Roundtable on Entrepreneurship Education for Scientists and Engineers

Roundtable on Entrepreneurship Education for Scientists and Engineers Stanford University, October 27, 2004 CLINICAL MODEL TO PROMOTE ENTREPRENEURSHIP TO ENGINEERS K. Mark Weaver Anthony J. Marchese Rowan University 201 Mullica Hill Rd. Glassboro, NJ 08028 http: //users. rowan. edu/~marchese

OVERVIEW CLINICAL MODEL TO PROMOTE ENTREPRENEURSHIP TO ENGINEERS Rowan University’s Project Based Learning Initiative The Engineering Clinic Sequence The Undergraduate Venture Capital Fund The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship The Technology Entrepreneurship Concentration The No-Prerequisites Policy for all Entrepreneurship Courses The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Gen Ed Course Summary and Discussion

ROWAN UNIVERSITY History of the University Located in Glassboro, NJ. Founded in 1923 University renamed in honor of Henry Rowan after $100 million gift in 1992 to create the College of Engineering program started in 1996 Technology Entrepreneurship Certificate program started with NCIIA grant in 2003 Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship started in 2002

ROWAN UNIVERSITY Where we are today Accredited engineering (CEE, Ch. E, ECE, ME) and business programs. High-quality undergraduate engineering programs 3 rd Ranked Chemical Engineering program 11 th Ranked Mechanical Engineering program Award-winning, project-based curriculum Multidisciplinary Masters program Highly competitive graduates Graduate study at Princeton, Stanford, Cal Tech, Berkeley, Illinois, Penn, etc. External funding Factor of 10 increase in research funding since 1995 Faculty reputation Carnegie Scholar ASEE Recognition NSF Career Award winner Entrepreneurial focus: 9 new courses UG, 3 Grad

THE ENGINEERING CLINIC Toys AN 8 -SEMESTER 24 -CREDIT ENGINEERING DESIGN SEQUENCE Competitive Assessment Freshman Clinic I: Engineering Measurements Guitar FX C o m p le x I t y Freshman Clinic II: NSF Competitive Assessment Lab Sophomore Clinic I: Total Quality Management and Writing Sophomore Clinic II: Entrepreneurship and Public Speaking Frosh Soph. Automated Crash Notification System NASA m. G Boiling Junior Clinic: Multidisciplinary Design Project (semester) Senior Clinic: Multidisciplinary Design Project (year) Junior Senior

JUNIOR/SENIOR ENGINEERING CLINIC FOUR SEMESTER MULTIDISCIPLINARY “CAPSTONE DESIGN” The Clinic Culture: All 32 engineering faculty supervise a clinic team(s). Junior/Senior clinic is the only course offered in the engineering building on Tues. /Thurs. 12: 30 -3: 30. All students must complete 4 semesters of clinic. All students must work at least 1 semester for a professor outside their discipline. Students are “hired” onto their clinic team each semester in a job fair environment. Projects are sponsored by local industry (SONY, Boeing, Exxon. Mobil, smaller companies), faculty research grants (NASA, NSF, NJDOT), or by the RUVCF All projects must show design, build, analyze and test. Project-based learning model has served as a model for entire university, resulting in an adjusted workload model.

THE UNDERGRADUATE VENTURE CAPITAL FUND PROMOTES DEVELOPMENT OF ORIGINAL STUDENT PRODUCT IDEAS The Rowan Undergraduate Venture Capital Fund has been initiated by a series of grants from the NCIIA and private donors. Funding of up to $2500 per team is awarded to student E-Teams based on a competitive proposal process. Examples of UVCF rapid product development projects sponsored to date from 1998 -2004 include: Engineered Bed for Autistic Children Clutch. Knobs: Guitar Tuning Device Chemo. Temp Sno. Rhino. TM The Helping Hand Drill Bite Digi. Tails Eyezon

UNIVERSITY STARTUP ENTERPRISES FROM IDEA…TO PROTOTYPE…TO PROFITABLE ENTERPRISE

UNIVERSITY STARTUP ENTERPRISES FROM IDEA…TO PROTOTYPE…TO PROFITABLE ENTERPRISE Excellent Fair Poor

CAMPUS FOCUS ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP COORDINATED EFFORTS OF BUSINESS AND ENGINEERING COLLEGES Hired endowed Chair in Entrepreneurial Studies in 2002. Created the Rowan Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in 2002. Created Entrepreneurship Concentration in 2003 Received NCIIA Grant to start a Technology Entrepreneurship Certificate program in 2003 Created a Student Venture Fund for the College of Business Hired a second entrepreneurship faculty member in 2004 Approved as NCIIA I 2 V site for 2004 Approved for an NCIIA pilot of I 2 V-2 Boot Camp Project for 2005

TECHNOLOGY ENTREPRENEURSHIP CONCENTRATION A CERTIFICATE PROGRAM FOR ENGINEERING AND BUSINESS

CAMPUS FOCUS ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION COURSE Success of the project based learning model in engineering has resulted in a campus-wide emphasis on project-based learning. This spring a new elective entitled Entrepreneurship and Innovation (E&I) is being approved as a social and behavioral science general elective. Designation of an entrepreneurship course as a Gen Ed course is a major milestone since core curricula at most institutions avoid “professional” courses in favor of “liberal arts” courses. Traditional Gen Ed courses often serve as introductory courses for liberal arts majors and are less likely to assimilate ideas across disciplines. Core concepts of entrepreneurial thinking are consistent with the purpose of general education and therefore belong in the core curriculum model. Entrepreneurship adds a new dimension to general education by emphasizing integrative learning and fills a gap defined by leaders who seek to reinvigorate general and liberal education.

