Plotting Academic Innovation: A Content Analysis of Twenty Institutional Websites

Academic innovation is an increasingly integrated effort and focus area in higher education institutions. Academic innovation units often include multiple foci, such as teaching and learning research, faculty development programming, and entrepreneurial elements. However, there is a lack of consensus on what defines successful academic innovation or how best to contextualize innovation efforts within a particular university environment. This content analysis of 20 university academic innovation websites explored the varied approaches, programming, and communication pathways of academic innovation as revealed through publicly available website content. Findings suggest varied levels of academic innovation impact along with common tensions regarding innovation effort versus efficacy. Additionally, the analysis surfaced challenges in communicating innovation successes across internal and external audiences.