Earlier this year Ron Mitchell, head of the entrepreneurship program at University of Victoria, reviewed in this column the current state of entrepreneurship education and training at various universities nationally, as well as at the universities in Utah.
Referencing Karl Versper's tracking of entrepreneurship education in North America, Mitchell noted that there are dramatic developments at some schools. However, Utah schools "appear to be lagging in building full-fledged entrepreneurship programs." As a result of that article, I decided to take a closer look at the entrepreneurship education programs at the universities within the state.Recently, I had the opportunity of interviewing Stephen W. Gibson, Entrepreneur in Residence at the Center for Entrepreneurship in the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University. His responses to the following questions seem to indicate that entrepreneurship education at BYU is rapidly becoming a full-fledged integrated program.
Question - Steve, what is the purpose of the Center for Entrepreneurship?
Answer - The mission of the Center for Entrepreneurship is to enhance the development of entrepreneurship worldwide by creating and building a strong entrepreneurial education and research program in the Marriott School of Management at BYU.
The aim is to help students, educators, entrepreneurs and organizational decisionmakers both in and out of the LDS Church pursue the entrepreneurial mission by dedicating the center to the cause of nurturing creativity and innovation in the world marketplace.
Question - What is your personal philosophy of entrepreneurship education and training?
Answer - I liken entrepreneurs to piano players. Occasionally there is a born entrepreneur, a prodigy. However, even though one may not be born with a great deal of musical talent, one can learn the techniques of piano playing. Through study and practice, almost anyone can learn to play the piano, and play it well. I feel the same way about entrepreneurship. Through training, mentoring and education a person can improve his or her ability to be a successful entrepreneur.
Question - I have heard you speak of a group called Entrepreneur Founders. Who are they and what role do they play in relation to the Center for Entrepreneurship?
Answer - The Entrepreneur Founders is a dedicated group of individuals who help the Center for Entrepreneurship financially, and by giving their time to help set policy and give direction for entrepreneurial education. They are qualified entrepreneurial role models for both factory and students. They are men and women throughout the United States who see value to entrepreneurship education and have committed time and money to the Center for Entrepreneurship to help enhance that process for the benefit of the students.
Question - What is an example of something particularly significant which the center does in terms of student programs?
Answer - A number of significant student activities have been developed in the Center for Entrepreneurship. One of them is the Business Plan Competition which is held annually during the Entrepreneur Founders Conference. Students submit original business plans for evaluation by a group of Founders and faculty. Often, students with viable business plans find Founders who are willing to fund the start-up of their project. The winner of the last year's competition is currently on schedule for approximately $1.4 million of revenue in 1996 by establishing his business plan as a going business venture.
Question - What role, if any, does the center play in the community?
Answer - Sometimes universities are criticized for not helping small business. The Center for Entrepreneurship at BYU sponsors conferences and seminars to bring together individuals to discuss issues critical to small business leaders and provide educational seminars for entrepreneurs.
Question - How is the Center for Entrepreneurship viewed by others?
Answer - Interestingly, our program has been rated by our peers, which is other universities in the state, as the top program in the state of Utah. In addition, we are very pleased to have been ranked among the top twenty-five universities for their entrepreneurship programs in the nation, as noted in an article in Success magazine this past year.
Question - Is entrepreneurship education a priority at BYU?
Answer - The Marriott School of Management has named Entrepreneurship as one of its three Centers of Excellence for the school. For that reason, the entrepreneurial courses for undergraduate and graduate students am plentiful and solid academically. An entrepreneurship emphasis exists for undergraduate students and for graduate students in the MBA program. This provides the opportunity for any student in the Marriott School of Management to receive an education in entrepreneurship. We are also opening up out courses for non-business majors. For example, the student who is majoring in communications or child development may want to start a business in their field."