Institutional Innovation at UNT

New Ventures

New Ventures is where UNT rethinks not just what it offers, but how it works—designing, testing, and launching new ways to serve our students, partners, and communities.

Explore Signature Projects
UNT faculty and staff collaborating during an innovation workshop.

How New Ventures Works

Identify

Recognize emerging institutional needs

Prototype

Develop and explore possible responses

Test

Learn what works in real settings

Scale

Transition proven solutions for broader impact

A collaborative team developing ideas with notes and planning materials.

What We Do

Most institutions treat innovation as a series of one-off projects. New Ventures takes a different approach.

We work systematically, identifying emerging needs, prototyping responses, testing what works, and handing off proven solutions to the teams that scale them.

Our Agile Innovation framework helps us turn isolated ideas into lasting institutional change.

Signature Projects

These initiatives demonstrate how New Ventures moves emerging ideas from exploration to sustainable institutional impact.

UNT professionals collaborating around artificial intelligence and digital technology.

Institutional AI Strategy

Ongoing

How UNT is integrating artificial intelligence into teaching, research, and operations—effectively and responsibly.

This work is built on three pillars:

  • Literacy: Understanding and using AI well
  • Efficiency: Automating routine work to free people for the work only people can do
  • Discovery: Researching and developing emerging AI tools and practices

Key UNT partners: Division of Information Technology and Office of the Provost

Explore UNT's AI Resource Hub
Faculty members reviewing accessible and inclusive course materials.

Universal Design for Learning

Operational

A coordinated initiative that builds accessibility into instruction from the start.

Incubated by New Ventures as UNT's proactive response to new federal accessibility requirements, it now operates as a campus-wide resource hub, UDL@UNT.

The initiative gives faculty and staff the training, tools, and guidance to design learning that works for every student.

Key UNT partners: Office of Disability Access, Office of the Provost, and University Brand Strategy and Communications

Visit UDL@UNT
College students receiving guidance about courses and transfer opportunities.

Texas Statewide Course Sharing

Launching Fall 2026

As the first four-year institution to join the Texas Statewide Course Sharing Exchange, UNT is opening access to courses that community college students cannot get at their home institutions.

This initiative helps students progress toward their degrees while building a transfer pathway to UNT.

External partners: Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Collin College, Dallas College, Grayson College, North Central Texas College, and Tarrant County College

Key UNT partners: Division of Enrollment and Division of Information Technology

Learn About Course Sharing