Kent State Univeristy

A Community of Entrepreneurs



Address: P.O. Box 5190
City: Kent
State: OH
Zip or Postal Code: 44240
Country: USA
Program Director (or best person to contact): Jennifer L. Noble
Email: jlnoble@kent.edu
Phone: 3306722269
Fax: 3306724043
Web Address: http://business.kent.edu/ace/

Brief Program Summary
ACE, or A Community of Entrepreneurs, is one of the newest learning communities on campus at Kent State University. ACE, which is intended for all majors at the university, is an academic and social community that offers students an opportunity to connect and work with others who share their enthusiasm for entrepreneurship. Students live in a common residence (Allyn Hall) and participate in a program that allows them to explore their own business ideas, learn from others, and work together to bring new concepts to life. Members of ACE will participate in courses and workshops linked around the entrepreneurial theme as well as gain the benefit of learning from others who have been down a similar path. Students in ACE will also have access to resources that can help them create their own business and expand their network of people across all disciplines and interests of the university. This will be accomplished through: Opportunities for students to be mentored by a faculty, staff or business professionals. Opportunities to attend tours of area businesses and exchange in dialogue with local and national entrepreneurs. Opportunities to connect with other students and develop life long business networks. Learning about the power of leadership and how to make yourself a good leader. Working closely with other students in different majors and different class levels. Opportunities to work with an entrepreneur in residence within the College of Business Administration.

Sources of funding
Currently is shared with the College of Business Colleagues Learning Community at Kent State University

Program Reports To:
Assistant Dean, College of Business

Are students charged an additional fee: No

The number of persons in each of the following categories are teaching academic credit bearing courses
Fulltime Tenured Faculty: 0
Fulltime Probationary Faculty: 0
Fulltime Instructors: 1
Fulltime Retired Faculty: 0
Fulltime Adjunct Faculty: 0
Fulltime Graduate Students: 0
Fulltime Residence Hall Staff: 0

Parttime Tenured Faculty: 0
Parttime Probationary Faculty: 0
Parttime Instructors: 0
Parttime Retired Faculty: 0
Parttime Adjunct Faculty: 0
Parttime Graduate Students: 0
Parttime Residence Hall Staff: 0

Academic staff involved in the program that weren't included as faculty above
(Academic staff are personnel who are involved in providing academic services to students such as advising.)
Fulltime Academic Staff: 1
Parttime Academic Staff: 1

Non-academic staff involved in the program
(Non-academic staff are personnel who are involved in providing services that do not directly involve academics such as residence hall staff or staff who organize social activities that are not tied to academics.)
Fulltime Non-Academic Staff: 0
Parttime Non-Academic Staff: 0
Number of faculty offices in the residence hall: 0
The approximate percentage of students in each grade level
First Year: 9
Second Year: 0
Third Year: 0
Fourth Year and above: 0
Graduate Students: 0

Total Number of Students: 9

Year the Program Began:2006

Academic Courses Offered In The Community
LC/FIG Leadership Workshop - 1 credit hour, graded University Orientation - 1 credit hour, pass/fail graded Introduction to Entrepreneurship - 3 credit hour, graded Speaker Series (Pairs with Introduction to Entrepreneurship) - 1 credit hour, graded

Other Academic Offerings
Other connecting academic coursework that relates to degree program.