E & I GEN ED COURSE Who are the Entrepreneurs of the Future? Recent self employment statistics include: Geoscientists-12% Music Majors- 40% Psychology Majors- 13% Economists- 13% Writers/Authors- 33% Artists- 50% Exercise Sciences- 40%

E & I GEN ED COURSE Reframing Entrepreneurship for General Education Audiences Identifying the Multiple Entrepreneurial Domains Emphasis on “Opportunity” Thinking Links to Problem Solving and Strategies Integration of Creativity Learning Models Discussion of Entrepreneurial Careers from start-up to social entrepreneurs

CAMPUS FOCUS ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP The “No Course Prerequisites” Policy for Entrepreneurship Courses To encourage campus-wide participation in the Entrepreneurship program, the University has developed a “no course prerequisites” (NCP) policy for all entrepreneurship courses. The NCP policy was proposed as a part of a new entrepreneurship specialization that includes 9 undergraduate and 3 graduate courses. The NCP policy was the result of the vision of the founder of the program, the support of the Provost, and active involvement of two Deans in the process. Five key elements influencing this policy include: 1) Prior difficulties with the “by permission of instructor” approach 2) Successful Entrepreneurial Boot Camp for non-business faculty 3) Development of an interdisciplinary, project based learning proposal 4) Creation of the Technology Entrepreneurship Certificate Program 5) Development of new undergraduate and graduate entrepreneurship programs

NO COURSE PREREQUISITES POLICY Core Beliefs for Adopting a NCP Policy Entrepreneurship is an opportunity mentality All disciplines benefit from expose to entrepreneurial mindset Waiver of prerequisites is based on using project teams We do not all need to be the same!! Learning is an additive not just duplicative process

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS CLINICAL MODEL TO PROMOTE ENTREPRENEURSHIP TO ENGINEERS ABET EC 2000 enables development of bold, risky curricula (as long as you define and measure outcomes). Integration between College of Engineering, Business and CIE is key to successful product realization and opportunity analysis The Technology Entrepreneurship Certificate formalizes the process for business and engineering students Project-based learning and entrepreneurship are catching on as a campus wide initiative New faculty workload models 12 new entrepreneurship courses approved Entrepreneurship Gen Ed course No prerequisites for entrepreneurship courses

UNIVERSITY STARTUP ENTERPRISES FROM IDEA…TO PROTOTYPE…TO PROFITABLE ENTERPRISE

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Undergraduate Venture Capital Fund has been supported by a series of grants from the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA) and the Rowan Family Foundation. The Technology Entrepreneurship Concentration was also supported by NCIIA. Product development resources have been supported in part by NSF under the grants DUE 9751651 and DUE-9850563.

CAMPUS FOCUS ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT “EDUCATING STUDENTS NOT JUST FOR A JOB BUT TO CREATE JOBS” Northern New Jersey is home to 3000 more high-tech firms than Silicon Valley… …but, the economic climate in Southern New Jersey is quite different. Regional need for Rowan University to be an economic engine for southern New Jersey NJ High-Tech Corridor Rowan Since 2000, the College of Engineering has graduated over 400 engineers Reality: By 2003, despite our focus on entrepreneurship, a grand total of 3 students had started their own companies upon graduation.

CENTER FOR INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP AT ROWAN UNIVERSITY Established in 2003 Coleman Foundation Grant for Entrepreneurial Boot Camp for non. Business faculty Created Entrepreneurs Forum for Southern New Jersey Approval for Entrepreneur-in-Residence Approved as NCIIA I 2 V site for 2004 Received NJ Smart Growth funding for 3 community economic development studies Participating in EPA grant with Engineering and Liberal Arts Created MOA with regional economic development councils

THE SOUTH JERSEY TECHNOLOGY PARK AT ROWAN January 2000. Gov. Whitman announced a plan to build a Technology Center in Southern New Jersey. June 2001. Rowan awarded $6 M by NJEDA to build the South Jersey Technology Park. Dec. 2002. Master plan developed, 501(c)3 corporation initiated, Board of Directors selected. June 2003. Master plan complete for 200 acre, 1. 5 Million SF Tech Park. Fall 2004. Ground breaking for first Tech Park building, the 45, 000 SF “Innovation Center”.