Innovation: from Ideas to Impact

Innovation: From Ideas to Impact

ITP 499 (2 Units)
Spring 2017
Description / Spend a semester taking on high-impact, high-success projects that will make a difference on campus. Course will teach you an engineering approach to making a measurable impact, provide mentors to help you on your journey, and provide networking opportunities with administration, faculty, student and industry leaders that are paving the way in making meaningful impact at USC and beyond.
The course will be co-led by former leaders of an entrepreneurial club on campus, Spark SC, who will teach methodologies employed for many of their previous projects like: Hack SC, Startup Career Fair, and 1000 Pitches. In addition to lectures, students will have regular 1-on-1 meetings with experienced mentors who will ensure that every project is a success. Guest speakers will include university, industry, and student leaders and innovators.
Possible projects include: launching a podcast, throwing a hackathon, hosting a speaker series, components of wicked problems, and any other that will have measurable impact that can be completed in a semester.
Class is open to Freshmen and Sophomores
Objective / Course readings, discussions, lectures, projects, and exams are designed
to:

Introduce students to the problems facing USC today
Provide students an engineering approach to making and measuring impact: initiative evaluation, defining metrics, communications & outreach plans, interest & support building, fundraising, marketing/press, logistics, launching and measuring impact
Provide students with hands-on experience initiating and completing high-impact projects
Provide industry relevant network and skills to enhance student career opportunities

