Iowa State University
AC-7: Incentives for Developing Courses

Building on existing strengths, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences will become a national leader in selected research areas and continue to provide innovative leadership in pedagogy and curriculum development for our students. Research and learning will become integrated activities as faculty continue to broaden their expertise and students contribute to research. Five “signature themes” will define the college’s scholarly vision and identity and provide a framework for faculty hiring and collaborations:

- Biological structures and systems
- Complex materials
- Data-rich environments
- Economic, environmental, and societal sustainability
- Global citizens, education, and technology

Examples of new sustainability courses or course content offered to students since the last reporting period are highlighted through coursework including:
Research Seminar in Environmental History
Leading Through Service Learning
Fieldwork in Communication Disorders
Gender and Consumer Culture
Native Land, Water and Resources
Diversity in the Media

Faculty working in the signature areas are expected to be highly collaborative across disciplinary boundaries and able to integrate fundamental discoveries with technological solutions and societal needs. The opportunities to identify and attract such scholars are excellent: many of the young researchers who are beginning to enter the academic job market have been trained in highly interdisciplinary environments and expect to find or develop similar structures in their future workplace. LAS will encourage the hiring of such individuals by forming interdisciplinary search committees. Once the new hires have arrived on campus, LAS will encourage the formation of teams and collaborations through a variety of seed funding for seminars, topical workshops, grant writing support, and leadership development. High-performance standards will be set for effective teaching, strong output of scholarly work, and success in garnering external funding or recognition.

Under President Wintersteen's leadership, Iowa State University is creating a vibrant ecosystem where innovation and entrepreneurship are built into the curriculum. Students will develop an entrepreneurial mindset that empowers them to turn their ideas into new businesses or startups, help existing companies innovate and grow, and make a difference in their communities. The deans of all seven colleges – Agriculture and Life Sciences, Ivy College of Business, Design, Engineering, Human Sciences, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Veterinary Medicine – are leading conversations and working with Iowa State's entrepreneurial ambassador to develop unique approaches for curriculum and student experiences.

Four types of innovation and entrepreneurship are of focus:
- Traditional product-and-service-based startup business entrepreneurship
- Intrapreneurship that helps students innovate within companies
- Civic innovation that allows students to make an immediate difference in their communities
- Social entrepreneurship, including thought leadership and advocacy

https://www.president.iastate.edu/projects/innovation-and-entrepreneurship