Classrooms in hall
0

Summary of Facilities and Facilities Budget Comes out of general budget

Computer Resources in the Residence Hall
None

The Role of Community Partnerships
LC Program is affilitated with the Center for Business Innovation and Center for Entrepreneurship. Undergraduate Programs Office, College of Business Administration • Program Development – The program coordinator was guided under the direction of the Undergraduate Programs Office in the development of the CBC program (Elizabeth Sinclair-Colando). • Advising – The program coordinator and graduate assistant were trained for academic advising and advised the CBC participants (Jennifer Noble). • Issuing Permits – The departments assisted in lowering the course maximums to allow for the program coordinator to issue permits to reserve seats in specific business courses (Administrative Staff). • The staff of the CBC learning community worked the table for academic discovery days to attempt to recruit students into the community. • Conference Room – The conference room in the Undergraduate Programs Office was used for meetings, and focus groups (Kim Kearns & Patti Akers). • Clerical Supplies – The Undergraduate Programs office provided CBC with all supplies and gifts for speakers. Accounts will be settled with an IDC. Undergraduate Studies • PASS day – Advisors were trained on the program requirements and information was relayed to those students interested in the CBC program (Theresa Wallace & Gail Hall). • Student Advising Center – Advisors were given the appropriate course schedule to place the student into during PASS, a weekly list of students who were flagged as CBC students was posted in the advising cube (Theresa Wallace). • Budget – The department processed the expenditures for the CBC account 100347 and helped monitor the budget (Charlene McKeel). • The learning community coordinator attended Undergraduate Studies Staff Meetings once a month (Jennifer Noble). • The learning community coordinator interviewed several candidates for the position of Student Instructor for the University Orientation Class (Jennifer Noble). • Reimbursement – Undergraduate Studies assisted the learning community in reimbursement requests and account related questions. Residence Services • Residence Hall Placement – The department worked closely to monitor and place CBC participants together in the selected residence hall, Allyn Hall (Joel Bynum & TJ Logan). • Learning Community Coordinators – The LLC coordinators were lead and directed by Residence Services. Monthly meetings were held to discuss each learning community on campus (Joel Bynum). • Course Scheduling - The Senior Learning Community Coordinator assisted the learning community in reserving course sections for the Spring Semester of 2005, and Fall Semester 2005. University Scheduling • Room Reservations – The scheduling office in the student center was used to schedule rooms for programs including speaker and the meet and greet program held in Rockwell Hall (Susan O’Karma). Office of the Dean, College of Business • Room Reservations – The Dean’s office in the College of Business assisted the community in scheduling rooms for speakers in the Business Administration Building (Terry Teach).

The Role of Leadership Development
Students are enrolled in a for credit one hour workshop for 15 weeks that explores leadership development. It also provides students opportunities to connect with business professionals.

The Role of Research
We keep data on student success and grades.

Summary of Assessment Activities
Students take surveys each semester at the freshman level and after every program. The responses are recorded and then reviewed by the program staff.

Summary of Extracurricular Activities Formally Associated with the Program
Currently under development.

The Role of Interdisciplinary Studies
Students are connected to business professionals for mentroship opportunities and to connect with other academic classes.

How Diversity Issues are Addressed in the Program and in Courses
Students review a section for diversity in their orientation class.

How Diversity Issues are Addressed Among Faculty and Students
Currently under development.

Student Demographics
We have data about gender, race, high school GPA, ACT/SAT and current level of academic success. This is all exact information.

Faculty Rewards for Participation in the Program
Release Time:
Salary Supplement:
Travel Funds:
Other:

Description of Other Rewards


Disciplines Represented by the Faculty
Marketing

Willing to Serve as a Consultant:
Yes

Greatest Challenges for this Learning Community:
This is our first community in the College of Business that is interdisciplinary. We are finding challenges in recruiting students to the program and developing it so that students can maintain their degree progress in other academic colleges, while involving them in activities, coursework, programs and events.

Suggested Bibliography
Golde, C. M., & Pribbenow, D. A., (2000). Understanding faculty involvement in residential learning communities. Journal of College Student Development, 41, 27-40. Jaffee, David. (2004). Learning Communities Can Be Cohesive and Divisive. The Chronicle of Higher Education, B16 Kattner, T., (2004). Learning communities for commuter students. Recruitment and Retention in Higher Education, 18, 5. Laufgraben, J. & Sharpio, N. (2004). Sustaining & improving learning communities. San Francisco: Josey Bass. Maxwell, W. (1998) Supplemental instruction, learning communities and students studying together.Community College Review 26, 2 Pike, G. R., (1999). The effects of residential learning communities and traditional residential living arrangements on educational gains during the first year of college. Journal of College Student Development, 40, 269-283. Shaprio, N. & Levine, J. (1999). Creating learning communities. San Francisco: Josey Bass. Stassen, M. (2003). Student outcomes: the impact of varying living-learning community models. Research in Higher Education, 4, 5, 1-34. Zhao, C. & Kuh, G. (2004). Adding value: learning communities and student engagement. Research in Higher Education, 45, 2, 1-24.