Andrews University prides itself on being among the leaders in Adventist education when it comes to providing an engaging and effective environment for their students. It is clear that the administration seeks to uphold Andrews’ mission statement to “Seek Knowledge and Affirm Faith in order to Change the World.” This was exhibited during the first annual “Shark Tank” program that took place on Friday, September 30. Planned and hosted by Provost Dr. Christon Arthur, the “Shark Tank” program allowed four separate groups of faculty members to present proposals in front of judges and a congregation of students. These faculty members were applying for grants worth up to $100,000 to execute their proposal. Proposals were made to create programs or plans that would help improve student life and answer the mission goals of seeking knowledge, affirming faith, and changing the world.
In an interview, Dr. Arthur was able to shed further light on the goals of the “Shark Tank”.
How and when was the Shark Tank idea created?
The Shark Tank idea was created early this calendar year- so spring semester last year, around the month of February or March. The whole idea was to get faculty… to start thinking about ways they could collaborate across different disciplines. We created what we called an ‘Andrews Partnership Grant’ so that faculty could create partnerships across different disciplines.
How were the participants chosen?
Because this was the first year, we sent [a message] out to all faculty to say ‘This is what we’re doing, this is the criteria for it, and, if you have interest, send me a letter saying you want to be a part of that process. The letter was due in June…and the proposal was due…September 16.
What presentations impressed you personally?
They were all good presentations. …In terms of a presentation that has the capacity to gain future funding, that was Engineering. A presentation that had the capacity to add value and richness to the curriculum, to impact the lives of students in real meaningful ways, to maybe transform the way we think about the content in our discipline…was the Trauma Informed curriculum presentation.
When should we expect the announcement for which proposals will be receiving the grants?
Later this week. We wanted to be a bit more deliberative than [the show Shark Tank] … so the judges met afterwards and ranked the four proposals. On Wednesday, we’ll meet with the deans of the five [Andrews] colleges and we’ll look at their rankings, because I want the deans to have some input. So, either Wednesday afternoon or Thursday we’ll make a big announcement.
Should we expect to see more Shark Tanks in Andrews’ future?
I think so. This is a way for faculty to showcase their creativity.
What are some things you may decide to tweak or add for future iterations of the Shark Tank?
In the future I think we might provide a template in which they have to do the proposal. …I think we’ll become more deliberate…on the budget to say, ‘These things are a part of the [proposed] budget.’… I think the next iteration we may have a phased-in approach so that they apply and that we’ll have a review so that the top three or five will go to the ‘Shark Tank,’ because I anticipate we’ll have many more [proposals] in the future.
Students were greatly enthused by the program and certain presentations. The four presentations were:
Innovation and Engineering Program by Hyun Kwon
AU Abroad at Newbold College by Vanessa Corredera and Aaron Moushon
Trauma Informed Curriculum by Various Faculty
Keeping Andrews Spiritually and Academically Engaged by Chaplain Jose Bourget and Various Faculty
When asking two students who were in attendance about their favorite presentations, they had various thoughts.
Rachel Meads (freshman, business) said this: “The Shark Tank presentation I liked the most was the one about studying abroad [at] Newbold College in England. I have always wanted to travel outside of the country, but I haven’t really had an opportunity yet and I know how expensive it gets. If this program were to be added to Andrews, I would have the opportunity to travel outside the United States without having to learn a new language.”
Hannah Sagini (freshman, biology) added, “I liked the ‘AU Abroad’ presentation the best; Having the ability to be immersed in another country while getting your education should not be something limited to only those interested in a language. A change in atmosphere can help stimulate the mind and improve functionality. Being abroad exposes the students to how the world works, putting what they’ve been learning into motion. I liked the Engineering program second best. Engineering is a field with many avenues to choose. From technical to mechanical and medical engineering is a fast-growing field. Providing more resources to that department allows them to adjust the curriculum to expand for more interested students.”
The “Shark Tank” was a hit, and students and faculty alike are patiently waiting to hear who the winners are.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.