Valdosta State University is investing in 24 innovative practices, programs, and approaches to improve the teaching, services, and support of its students with a new Fiscal Year 2017 Innovation Fund.
 
In the Fall of 2015, VSU announced the formation of a new Innovation Fund through which the university would further address recruitment, student success, retention, and graduation rates. Planning to invest in the future of Valdosta State University by supporting innovative practices, programs, and approaches, members of the Project Innovate pre-planning team began developing guidelines for these institutionally-funded Innovation Grants.
 
The Innovative Designs for Enhancing the Academy Center also began hosting Café Innovation discussion sessions and served as one of the venues for faculty and staff to gather and discuss their ideas for transforming the VSU campus community in ways that directly support and encourage student success, all while making the campus more inviting and appealing to new students and more attractive and engaging for current students.
 
The Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17) Innovation Grant proposals were anonymously and independently scored by the 20 faculty and staff peers who served on the FY17 Innovation Grants Applications Rating Committee and support the first goal of VSU’s Strategic Plan and its two objectives:
 
Recruit, Retain, and Graduate a Quality, Diverse Student Population and Prepare Students for Roles as Leaders in a Global Society.
 
1.1: Actively pursue VSU’s Complete College Georgia Plan.
 
1.2: Promote educational excellence in all learning environments through academic, professional, and social opportunities.
 
“The 24 grant proposals selected for funding were the most highly rated among 49 outstanding submissions,” said Dr. Anthony Scheffler, chairman of the FY17 VSU Innovation Grants Committee and interim associate vice president of Academic Affairs. “The selected proposals operationalize and test curricular and organizational innovations specifically designed to positively affect some important aspect of student enrollment, achievement, or retention.”
 
The broad categories and recommended projects selected are:
 
Enhanced Campus, Community, and Educational Experiences

· Programming to Reduce Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking on Campus
Dr. Maggie Viverette, Office of Social Equity

· Paying it Forward: Enhancing American Sign Language (ASL) Skills in Pre-Service Teachers of the Deaf, ASL/English Interpreters, and Community Stakeholders
Dr. Jennifer Beal-Alvarez, Department of Middle Grades, Secondary, Reading, and Deaf Education

· Center for Applied Social Sciences Partnership Grants
Dr. Luke Fowler, Department of Political Science

· Collaboration Between Nursing and Spanish for Medical Professionals
Susan Michele Blankenship, College of Nursing and Health Sciences

· Three-Dimensional Scanner for VSU Maker Space and Online Course Enhancement
Vincent King-Spezzo, Center for eLearning

· The Big Pitch: A Problem-Solving Approach to the Application of Undergraduate Research
Dr. Thomas Manning, Department of Chemistry

· MGED-STEM (Middle Grades Education Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning Experiences
Dr. Regina Suriel, Department of Middle Grades, Secondary, Reading, and Deaf Education

· Standardized Patient Program
Dr. Melissa Porterfield, Theatre and Dance Area

· Big Data Storage to Power Recruitment and Retention Solutions
Malynda Dorsey, Division of Information Technology

· Enhancing Student Enrollment, Retention, and Satisfaction in Engineering and Other STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Fields
Dr. Barry Hojjatie, Department of Physics, Astronomy, and Geosciences

· Exploring Citizenship Through Politics: Summer Camp for Local Students
Dr. Neena Banerjee, Department of Political Science

· Project CORE (Creating Opportunities for Research and Engagement) Pilot
Gardner Rogers, Department of English

· Videos for Student Success and Retention
Dr. Christine James, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies

· Improving Pass Rates for Introductory Computer Science Courses through the Creation of Hands-On Closed Labs
Dr. Dave Gibson, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science

· Communication and Vital Screening Initiative
Dr. Ruth Hannibal, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders

· Online Undergraduate Psychology Degree
Dr. Jennifer Breneiser, Department of Psychology and Counseling

· Joint Urban Planning and Management Program with a Chinese University
Dr. Jia Lu, Department of Physics, Astronomy, and Geosciences

· Criminal Justice Outreach and Recruitment to Agencies
Dr. Bobbie Ticknor, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice
 
Outreach to At-Risk Groups

· Extended College Algebra Using SI-Led Learning Activities
Dr. Greg Harrell, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science

· ACES (Aspire, Connect, Encourage, and Succeed)
Dr. Theresa Grove, Department of Biology

· Career Readiness for African American Males
Dr. Gerald Williams, Office of Career Opportunities
 
Faculty and Administrative Development Opportunities

· Professional Development for Best Practices in Online Courses
Meg Giddings, Center for eLearning

· VSU Leadership Academy
Rebecca Murphy, Human Resources and Employee Development

· Establishment of a Core Curriculum Faculty Status
Dr. Kathleen Lowney, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice
 
“We have an incredibly talented and creative faculty and staff at VSU,” said Dr. Brian L. Gerber, interim provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. “Project Innovate has provided them an opportunity to channel their skills into funded projects that will impact the success of our students. I look forward to witnessing the positive and lasting change these projects will bring to the campus.”
 
The awarded funds will be available after July 1, which marks the beginning of the FY17 budget year.
 
Each project will be evaluated relative to the goals of the project at the end of the allotted Fiscal Year 2017 time frame.
 
“If funds are available, continued funding or the institutionalization of a project, in whole or part, will be considered based on its measured impact and its considered long term value to the university,” said Scheffler.