|
Overview
The goal of
the Entrepreneurship Program at Elmhurst College is Ato increase
the awareness and interest in entrepreneurship through the coordinated
development of a variety of initiatives, opportunities, and experiences
as well as promote a synergy between the liberal arts and professional
education within the Elmhurst College Community.
The two central
themes of this program are; (1) promoting awareness and interest
of entrepreneurship to the Elmhurst College Community and (2)
embracing technology to aid the decision-making process of entrepreneurs.
These goals are addressed as follows:
Model
Collection for Entrepreneurship at Elmhurst College Library
The A.C. Buehler
library houses an extensive collection of the very latest information
on entrepreneurship. A variety of the latest multimedia, electronic,
books and journals have been assembled in the A.C. Buehler library
for easy access to students. The newly renovated library provides
comfortable entrepreneurship reading areas for students, faculty,
and the community. This collection was made possible by a grant
from the Coleman Foundation.
An E-reading
area has been established in the offices of the Center for Business & Economics
to bring entrepreneurship reading materials directly to students,
faculty, and visitors to the CBE.
Elmhurst College Entrepreneurship
Conference, Spring 2003
Entirely student
organized, this conference brings prominent entrepreneurs to
campus to address students, faculty, alumni, and community members.
Students decide the presentation topics, contact the speakers,
and promote the conference to the college community and the surrounding
communities. The conference is designed with multiple break-out
sessions which allow participants to attend several different
sessions.
Coleman
Foundation Entrepreneurship Workshop Series
Intended for
a serious entrepreneurs, these workshops run throughout the year
and are designed to aid entrepreneurs in their endeavors. These
workshops focus on a variety of entrepreneurial topics and have
included: Entrepreneurial Research Using the Internet, Accounting
Workshop, Performance Appraisals, Financial Issues in Starting
a Business, Creating a Webpage, and Innovation and the Entrepreneur.
These workshops are made possible by a grant from the Coleman
Foundation.
Entrepreneurship
Across the Liberal Arts
To encourage
non-business students to consider the opportunities presented
by self-employment, speakers from different liberal arts backgrounds
such as sociology, art, music, and psychology are invited to
speak to liberal arts audiences at the college. This contact
with real-life entrepreneurs presents the possibilities for self-employment
for liberal arts graduates.
Entrepreneur
Scholarships
Students with
a serious interest in entrepreneurship can be awarded a scholarship
to aid them in realizing their dreams of self-employment. Students
must develop a business plan and the competition is keen.
Internships
With the goal
of providing students a hands-on experience, a limited number
of internships are awarded each year. These internships are awarded
to the most promising young entrepreneurs and these students
gain exposure to the real world of entrepreneurship.
National
Entrepreneurship Conferences
Top students
are invited to make a presentation at a national entrepreneurship
conference such as the Annual Entrepreneurship Education FORUM
conference. Students must submit a formal proposal for their
presentation which must be approved and accepted by the conference
organizers. The students are exposed to the top entrepreneurship
educators from around the country and are able to share their
own stories with other top students.
Credit
Offerings
Students can
select from several formal course offerings: Entrepreneurship,
the Small Business Institute, E-Commerce independent studies,
and several seminars devoted to entrepreneurship and small business.
Integration
of Technology
A fundamental
component of The Elmhurst College Entrepreneur Program is a belief
in the importance of technology to entrepreneurs. With the aid
of computers, internet technology, resource databases, and web
links, students can utilize resources which can help them make
sound business decisions. This philosophical approach runs throughout
the Elmhurst College Entrepreneurship Program.
|
