
The New Normal Challenge
Develop equitable ideas that will help BU students transition back to campus (in-person or virtually) this fall and foster community, connection, and wellbeing!
This summer, BU Student Government, UMOJA, the Dean of Students Office, and Innovate@BU are partnering to host The New Normal Challenge.
This is an opportunity for students to embrace the entrepreneurial mindset and focus on developing recommendations, interventions, new events or traditions, and so much more that will help the BU community begin to heal and reconnect while we transition to a hybrid community this fall.
Attend the Finalists Showcase on September 23!
Meet the 2020 Student Impact Track Finalists
Team: Samridh Seth (CAS’23) and Malvika Khandelwal (CAS’23)
Team: Brooke Bedell (CAS’24)
Team: Hailey Hart-Thompson (CAS & COM’21), Maria Camila Vargas (Pardee’21), Jessica Weber (Sargent & Kilachand ’21), and Christina Lamagna (COM & Kilachand ’21)
Team: Mansi Thakrar (SPH’21)
Team: Mayuri Nagpal (COM’21) and Gabrielle Cockerham (Sargent’21)
Team: Allie Wei (CFA’21) and Hayden Tutty (CFA & CAS ’21)
Team: Kira Milgrim (ENG’23)
Team: Jesus Amenta (MED’22)
Team: Chloe Grubb (ENG’23), NIck Palladino (ENG’23), and Quentin Dassault (ENG’23)
Team: Reed Romanko (CAS’22), Elisa Cordeiro (ENG’22), and Dongyue Xu (CAS’24)
Team: Ioanna Yiannakou (MED’24)
Team: Ashley Hsieh (CGS’21, Questrom’23), Paul Ovadek (CGS’21, Pardee’23), Katie Fong (CGS’21, CAS’23), and Vickie Luo (CFA’23)
COVID-19 has turned our world upside down this year and required all of us to make sacrifices and adjustments as we figure out our “new normal”. BU is committed to having students back on campus this fall as well as providing remote learning and engagement opportunities, but the global pandemic will continue to impact all of our lives for the foreseeable future whether we are physically on or off-campus. The New Normal Challenge is an opportunity for students to be heard by key decision-makers, as well as develop their own innovative ideas for life on- and off-campus. Participants will also be provided with helpful resources and optional workshops to design equitable ideas and strong applications. Faculty and staff members that are interested in supporting this program should fill out this form. Have questions about the challenge? Email our team at sibuild@bu.edu. Submit an idea to the Dean of Students Office that the University could implement to improve the undergraduate student experience. Submit an idea that you design, develop, and could implement this fall that makes a positive difference in student life on or off-campus. All submissions must adhere to the safety and health guidelines required by the federal and state governments, and the University (see resource links below to better understand these precautions). Students are encouraged to address the following categories: Ideas that address the following categories are not eligible for the challenge: Have questions about the challenge? Email our team at sibuild@bu.edu. These events are optional but highly encouraged. Kick-off and Workshops will be recorded and made available here. Dean of Students: Back2BU Virtual Info Sessions Boston University will hold ten meetings to discuss the fall 2020 1-2:30 pm EDT Learn more about the New Normal Challenge, ask questions, and find potential teammates to work with. Watch the workshop video replay. View the workshop slides. Idea Feedback Session Get constructive feedback on your idea through small breakout groups with campus experts, students, faculty, and staff. Watch the workshop video replay. View the workshop slides. Student Impact Track applicants will be notified of seed grant award status. Top ideas from the Charles River Campus Track will also showcase their ideas. Have questions about the challenge? Email our team at sibuild@bu.edu. While it is not required to work on a team, we highly encourage it! Diverse perspectives, talents, and experiences will help you build a strong and equitable idea. Below are a few resources for finding and building a team of fellow students. All ideas must adhere to federal, state, and campus guidelines for health and safety. In addition, we highly recommend you leverage the following resources as you develop your idea. This track is led by the Dean of Students Office and is focused on the Back2BU Guide which is aimed primarily at undergraduate students. We encourage students, both undergraduate and graduate, to also participate in the Student Impact Track! Charles River Campus Ideas will be reviewed by Kenneth Elmore, Dean of Students, Judy Platt, Director of Student Health Services, Peter Smokowski, Vice President of Auxiliaries, and a panel of student leaders. All ideas will be reviewed and will receive follow up for either: 1) more details that could lead to idea implementation 2) or feedback to help the student continue to workshop the idea. The Dean of Students Office will contact students if this track if their idea is being implemented on campus. Absolutely! Nope! We welcome all kinds of ideas at whatever stage it is at, so long as you meet our other requirements. Remember your idea can still be in the development phase but you must demonstrate your commitment to continuing to develop the idea if awarded prize money. We use blind scoring to evaluate all applications. Please be thorough in your responses as ideas. This scoring rubric will be used by our BU community of experts for initial applications. Unfortunately, not this time. Pick the idea that you’re most excited about, and don’t worry, Innovate@BU’s resources are still available to help you move all of your ideas forward! Prize money should be used to continue developing and implementing your idea. Check out all of Innovate@BU’s offerings here to see which programs resonate with where you are in development. We also recommend that you consider joining the Innovation Pathway which will help you reach more milestones through additional programs, 1:1 coaching and resources to track your progress, gain measurable traction, and potentially earn additional funding to help move your idea forward. Thanks for your interest in supporting this program! Faculty and staff that are interested in providing expertise, advice, and guidance to students working on ideas can complete this form. A staff member will be in touch with more details.Challenge Overview & Tracks
One Challenge, Two Tracks
Charles River Campus (CRC) Ideas Track
Student Impact Track
Idea Categories
Timeline & Deadlines
Kick-off Events & Helpful Workshops
July 16-22
semester and the University’s response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Check the schedule for your school/college’s session. All sessions will be recorded. Tuesday, July 28
Challenge Kick-off and Ideathon!
Friday, July 31
1-2:30 pm EDT
Is My Idea a Good Idea? Workshop
We’ll help you identify ripe opportunities for ideas and find teammates through student leader-facilitated breakout sessions.Tuesday, August 4
1-2:30 pm EDT
Watch the workshop video replay.Tuesday, August 11
1-2:30 pm EDT
How Do I Effectively Communicate My Idea? Workshop
We’ll help you finalize your application before the deadline and share helpful marketing and communication strategies to support your idea.Deadlines & Announcements
Saturday, August 15, midnight EDT
Submission deadline for both tracks.
August 24-28
Up to 10 ideas will receive $500 seed grants.
All applicants are encouraged to continue working on their ideas with the help of Innovate@BU’s Innovation Pathway program.Late August and Mid-September
New Normal Challenge
Virtual Showcase
The 10 finalists form the Student Impact Track will present a 2-minute pitch of their idea, share progress, and make a call for additional students to join their team.
The audience will vote for one team to receive an additional cash prize.
Helpful Resources
FAQ’s
Charles River Campus Track
Why is the Charles River Campus Track only open to undergraduate students?
Who will review my idea in this track?
What happens after I submit a recommendation?
How will I know if my idea is being implemented?
Can I submit more than one recommendation?
Student Experiences TrackDo I have to turn my idea into a business?
How are applications scored?
Can I submit more than one application if I'm working on more than one idea?
How can the seed grant be used?
Can I keep working on my idea after the New Normal Challenge whether I win a seed grant or not? What else can I do to develop my idea?
How can BU faculty or staff be involved?