The Kaplan Institute will house and support programming of the Interprofessional Projects (IPRO) Program, the Entrepreneurship Academy, the Jules Knapp Entrepreneurship Center, the Grainger Maker Space, and the Janet & Craig Duchossois Idea Shop. The Kaplan Institute will be focused on student, faculty, and industry initiatives aimed at moving ideas from rough concepts to early-stage ventures as well as other programming and resources that support more traditional coursework in more interactive settings, team-based project learning, and the physical creation of products and prototypes. It will also be the new campus home of the Institute of Design.
The emphasis of the educational experience within the institute (once the students have completed some of the basic introductory programs) will be on the application of knowledge rather than merely its acquisition. Additional and essential learning will, of course, occur during the entrepreneurial process along with innovative thinking as the students engage in multidisciplinary collaborations across all of the disciplines offered within the broader context of the entire university. In fact, part of the entire purpose of the KI is to supplement the technical education of the students with critical and future-proof skills including critical curiosity, a commitment to change, leadership and team building ability, an entrepreneurial mindset, a willingness to accept challenges, and a bias toward action.
Faculty Roles
Guidance and direction
Faculty from across Illinois Tech will assist in the development and direction of the institute. This will include the management of parts of the new curriculum and support, active engagement and other participation in diverse programming, and new community activities as well.
Interdisciplinary faculty research
Faculty will be able to spend time in project spaces at the building when conducting research programs that span multiple disciplines or colleges and that do not require advanced lab spaces.
Team-based learning
Team-based sessions and more interactive classes that are not optimally served by traditional classroom environments may be scheduled in various parts of the KI depending on space availability.