IBM Enterprise Design Thinking Connects the Sciences and Arts
Making connections, fostering collaboration, and building an inclusive community across engineering and the liberal arts are the driving forces behind the success of the long-standing Engineering and Liberal Education (E&LE) Symposium at Union College in Schenectady, New York. The same can be said for the many activities in IBM Enterprise Design Thinking (EDT) where people collaborating and sharing ideas “create experiences to delight customers.” What a perfect setting to bring these two powerful forces together.
The school hosted the first Symposium in 2008. During the pandemic, the symposium, like much of the global community, faced challenges and setbacks. Robert E Martinson ’65 donated a generous gift, in support of Union College’s Engineering and Computer Science Initiative, which includes the Templeton Institute and E&LE Symposium. The gift initiated a rebirth of this wonderful event this past September. The 14th annual gathering of educators, administrators, and industry joined for a common goal — to “work towards the innovation and transformative solutions to the grand challenges that face society today and in the future.”
Past symposiums included presentations, workshops, panel discussions, and a wide variety of keynote sessions. Some focus areas included the evolution of a Smarter Planet, the importance of sustainable engineering and classroom and community interaction across the sciences and arts.
IBM Enterprise Design Thinking Sustains Growth
I first started presenting at the symposium in 2012, and a few years later I was thrilled to join the planning committee. I have experienced the symposium from both perspectives. It is a wonderful community-focused event that embodies all that is good in the STEAM world.
When I joined the planning committee, we explored the impact that IBM Enterprise Design Thinking might have on the growth of the Symposium. We wanted to explore the appropriate use of select activities and practices to engage community members, listen to their needs and iterate (through the years) on the symposium format and content.
IBM Enterprise Design Thinking has been a common theme throughout many presentations and workshops in recent years. Numerous presentations extolled the importance of designing from a user point of view. Speakers share the results of interdisciplinary programs that are created to support the goals and needs of the diverse communities they serve.
I recall leading a 3-hour afternoon workshop with members of our IBM Z Design Team at a symposium before the pandemic. We followed an accelerated EDT process to address the critical factors in the development of future makerspaces and new interdisciplinary programs. The results of that workshop helped drive the goals and key objectives for future symposiums. More importantly, that work established new open retrospective sessions and Net Promoter Score (NPS) Surveys to close out each yearly event.
Collecting feedback from symposium members — through different IBM Enterprise Design Thinking practices and tools, helps to build the community mission that is core to the success of each event. Asking for feedback during the symposium promotes divergent thoughts and creates more open conversation at each session. Stepping back to converge on the ideas and discuss each area in a final retrospective session helps to provide the following benefits:
· validating the areas that resonated with the audience.
· articulating and discussing areas that were missed.
· devising a plan for creating the next steps of our journey.
The committee also uses a simple two question NPS survey to gather feedback. The survey complements the input from the retrospective sessions and provides a baseline to measure our efforts and guide direction for the next symposium.
Quick sidebar. It is a pleasure to share that after three years of challenges and obstacles, the NPS survey for 2023 resulted in scores higher than the target plan. For both questions, there were no detractors.
o How likely are you to attend a 2024 ELE Symposium? NPS of 78%
o How likely are you to recommend this symposium to a colleague? NPS of 89%
Select activities from IBM Enterprise Design Thinking have helped us create a sustainable planning model. In addition to using EDT, the continued growth of the E&LE Symposium depends on three factors. In fact, these three factors can be the guideposts for other similar professional gatherings.
First, a diverse planning team — one that represents the audience — is important to set the stage. Equally important is finding the correct environment for the conference setting to ensure active and safe communication. Finally, establishing a strong and lasting community forum is important.
Planning Team:
An inclusive and collaborative planning committee that represents the audience it serves — cross-discipline participation from education and industry.
I have enjoyed working with dynamic, passionate faculty and leaders from Union College for several years. These educators set the example for the critical intersection of the sciences and arts. This demonstrates the complimentary nature of programs, skills, and education, which is at the core of the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U).
