SU earns top-10 ranking for its entrepreneurial success

SU earns top-10 ranking for its entrepreneurial successOctober 22, 2004Cynthia J. Moritzcjmoritz@syr.edu

Syracuse University has been named number seven among the “Top 25 Most Entrepreneurial Undergraduate Campuses in the Country” by The Princeton Review. SU was cited for such innovations as its Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Learning Community; its annual Business Plan Competition; and “The Orange Hatchery,” a business incubator that accommodates eight student ventures. Also mentioned were alumni who have become entrepreneurial successes, including Marvin Lender, Lowell “Bud” Paxon and Dick Clark.

“At SU, we try to carry the energy and creativity that are identified with entrepreneurship throughout all of our programs, be they in the business area, liberal arts or one of our other professional specialties,” says Chancellor Nancy Cantor. “We are proud to have the Princeton Review recognize our entrepreneurial spirit.”

Among the criteria were whether the school has any prominent entrepreneurs on its undergraduate teaching faculty. At SU, such faculty include Norman Faiola, chair of the Nutrition Department in the College of Human Services and Health Professions, who has created several tools for restaurant kitchens; and Jozef Zwislocki, professor emeritus of sensory research and inventor of several hearing-related devices, including the accepted standard for hearing-aid earphones and a new hearing protection device that is likely to change the industry.

“This is an important recognition for Syracuse University,” says David C. Smith, SU’s vice president for enrollment management. “So much of what we do here is pointed toward preparing our students for the real world, academically, socially and personally. We have believed for many years that combining the best attributes of a liberal education with the background offered through professional programs would give our students what they need for success in the 21st century.

“This study supports the proposition that when it comes to your future, Syracuse University is definitely an excellent value for the price.”

The emphasis on entrepreneurship has also spread off-campus with the development of programs that take undergraduates into the Syracuse community to support local entrepreneurs and to South Africa to work with entrepreneurs in the townships surrounding Cape Town.

“At Syracuse, we challenge students to live entrepreneurial lives and to make a difference in this world,” says Michael H. Morris, the Chris Witting Chair in Entrepreneurship in SU’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management. “A top-10 ranking from Princeton Review is a wonderful endorsement of our commitment to the philosophy of ‘every student an entrepreneur.'”

“There are so many terrific colleges and universities that fall short when it comes to preparing their undergraduates for success in the real world, that we were motivated to look at the characteristics of schools that celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit,” says Robert Franek, editorial director of The Princeton Review. “The schools on this list all provide access to the critical training and experiences they’ll need to become tomorrow’s business leaders.”

To identify the schools, The Princeton Review surveyed the colleges ranked in The Best 357 Colleges based on the type of on-campus entrepreneurial activities available, including: mentoring, experiential learning, and campus clubs. The rankings also consider the number of successful alumni entrepreneurs and industry/school partnerships. The complete list and methodology are available at http://www.forbes.com/entrepreneur. The Princeton Review partnered with Forbes.com to compile the rankings.