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The NC State Engineering Entrepreneurs Program

The NC State Engineering Entrepreneurs Program aims to retain student interest in engineering, improve leadership and teamwork skills, and prepare students for the 21st century workplace. It follows a success-oriented approach with multi-semester participation and weekly seminars. Students form "companies" and make team presentations. The program has been successful in improving student retention and developing entrepreneurial skills.

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The NC State Engineering Entrepreneurs Program

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  1. The NC State Engineering Entrepreneurs Program Tom Miller Associate Dean, College of Engineering Presentation for Evergreen State College May 26, 2000

  2. Program Objectives • Retain student interest in engineering • Improve retention of underclassmen by providing senior leaders as role models • Improve leadership and teamwork skills • Prepare students for 21st century workplace

  3. Program Organization • High-tech entrepreneurial theme • Entrepreneurial “companies” composed of vertically integrated student teams. • Success-oriented approach. • Multi-semester participation. • Weekly seminar series. • Team presentations.

  4. “Company” Organization • “Companies” composed of 5 to 20 students. • “Vertically integrated” teams include engineering students at all levels. • “Company” themes based on student interests. • Senior leaders earn 4 credits; underclassmen earn 1 credit.

  5. Success-oriented Approach • No examinations. • Students sign “contract” which defines their expected performance and deliverables. • Senior leaders negotiate contracts with their faculty advisor; underclassmen negotiate contracts with their senior leaders.

  6. Multi-semester Participation • Students may join a “company” as freshmen and can stay with that company until they graduate. • Participants who stay in the program eventually become company leaders. • Students earn one credit for each semester of participation; leaders earn four credits.

  7. Entrepreneurs Program Seminar Series • Weekly seminars on topics related to “high-tech” entpreneurship. • Topics include entrepreneurial success stories, marketing, capitalization, legal issues, and others. • Most popular speakers are engineers who have become successful entrepreneurs.

  8. Seminar examples • Kelly Campbell, Interface Technologies • “30 lessons in starting a small business” • Dennis Daugherty, Intersouth Partners • “Venture Capital: Funding a start-up company” • Bill Nussey, iXL • “Ten truths about high-tech start-ups” • Scot Wingo, AuctionRover.com • “The AuctionRover experience” • Donnie Barnes, Bob Young, Marc Ewing, Red Hat Software • “The business of open source software”

  9. Student Team Presentations • Each “company” makes three presentations each semester: • Statement of company mission, goals, objectives, organization, and strategy. • Mid-semester progress reports. • Final presentation. • All students must participate in at least one company presentation.

  10. Examples of Student Companies • Body Systems Innovation • on-body motion analysis systems • MechTek Software • interactive tutorial software for students and practicing engineers • DevNULL • cd-rom UNIX distribution for NCSU students • Cyber Games, Inc. • “Star Jump” 3-D computer action/adventure game

  11. Program Evaluation • End of Course survey • Interviews with former students • Surveys of current and former students • Comparison of Entrepreneurship students with NCSU engineers and NCSU student body. • Based on data from 1993-96

  12. Students are more likelyto complete their degrees

  13. Persistence* Rates of Freshman Cohorts * Persistence = Enrolled + Graduated

  14. Students are more likely to stay in engineering

  15. Results were mixed on the influence of senior leaders “My senior leader’s determination rubbed off on me and helped me get motivated.” “I wouldn’t ask him what to have for lunch!”

  16. Most students felt teamwork skills improved

  17. Nearly all senior leaders feel that their leadership skills have improved

  18. Students find application to the “Real World”

  19. Articles and Products

  20. NPR Morning Edition February 23, 2000 News and Observer January 9, 2000 Recent Press Highlights

  21. For more information... • http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/eep/

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