In the 2011 spring semester, CIC2020 selected 22 Binghamton University students representing all majors to enroll in the Proseminar in Civic Entrepreneurship. The class focused on fostering university-community relations and partnership building in social, civic, and business enterprise, leadership instruction, and innovation. A crucial component and unique aspect of the course has been the exploration of various entities in the Greater Binghamton Area in different economic sectors and learning from guest speakers.
Catalysts for Enterprise at the Confluence
The focus of 2011′s Proseminar was on the “how to” of encouraging social, civic and business enterprise by students. We built upon the work of the last four Proseminar cohorts and found inspiration for student involvement in the programs at Syracuse University’s Falcone Center of Entrepreneurship to amplify what we do here at Binghamton University. We utilized our Entrepreneurship Across the Curriculum (ExC) award for the purpose of our action research project to set the tone for what we hope to discover and accomplish throughout the spring 2011 semester in order to make recommendations to the campus and community. The 2011 cohort will share their recommendations on the afternoon of May 13, 2011 at the University Downtown Center.
Where did CIC2020 take the Pro-seminar students in 2011?
1/28: Orientation & Team Building – University Downtown Center
2/4: Partnership-Building Session – University Downtown Center
2/11: Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship – Syracuse University
2/25: Brainstorming Session – University Downtown Center
3/4: Roundtable on Entrepreneurship in Binghamton – City Hall
3/11: Community Development Financial Institutions – Alternatives Federal Credit Union
4/1: Art Enterprise: Leveraging your passions – Susan Jablon Mosaics
4/8: Building University-Industry Partnerships – Innovative Technologies Center (ITC) & Endicott-Interconnect
What were the objectives for the course? (Pro-seminar in Civic Entrepreneurship)
1.) Examine the present and prospective role of universities in fostering the economic, social and environmental change that makes regions competitive in a global economy.
2.) Explore the role of universities and their students in academic capital formation and marketing of innovation in the knowledge economy.
3.) Explore the significance of principles of Livability and Smart Code, and New Urbanism theory, to create a thriving economy for a sustainable community.
What were the objectives for the research project? (Catalysts for Enterprise at the Confluence)
1.) Foster university-community relations and build partnerships in social, civic and business enterprise, leadership instruction and innovation.
2.) Directly address the retention of young talent in the Southern Tier by focusing on student enterprise through collaborative efforts between the Pro-Seminar students, the City of Binghamton, and other professionals.
3.) Hold a strategic final presentation for community leaders as the capstone project for the course in order to offer recommendations on best practices to make the Southern Tier a destination for those seeking quality of life, opportunity and prosperity.
Recommended Texts:
Cities and the Creative Class, Richard Florida (0-415-94887-8)
The Art of the Start, Guy Kawasaki (1-591-84056-)
The Smart Growth Manual, Andres Duany and Jeff Speck with Mike Lydon, (978-0-07-137675-4)
The Power of Social Innovation: How Civic Entrepreneurs Ignite Community Networks for Good, 2010, Stephen Goldsmith (978-0-470-57684-7)