Prerequisites / None
Instructor / Mike S. Lee
Digital Entrepreneurship & Enterprise Systems | Information Technology Program
Viterbi School of Engineering | University of Southern California
Website /
Contact / Any questions related to the course and materials should be posted on Blackboard.
For non-course questions or prospective students:
Email:
Office Hours / See Blackboard
Graders/TAs / Irfan Faizullabhoy () and Neel Bhoopalam ()
Lecture / Mondays, 5-6:50pm at KER 101
Open Lab Hours / ITP offers Open Lab use for all students enrolled in ITP classes. These open labs are held beginning the second week of classes through the last week of classes. Hours are listed at:
Virtual Lab / In addition to open lab hours, students will get access to a virtual lab that they can use from their own computer. The virtual lab has all the software needed for the course. Instructions are posted on Blackboard.
Required Textbook(s) / Required books and readings will be assigned in class and posted on blackboard.
Software/Services / Required software and accounts will be assigned in class and posted on blackboard.
Grading / The course is graded with the following weights:
Participation 25%
Homework25%
Midterm25%
Final Presentation25%
TOTAL POSSIBLE100%
There is no curving. Students will receive the grades that they earn.
Grading Scale / Letter grades will be assigned according to the following scale:
93%+ / A
90-92% / A-
87-89% / B+
83-86% / B
80-82% / B-
77-79% / C+
73-76% / C
70-72% / C-
69 / D+
67-68 / D
66 / D-
65 and below / F
Half percentage points will be rounded up to the next whole percentage. So for instance, 89.5% is an A-, but 89.4% is a B+.
Homework / To get help on homework, follow these simple steps
●Read the homework instructions carefully
●Review the “Discussion Board” section of the Blackboard forum for other student questions and comments or post a question yourself to begin the forum.
●If you cannot find an answer above, email the TA and me
All assignments must be submitted to Blackboard.
Policies / Make-up policy for exams: No make-up exams (except for medical or family emergencies) will be offered nor will there be any changes made to the Final Exam schedule.
Late Assignments: Assignments turned in after the deadline will automatically have 10 points per day deducted.
ITP offers Open Lab use for all students enrolled in ITP classes. These open labs are held beginning the second week of classes through the last week of classes. Hours are listed at:
Before logging off a computer, students must ensure that they have saved their work (on their personal email accounts or flash drives) created during class. Any work saved to the computer will be erased after restarting the computer. ITP is not responsible for any work lost.
Statement on Academic Conduct and Support Systems
Academic Conduct
Plagiarism – presenting someone else’s ideas as your own, either verbatim or recast in your own words – is a serious academic offense with serious consequences. Please familiarize yourself with the discussion of plagiarism in SCampus in Section 11, Behavior Violating University Standards Other forms of academic dishonesty are equally unacceptable. See additional information in SCampus and university policies on scientific misconduct,
Discrimination, sexual assault, and harassment are not tolerated by the university. You are encouraged to report any incidents to the Office of Equity and Diversity or to the Department of Public Safety This is important for the safety whole USC community. Another member of the university community – such as a friend, classmate, advisor, or faculty member – can help initiate the report, or can initiate the report on behalf of another person. The Center for Women and Men provides 24/7 confidential support, and the sexual assault resource center webpage sarc.usc.edu describes reporting options and other resources.
Support Systems
A number of USC’s schools provide support for students who need help with scholarly writing. Check with your advisor or program staff to find out more. Students whose primary language is not English should check with the American Language Institute which sponsors courses and workshops specifically for international graduate students. The Office of Disability Services and Programs provides certification for students with disabilities and helps arrange the relevant accommodations. If an officially declared emergency makes travel to campus infeasible, USC Emergency Information will provide safety and other updates, including ways in which instruction will be continued by means of blackboard, teleconferencing, and other technology.
Week / Activities / Readings DUE / Homework DUE / Mentor Meeting
1
1/9 / Course Overview: Syllabus, Values, Meet the instructors & mentors
2
1/16 / No Class. Martin Luther King’s Birthday.
3
1/23 / Lecture: Brief History of Impact on Campus
Student-led initiatives & projects at USC and abroad that have made history, whether it was MIT’s Tetris buildings, the first-ever Hackathon, or student organizations that have changed social climate. / Worksheet: Research one of the student-project discussed, and generate 10 Project Ideas / Discuss goals for class
4
1/30 / Lecture:Evaluating Initiatives
Feasibility analysis, Budget Estimation, Rapid Ideation
Initiative Evaluation Workshop: Using criteria, score events based on potential impact, potential budget, and timeline / Video: Remarks by Dr. Michael Quick on his Installation as USC Provost / Worksheet: More project ideas / Review Ideas for Project
5
2/6 / Guest Lecture:The Problems Facing USC Today - Michael Quick, USC Provost
Words from Michael Quick, Ainsley Carrey etc.
Writing exercise: “Which problems do you identify with, are they solvable? Mitigable?”
6
2/13 / Lecture: Initiatives: Communication & Outreach
Content from Guy Kawasaki, Steve Jobs, YC methodology for pitching
Activity: Team Formation & Apply to USG Funding, Viterbi Funding, Late Night Funding & other on-campus funding boards / Project proposal and pitch
7
2/20 / No Class. President’s Day.
8
2/27 / MIDTERM EXAM
Lecture: Gathering Interest & Support
Activity: In-class visits from potential stakeholders (Professors, Program Managers, etc..) supporters, and extended mentor community. Discuss initiative ideas, and continue settling idea & establish community of supporters. / Work on Project
Worksheet: Mission Statement / Check in on Project
9
3/6 / Lecture: User Interviews - YC’s Emmett Shear (45min video)
Activity: Prepare User Interview structure, and while in class, schedule potential User/Audience interviews.
Project-Work: Outreach, Fundraising, Marketing, and Logistics workshops / Work on Project
10
3/13 / No Class. Spring Break.
11
3/20 / Lecture: Developing Metrics for Impact
Activity: Develop and workshop metrics for your initiative/project - discuss success/failure circumstances.
Project-Work: Outreach, Fundraising, Marketing, and Logistics workshops / Work on Project
Worksheet: User Interviews / Check in on Project
12
3/27 / In Class Guest Lecture
Solving Global Problems
------
Purpose: Hear from folks who have experience in tackling global problems, with massive initiatives. / Mind The Gap - Paul Graham / Work on Project
Worksheet: Metrics
13
4/3 / Short Discussion:Self-Actualization
Project-Work: Closing off outreach, finalizing logistics, marketing / How To Do What You Love - Paul Graham / Launch Project v1 / Check in on Project
14
4/10 / Lecture:Launching your Initiative
How to properly launch your initiative, the week-before preparation, and mindset walking into the experience.
Project-Work: Closing off outreach, finalizing logistics, marketing / How To Make Wealth - Paul Graham / Work on Project
15
4/17 / Lecture: None - finalize projects
Project-Work: All of the work in closing off the launch of the project, initiative, etc.. All of this time will be used for in-class time with the mentors / Selections from The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership - Paul Graham / Launch Project v2 / Check in on project
16
4/24 / Reflection and Course Wrap-Up / Essay: Course Reflection

Final Exam: (per USC schedule)