School:Converse College
Converse College
Converse College is an all-women’s college in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Founded in 1889, Converse continues to adhere to its founders ideals, seeking to provide a comprehensive liberal arts education to young women from across the globe. It has received press in past years for lowering its tuition by 43 percent. In 2014, it ranked 23rdamong Regional University South’s college rankings.
Social Entrepreneurship
As an Algernon Sydney Sullivan school, Converse has a longstanding tradition of service to others. In recent years, this focus has continued on to social entrepreneurship. A select number of collegiate courses are dedicated to Social Entrepreneurship’s applications in the surrounding community, and worldwide. Particularly interested individuals can choose to attend the Sullivan Social Enterprise retreat in the fall or spring sessions. Converse has also sent a team to the foundation’s social venture competition. Converse continues to increase its Social entrepreneurship offerings, from courses and seminars to exploratory learning trips.
Future
In 2014, Converse funded its first university Innovation Fellow, Nadia Gathers. Funding this program has put Converse’s dedication to constant growth and institution-wide innovation at the forefront. It joins other upstate universities in the program, including Wofford, Clemson, and Furman.
Converse currently offers extensive programs in skills such as leadership, managerial processes, and others necessary to build a successful repertoire outside of college or university. It also provides multiple opportunities for students to conduct individualized institutional research. Presently, they offer only one course specifically geared towards entrepreneurship and has no formalized internal structures for individuals to pursue such a path if they are interested. Although it’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is in its infancy, Converse’s dedication to fostering female leadership and excellence primes it for a revolution in the space.
Related Links
Converse_College_Student_Priorities
Landscape Canvas: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JVaZ9GOkZr8fR-M77oq20ffKLskqlyEIz68s3UN2Ahk/edit#gid=0
Business Model Canvas: https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1tOhh8s1tTxbIJS6XLpmX_CkDbZBkq5iGWYdCfV98eBE
