A COLLABORATIVE UNDERGRADUATE ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM

AMONGUNIVERSITY OF PORTLAND (OR)ST BENEDICTS/ST JOHNS (MN)

ST MARYS UNIVERSITY (TX)

E-Scholars Program

Winner - USASBE Outstanding Specialty Program 2001/2012

Purpose of E-Scholars Programs

E-Scholars is a comprehensive entrepreneurial development program for undergraduate students in all majors

The program gives students from any major on participant campuses an opportunity to identify an opportunity, then implement and lead a business enterprise that aims to be best in class

Entrepreneur Scholars Program Format

Program combines: classroom work interaction with world-class entrepreneurs and

enterprises participation in local, national and international

“ecosystem” domestic and international business travel applied learning

3

Program History

Created at University of Portland in 1999Expanded in 2004 – 2006 with Grant from

Coleman Foundation St. Johns University and College of Saint Benedict,

Minnesota St. Mary’s University, Texas

Available to many more

4

Six Core Principles

1. Represent entrepreneurship as a noble vocation

2. Strive for excellence 3. Develop talent 4. Believe in a self-conscious education 5. Believe in building communities 6. Be resource providers

5

Use Classrooms without Boundaries

Travel domestic and internationalVisits to entrepreneursGuest lecturersVisiting entrepreneur mentorsMultiple faculty

6

Three Core Courses/Adapted at Each School

1. Creating World Class Organizations: how opportunities and innovations are developed into world-class ventures;

2. Global Entrepreneurship: global feasibility of innovations, global implications on innovation and how innovation can solve global problems;

3. The Entrepreneur Apprenticeship: supported venture launch or apprenticeships

7

E-Scholars Curriculum

Fall 2011 Spring 2012

BUS481 Entrepreneurship Apprenticeship (3)

Venture Launch/Prototyping

Entrepreneurial Internships

Projects

BUS480

World-Class Venture Creation (3)

Ideation/Opp. Assess.

Feasibility Analysis

BUS482

Global Entrepreneurship (3)

Business Models

Intl. Aspects/Culture

Business Plan & Pitch

Make Use of Individualized Learning Plans

Each student :Explores their own industry of interestVisits entrepreneurs in their areas of interestAttends workshops, lectures, etcCreates own venture plan

9

Domestic & International Travel to Meet Entrepreneurs on Their Own Turf

10

Inter-institutional and University-wide

Faculty Teams from multiple disciplines Faculty from Business, Engineering, Sciences, Social

Sciences Development and Alumni Relations Offices Entrepreneurship Center Director

Broad reach to students across all majors Brief all faculty annually Help to identify potential students and encourage them

to seek out more info and apply

11

E-Scholar Student Consortium

2 Day Student Consortium Combining Students of All Schools Each Winter Elevator Pitch Competition - $500 prize “24 Hour Business Plan” Competition – Inter-

institutional Teams Entrepreneurship Knowledge Team Playoff

Active and Challenging Set of Co-curricular EventsProgram Event Timeline

October/November- Idea Bash/Business Pitch E-scholars Fall Break – NYC/Silicon Valley Best

Practices TourFebruary – Invention to Venture or Similar EventLate February – E-scholar Student Consortium Christmas or Spring Break – International

Business TripApril-$100K Business Plan Competition

Continuous Evolution of Content & Delivery

Faculty Consortium each Summer for Lessons Learned/Best Practices

Adapting program for new approaches to means-driven entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation

Entrepreneurship faculty at all institutions continue to research and integrate changes and best practices in the field

National/Local External Partnerships

Escholar Student VenturesCostello’s Travel Caffé

EnableMart

A car sharing program

• Partnering with Enterprise

• Started fall 2011

Challenges and Lessons Learned

Keeping curriculum fresh, individualized and locally relevant while maintaining program principles.

Exchange of ideas and best practices, not rigorous timelines, books, activities

Students have regional differences, styles, etc. based on institution, but have developed similar core knowledge, skills, confidence and values – all focused on identifying an opportunity and executing well on it to create value, meaning and change

The World is Flat – similar exposure, attitudes and goals

Growing the Consortium of E-Scholar Campuses

Consortium supports all E-Scholar Campuses that commit to core program and its values

Consortium members communicate regularly, faculty teams meet annually, students gather annually

Opportunities for students to broaden there reach and compete with others that have similar curriculum and experiences

20