Entrepreneurship Education atThe University of

North Carolina at Greensboro

Professor Dianne H.B. WelshUNECE International Conference &

Capacity Building SeminarNovember 2010

1

Greensboro, NC

Characteristics of UNCG

• Founded in 1891 UNCG is the

– Largest public university in the Triad region with over 18,000 students

– Alumni base of more than 100,000 graduates

• Offers over 100 undergraduate, 61 masters, and 26 doctoral programs

• Holds two classifications from the Carnegie Foundation

– “Research university with high research activity”

– “Community engagement” in curriculum, outreach and partnerships

• Receives over $35 million annually in grants and contracts

• Learner-centered, inclusive and innovative institution

How We Are Building an Entrepreneurial University

• Academic Cross-Disciplinary Programs

• University-Wide Entrepreneurship Center

• Community Outreach

• Public Impact

Entrepreneurship Program

Focused in 7 areas based on research on economic growth,

regional expertise, and internal development:

• Creative Industries• Family Business• Franchising, Direct Selling & Other Forms• Healthcare Entrepreneurship• International Entrepreneurship• Social Entrepreneurship•Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Entrepreneurship

UNCG Entrepreneurship

• B.S. Entrepreneurship with 21 credit hours in the major

• Minor for Non-Business and Business Students in 5 courses (15 credit hours)

• Minor for Non-Business Students Requires an Entrepreneurial Finance Course for Non-Business Students

• Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in 4 courses (12 credit hours) open to anyone with a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution, 3.0 (B) Grade Point Average, and 3 letters of recommendation

Academic Cross-Disciplinary Courses

Blended learning objectives and assignments in 17 Areas:

North Carolina Entrepreneurship Center

MissionTo inspire and educate entrepreneurs, to help them start

and grow their businesses, and to serve as a catalyst for the creation of sustainable and globally competitive

enterprises in the Piedmont Triad, North Carolina and beyond.

VisionTo be the premier university-wide, cross-disciplinary,

collaborative entrepreneurship center in the United States by 2014.

North Carolina Entrepreneurship Center

• University-Wide Entrepreneurship Center

• Portal between the community and university expertise

• Advisory Boards

- Internal -30 faculty, staff, and students from across campus

- External-national outreach with 26 financially contributing members

- Both boards encompass the 7 areas of entrepreneurship

• Funding Initiatives:- $4 Million in 5 years

- Bridge incubator,

- On-Line Non-Credit Entrepreneurship Certificate

• Staffing:

- Full-Time Center Director & Part-time Founder & Executive Director- Full-time Program Coordinator

Outreach and Public Relations

• Partnerships

-Regional-Nussbaum Incubator, Biotech Alliance, EAT, SCORE, SBDTC

-State-wide –Innovation Council, North Carolina Entrepreneur Summit

-Global-Tech Transfer Society, Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers,

Family Firm Institute

• Programming

-Specialized Programs-Direct Selling, Family Business, Social Media

-International Speaker Series

-Southern Entrepreneurship in the Arts™ Conference-400 attendees, 6 states

-UNCG and Regional Business Plan Competitions

Research & Public Impact

• Technology Transfer Society

• Sponsor of the Journal of Technology Transfer

• 2010 Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers Award for Exceptional Activities in Entrepreneurship Across Disciplines

Summary of Where We Are Now

2007

• 4 Course Concentration in Small Business/Management

• No Center

• No Cross-Disciplinary Courses or Programs

• Minimal Outreach in Entrepreneurship

• Tech Transfer Office

• Research-1 Faculty in Economics and Public Policy

2010• B.S. Entrepreneurship, 2 minors,

graduate certificate

• 33 Entrepreneurship courses, 17 cross disciplinary, 22 by 2011

• North Carolina Entrepreneurship Center

• Office of Innovation and Commercialization,-pilot campus for state information system

• Research-2 Dedicated Faculty in Entrepreneurship-1 endowed chair, 1 tenure track, and 1 Faculty in Economics & Public Policy

If Invited Back in 2015, Here’s What I Hope to Tell You

• Living-Learning Community in Global, Sustainable Entrepreneurship with on-site incubator

• Cross-Disciplinary Entrepreneurship Courses in every Department

• Joint Projects with the School of Nano Science and Nano Engineering

• Research Grants in Entrepreneurship and Related Areas

• Dedicated Researcher in Entrepreneurship Grants and Research

• Additional Programs and Staff

• Fully Funded, Endowed Center

• Increased courses in more areas in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Entrepreneurship and Healthcare Entrepreneurship

What Should Have Been Done Differently?

• Hired an Endowed Chair in Entrepreneurship to lead the Program with Experience in Curriculum Building and Outreach Initiatives before starting

• Partial Center endowment established before opening

• Visible Office in the Center of Campus tied to Office of Innovation & Commercialization, Experiential Learning & Leadership Office

• ENT courses all cross-listed from the beginning

Is UNCG a Model to Emulate?

• 2010 Recipient of the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers Award for Exceptional Activities in Entrepreneurship Across Disciplines

• Most Cross-Disciplinary Academic Program in the United States for a mid-size universityCompleted in 2 years

Thank You

Professor Dianne H.B. Welsh

dhwelsh@uncg.edu

http://entrepreneur.uncg.edu