The Center for Innovation and Strategic Partnerships (CISP) was created in 2021 as part of the University’s effort to encourage innovation. Lynchburg’s President Alison Morrison-Shetlar has said that collaborative innovation is one of the three pillars of success for Lynchburg. To help make this possible, a team was created to remove barriers and help different departments work together more with our community.
CISP handles implementing new ideas that can improve the University experience for students and employees. Some of the changes that may be necessary include generating more revenue, increasing enrollment, and improving retention rates.
Within the Center, is the Innovation Collaborative (IC). The IC is a team of volunteers from different parts of the University. They help advocate for new and creative ideas that people submit. If someone submits an idea, a team member will work with them to learn more about it and help connect them to the right areas of campus.
Visit the idea submission process webpage to learn more about submitting a project. To learn more about other innovation initiatives or how you can be involved, visit the Innovation Collaborative team’s webpage.
The IC process sometimes leads to big, long-term projects that don’t have a place within the University. These projects go to the CISP, which provides them with oversight from the chief innovation officer, the IC chair, and the IC vice-chair. The center is also recruiting an advisory board that will be made up of faculty, staff, and community members.
The CISP team builds relationships with organizations and individuals in the community to help further the Center’s projects. They also work with other departments and centers on campus to make sure all relationships are beneficial for both sides.
The CISP will soon have a physical location in one of the University-owned properties at the corner of Oakley Avenue and Jubal Street. This building is part of an ongoing project that the CISP is helping with, the Lakeside connective corridor, or “College Corner.”
