Mohawk College looking to forge ideas into solutions with first-of-its-kind program (media release)

Mohawk is launching a first-of-its-kind program to solicit innovative ideas on how to make the college an even better place to learn and work.

iDeaForge is a custom-built online suggestion box, clearinghouse and voting booth for students, faculty and staff. Modeled after similar programs used in the private sector and believed to be the first for a postsecondary institution in Canada, iDeaForge was developed by a team of students and faculty working in Mohawk iDeaWORKS.

During the summer semester, students, faculty and staff will submit ideas to the iDeaForge website between June 8 and July 22 and then vote on their favourite ideas from July 23 to Aug. 5. The top vote-getting idea will be reviewed by President Rob MacIsaac for possible implementation.

“iDeaForge is all about communicating high quality and actionable ideas among our students, faculty and staff across the entire college,” says Ted Scott, Mohawk’s Chief Innovation Officer. “Along with implementing an innovative solution each semester, we’re looking to use IdeaForge to share and build off ideas and start college-wide conversations about how to make Mohawk an even better place to learn and work.”

iDeaWORKS is holding a launch party for iDeaForge on Wednesday, June 8 at noon in the Mohawk Learning Exchange Collaboratory.

Based at Mohawk’s Fennell Campus, iDeaWORKS brings students, recent graduates, faculty and staff together with industry and community partners to work on applied research and innovation projects.

Mohawk College annually serves 16,000 full-time and apprenticeship students, 700 international students and more than 42,000 continuing education registrants. In the latest provincial student satisfaction survey, Mohawk ranked first among all colleges in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area for student and graduate satisfaction and quality of learning, programs, services and facilities.