks that could benefit students in the future. The first idea is to establish a Center for Professional Development. The goal is to create a central space for professional development that will serve as a hub for lifelong learning and workforce readiness. To find the best practices, benchmarks from other departments will be reviewed and compared. Development programs existing in other departments would be categorized under one umbrella in the Center for Professional Development. According to Aleksandr Sergeyev, “The departments with active programs will continue to manage their own, but new ones will be managed there.” There are gaps in the current professional development cycle of a Michigan Tech student, so this aims to fill those at the same time. This initiative aims to benefit everyone at Michigan Tech — providing students with industry-ready skills, helping faculty enhance their professional growth, and offering the community access to training and upskilling programs.
Another idea discussed during the meeting was to create an academic structure around design thinking. Product design, as of now, could range from a minor to a new school or organization that would function as a dedicated academic unit. “The program will be mixed with both existing classes and new ones,” according to Aleksandr Sergeyev, a lead for the Education and Workforce Development group. The main focus of the program would be hands-on development and prototyping.
The group will be meeting biweekly to finalize the strategic plan before the due date at the end of the semester. If anyone would like to help or participate in the discussion, feel free to join the in-person meetings. Meeting times may vary, so for the most accurate information, contact Amie Ledgerwood at provost@mtu.edu