Leading the 2023 program was committee chair Jennifer Currey, Associate Professor and Chair of the Engineering Department. Under Jennifer’s leadership, the committee prioritized the audience when thinking, acting, and planning the symposium. The committee included:
· Lorraine Cox, Associate Professor of Art History
· Cole Belmont, Director of Makerspace Consortium
· Doug Klein, Faculty Director of the Kelly Adirondack Center and Kenneth B. Sharpe Professor Emeritus of Economics
· Nicole Marshall, Assistant VP for Academic Advancement and Research Admissions
· Samuel Kennedy, Assistant for Academic Affairs.
The first year back, in person, after two missed years, sandwiched around a virtual event in 2021, demanded extra attention to the planning process.
This year’s keynote address was from Dr. Francesca Rossi, IBM Fellow, and IBM AI Ethics Global leader. The committee created lightening talks and panel discussions focusing on the role of engineering and the arts to support the advances, ethical issues, and challenges around the growing pervasiveness of AI.
The themes chosen supported the diverse interests and contributions of the audience and the work they so passionately promote across the community including:
· Opportunities and Risks of AI
· Risk, Resilience, and Empathy for Sustainable Futures
· Ethical Considerations and Impacts of a Rapidly Changing Society
· Harnessing The Power of Collaboration with Arts and Humanities.
Conference Setting
A welcoming physical environment that supports a small- scale gathering, which is engaged in safe and provocative discussion.
Union College in Schenectady, New York is in a place that was “originally peopled by the Iroquois Confederacy (Haudenosaunee), including the Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca and other tribes.” The college honors the land and the people who have come before us. To that end, it is fitting that such a beautiful campus is home to a community looking to build a bridge that connects many different disciplines.
Over the course of 14 different symposiums, schools from across the country joined the event. Businesses important to the local region including NYS, GE, and IBM participated as well. The goal to explore and share successful ventures and challenges at the intersection of the sciences and arts.
The 2023 symposium was a step forward after the pandemic pushed us all back a bit. This year, in addition to Union College, speakers from Bucknell, Colorado School of Mines, Cooper Union, University of Connecticut, Olin College, Smith College, University of Iceland, and RPI, led discussions on our topic themes.
New state-of-the-art campus facilities provided the backdrop for the sessions. A room large enough to accommodate all the attendees, but comfortable enough to encourage engaged discussion was key. Many attendees return year after year to an inclusive, collegiate setting that becomes more like a family with each passing year.
A few years ago, as the symposium grew bigger than anyone expected, the committee tried parallel tracks for sessions. Surprisingly, armed with the EDT retrospective discussion feedback, the following year we returned to a single-track session. The community recognized the value in speaking, sharing, and learning as one.
Strong Community Forum
A forum for keeping the discussion vibrant and creating a community outside the yearly event.
A strong community forum is invaluable to the attendees, many of whom, regularly participate in the symposium. The intersection of the sciences and arts is made stronger by the commitment that these members bring to the community. It’s great to see this program mature and transform over time. Each symposium is a bridge to the next event, built stronger year in and year out.
To foster better networking, we have tried many approaches including an external Slack community that garnered some attention a few years ago. Unfortunately, the momentum did not continue beyond the symposium’s closing session. Many attendees developed their own social connections. Others continue to meet and develop ideas through professional communities like the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE.)
A few ideas generated strong interest at this year’s EDT retrospective. One idea included a small core team using an IBM Enterprise Design Thinking session to help identify objectives and build on the agenda for the next symposium. Practicing IBM Enterprise Design Thinking might also help the committee simplify the future planning process. Another idea included more regular meetings between symposiums — aimed at talking about a single topic of interest. Using social media communities or networks like LinkedIn to communicate activity and plans is a logical next step.
This is just a reflection of one event, but one that has built a strong and respected following. The E&LE is a cornerstone gathering for the educators and professionals who are creating a strong and lasting connection between the sciences and arts. The formula for the success of the E&LE and any other similar event is simple and includes:
· practicing IBM Enterprise Design Thinking to help create a winning framework.
· establishing a planning team that represents the diversity of the audience.
· choosing a setting and location that encourages and supports open discussion.
· keeping the discussion strong all year long.
David Hans is Program Director for the IBM Z Content Development organization based in Poughkeepsie, NY. The above article is personal and does not necessarily represent IBM’s positions, strategies, or opinions.
