CUMU Conference 2017

The IPFW Office of Engagement launched in January 2006 as a four-way partnership between the Fort Wayne campus, Purdue University, Indiana University and the northeast Indiana business community. Using the intellectual and physical resources of the university partners, this office serves to promote positive outcomes in northeast Indiana in three areas:
• Economic development – growth of high-skill, high-wage jobs
• Workforce development – education of the incumbent and emerging workforces
• Community development – contribution to “quality of place”.
The Office of Engagement develops collaborations between regional companies, government and community groups and the faculty and students on any or all of the three campuses. With the focus on northeast Indiana as an economic region, having the complimentary resources of three institutions, a comprehensive portfolio of services is available to our community partners. Tactically, the office has some very specific areas in which we facilitate community access to the university partners:
• Research
• Technical assistance / Faculty expertise / Student projects
• Intellectual property
• University programs, seminars, and networking opportunities
• Workforce development / Corporate training
• Internships / Co-ops / Student hiring / Service learning
Over the past 11 years, the office has served a portfolio of over 700 businesses, with a success rate of over 45% in creating value-added collaborations. Faculty are engaged in collaborative research projects with regional businesses and regularly have multiple companies engaging faculty annually through the Purdue TAP program and student academic projects. The poster presentation will illustrate various campus engagements.