Alex McKelvie, associate professor and chair of the Whitman School’s Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises department, accepts the National Model Program award at the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship annual conference in Los Angeles, California.
The Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises (EEE) program at the Whitman School of Management was recently named the National Model Program by the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) at its annual conference in Los Angeles, California, Jan. 10 – 14. According to the organization’s website the award “recognizes colleges and universities that provide comprehensive, bold, high quality educational programs that train future generations of entrepreneurs, as well as the comprehensiveness of a curricular program.”
“This accolade is major national recognition for the innovative and quality educational work that our committed team has been doing over a number of years,” says Alex McKelvie, associate professor and EEE department chair. “Our leadership in developing a novel career tracks system, offering cutting-edge new courses, attention to student learning and outcomes, infusion of academic rigor and experiential learning, and impactful programing were important reasons why we received this award.”
Professor McKelvie adds that the award would not be possible without the unwavering support of the Syracuse University and Whitman School leadership teams. “This award truly is a reflection of several years of team effort and investments,” he says.
“Entrepreneurship is an important dimension of the student experience at Syracuse University,” says Mike Haynie, Syracuse University’s vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation, and Barnes Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Whitman School. “In the face of an increasingly dynamic economic and social environment, empowering our students to think and act entrepreneurially is fundamental to their future success. We’re proud that the Whitman School is leading the way—and in concert with the Blackstone LaunchPad, the Barnes Family Entrepreneurship programs, and the many other entrepreneurship initiatives embedded within our schools and colleges—we should all be proud that Syracuse University is home to one of higher education’s most robust and most interdisciplinary entrepreneurship ecosystems.”
Previous award winners include the University of Arizona, Babson College, Texas Christian University and Baylor University, among others.
The Whitman School’s EEE program, which last year taught a record-breaking 3,000 students at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels, is unique through the creation of its four teaching tracks to prepare students for future careers in new venture creation, corporate entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship and family business. This allows students to be well-suited for the unique challenges in any entrepreneurial setting, whether it is in new or old companies, small or large organizations, not-for-profits or family businesses.
Its undergraduate curriculum combines classroom time with experiential learning opportunities and real-world business practice. Culminating in a senior year capstone experience where all students start a high-growth new venture and present it to a panel of external judges, EEE students gain invaluable hands-on experiences through intensive and interactive group-oriented projects.
The one-year M.S. in entrepreneurship (MSE) program is designed for students who want a “mini-MBA” with a key focus on entrepreneurship. There is also a newly created online master’s degree, Entrepreneurship@Syracuse. Both programs offer a rigorous entrepreneurial immersion with a large number of hands-on experiential learning courses.
Aimed at developing the entrepreneur within, the Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship serves as the cornerstone of Whitman’s top-ranked Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises program, helping to facilitate entrepreneurial activity on campus, as well as across local and regional communities. A recipient of the NASDAQ Center of Entrepreneurial Excellence award, the Falcone Center provides valuable entrepreneurial resources through the Couri Hatchery business incubator, the WISE (Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship) Business Center, the South Side Innovation Center and veteran’s entrepreneurship training, such as the Barnes Family Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) program.
About Syracuse University
Founded in 1870, Syracuse University is a private international research university dedicated to advancing knowledge and fostering student success through teaching excellence, rigorous scholarship and interdisciplinary research. Comprising 11 academic schools and colleges, the University has a long legacy of excellence in the liberal arts, sciences and professional disciplines that prepares students for the complex challenges and emerging opportunities of a rapidly changing world. Students enjoy the resources of a 270-acre main campus and extended campus venues in major national metropolitan hubs and across three continents. Syracuse’s student body is among the most diverse for an institution of its kind across multiple dimensions, and students typically represent all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Syracuse also has a long legacy of supporting veterans and is home to the nationally recognized Institute for Veterans and Military Families, the first university-based institute in the U.S. focused on addressing the unique needs of veterans and their families.
