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An Insider’s Perspective on Entrepreneurial Program Development at a Small and a Large Institution

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Abstract

Entrepreneurship educators have an opportunity to learn from the entrepreneurship programs at both small colleges and large universities that have already sprouted up and experienced growth, challenges, failures, and ultimate successes. Programs that have contributed to the current entrepreneurship milieu can help leaders who are launching new programs or retooling existing ones, providing information to assist in defining their outcome objectives and refining their offerings. The development of new entrepreneurship programs, one at a private liberal arts institution and one at a large state-related research university, is evaluated. The common threads of “what worked” are identified, highlighting themes that other institutions of any size undertaking new initiatives can leverage. Themes discussed include the identification of institutional champions, communication with members of the “student supply chain,” and offering both non-credit, experience-based opportunities and dynamic for-credit courses. In addition, implementing a strategy that includes faculty partnerships, designated advisory boards, and refined bootstrapping skills helps to ensure that robust human and capital resources are available for program delivery, growth, and sustainability.

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Notes

  1. http://www.northeastern.edu/studyabroad/programs/description/?id=132; http://ewasteatpsu.wordpress.com/; http://oia.pdx.edu/ea/details/international_field_experience_social_enterprise_in_urban_and_rural_india/; http://entrepreneurship.asu.edu/2011/03/29/creating-sustainable-community-ventures-ghana-study-abroad-summer-11; http://www.baylor.edu/business/entrep_africa/.

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Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Dan Mullen, Finance ’11, University of Pittsburgh College of Business Administration for his support during the preparation of this paper.

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  1. Lehigh University, 11 East Packer Avenue, Bethlehem, PA, 18015, USA

    Michael S. Lehman

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  1. Michael S. Lehman
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Correspondence to Michael S. Lehman.

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Associate Editor Michael Lehman oversaw the review of this article.

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Lehman, M.S. An Insider’s Perspective on Entrepreneurial Program Development at a Small and a Large Institution. Ann Biomed Eng 41, 1889–1898 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-013-0778-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-013-0778-6

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