The Corporate Creative Inquiry Program

Corporate CI

Partner with Clemson and Creative Inquiry to sponsor a project through the Corporate Creative Inquiry (CCI) Program.

The Corporate Creative Inquiry program allows industries to engage intelligent, creative Clemson undergraduates in industry-relevant projects and in doing so contribute to building the workforce of the future.

Students apply their knowledge and skills to ‘real world’ problems. Industries gain visibility on campus and have the potential to recruit interns or employees who understand their companies.

Corporate Creative Inquiry is best suited for open-ended topics that can be addressed through iterative exploration, design, implementation and evaluation cycles. Projects should extend across at least one calendar year. Student teams will cycle through the project, with each student engaged for at least two semesters. The needs of the project will determine the composition of the student team. Students may be recruited from within a single discipline or from several different disciplines.

A Clemson University faculty member will mentor the undergraduate team as they work on the project. Some projects may be co-mentored by an experienced graduate student.

At the discretion of the company, selected students may be offered internships at industry sites. The internships may relate to the academic year Creative Inquiry project or may align with other corporate priorities.

In a Corporate Creative Inquiry project, the corporate partner will:

  • Propose a topic that can be addressed by advanced undergraduate students mentored by a Clemson faculty member;
  • Identify individuals within the partner industry to champion the project internally and communicate with the Clemson students; and
  • Support project expenses.

The Creative Inquiry program will:

  • Assist the industry company to formulate an appropriate topic
  • Recruit faculty mentors for the project
  • Manage project and produce reports

For more information or to propose a CCI, please contact Barbara Speziale (864.656.1550; bjspz@clemson.edu) or Cora Allard-Keese (864.656.0721; callara@clemson.edu).