School:Rowan University
Contents
CAMPUS OVERVIEW
Promoting Student I&E
RCIE
The heart of I&E at Rowan University is the Rohrer College of Business, which houses the Rowan Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (RCIE). The RCIE provides students with resources and opportunities to get connected with mentors and seed funding for their entrepreneurial ideas. The RCIE hosts 70+ events each semester, such as Design Thinking, Prototyping, and Innovation Express workshops.
More information about RCIE can be found here: https://ent.rowan.edu/rcie/
IDEA Challenge
Annually, Rowan hosts the Idea Challenge in partnership with the Rowan Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The Idea Challenge is designed to connect, educate and help students realize their entrepreneurial potential. The RCIE chooses local industry professionals as judges to qualify which of the team product pitches has the most potential. Once a decision is reached, the winning team is awarded seed funding for their product or service. This event is hosted in the fall to segway entrepreneurial students into the Venture Challenge in the Spring, which offers further financial support for start-up companies.
More Information about the IDEA Challenge can be found here: https://ent.rowan.edu/rcie/startupru/competitions/ideachallenge.html
Clubs and Programs
There are a wide variety of clubs and programs on Rowan Universities Campus that encourage I&E amongst students. A few of note are listed below, but this is not a comprehensive list
CEO Club
Automotive and Robotics Society
Studio 231
Engineering Organizations:
- Engineering Without Borders
- National Society of Black Engineers
- Society of Automotive Engineers
- Society of Women Engineers
- etc...
More information about Rowans Clubs and Organizations can be found here: https://rowan.campuslabs.com/engage/organizations
New Venture Competition
A competition specifically for students to generate new, lucrative ideas and encourage them to take advantage of their beneficial business and entrepreneurial ideas. It provides a valuable experience that makes it possible for students to prepare for their futures in innovation and teach them about entrepreneurship.
More Information about the New Venture Competition can be found here: https://ent.rowan.edu/rcie/startupru/competitions/nvce.html
Majors/Minors/CUGS
Majors
- Entrepreneurship
- Entrepreneurship Engineering
Minors
- Entrepreneurship
NOTE: There are 11 separate entrepreneurship minors each corresponding to a different major
CUGS (Certificates of Undergraduate Study)
- Cannabis Entrepreneurship
- Creative Industries Entrepreneurship
- Entrepreneurship Innovation and Technology
- Real Estate Entrepreneurship
More Information about Rowan University's I&E Undergraduate Programs can be found here: https://ent.rowan.edu/academics/undergrad/
Encouraging Faculty I&E
Rowan100
UIF faculty member Mike Dominik plans to launch Rowan100, a program to spur small businesses in the Glassboro area to celebrate Rowan's 100 year anniversary. The student UIF cohort of 2021 worked with him on this endeavor.
More about Rowan 100 can be found here: https://sites.rowan.edu/centennial/social.html
More about the 2021 Rowan University Cohort can be found here: Category:Rowan University (2021 cohort)
Grant Workshops
Rowan University is very proud of the robust research oppertunities available to students and faculty. Specifically for faculty however, there are workshops available on how to apply, use, and operate grants for research and other projects. This is a resource that is specifically put on for faculty. Past workshops have included, but are not limited to: "Overview of Grant Application Process", "Finding Grant Funding", and "Cayuse".
More Information about the Rowan University Grant Workshops can be found here: https://research.rowan.edu/officeofresearch/sponsoredprograms/workshops.html
Actively Supporting University Technology Transfer Function
Office of Technology Communication
Rowan University proudly holds an Office of Technology Communication that effectively defends, advocates, and manage the intellectual property produced by the university. Not only do they manage all of the school's IP's, but they are also the department that assesses how marketable or unmarketable a product or service may be in the South Jersey setting. Additionally, they help build new government and industry relationships while assuring compliance with federal rules and regulations. They also are passionate about educating students and faculty about how intellectual properties work as well as the technology-transfer process.
More information about the Office of Technology Communication can be found here: https://research.rowan.edu/officeofresearch/commercialization/
Facilitating University-Industry Collaboration
Engineering Clinics
The "Engineering Clinic" is an idea that is unique to the engineering coursework at Rowan University.
Students of all engineering majors come together to tackle real-time industry research or professor work. Junior and Senior engineers at Rowan can choose what research project to work on as their Clinic course each semester. Some of these courses are sponsored by government companies or industry in which students have the equivalency of working under a company for course credit. These clinic range from designing Mars mining equipment for NASA to implementing medical equipment to providing relief efforts for third-world-countries after natural disaster. Some students even start their own projects to make their own Clinic course with the help of University funding.
Industry and research projects go even beyond the classroom at Rowan, however. The addition of our South Jersey Tech Park creates a research facility for a variety of projects, ranging from drone research to a virtual reality center. On top of that, a lot of STEM professors at Rowan conduct independent research projects, in which case they take on a team of interested students for the opportunity to be a part of their research.
More Information about the Rowan Engineering Clinics can be found here: https://engineering.rowan.edu/academics/clinics_new.html
Internships
Rowan has many opportunities for students to collaborate with industry. Apart from the many corporate partnerships of the school of business and the RCIE, students frequently get co-ops with companies like Subaru and Lockheed Martin, however opportunities are not limited to these two companies alone. These co-ops can be completed for course credit, which encourages students to get real world experience in industry pre-graduation, as well as giving industry a look into how current employee's are being educated.
More Information about Rowan Internship opportunities can be found here: https://business.rowan.edu/experience-rohrer/internships.html
Entrepreneur In Residence
In order to encourage both mentorship and networking, Rowan University offers a special opportunity for students of any major to make an appointment with the entrepreneurs in residence. These incredible thinkers offer advice, knowledge, and experience to any student interested in entrepreneurship. Students can make appointments with them and help students to learn how to think beyond their goals.
More Information about Rowans Entrepreneurs in Residence can be found here: https://ent.rowan.edu/rcie/entrepreneurinresidence.html
Saxby's Experiential Learning Program
Rowan is a proud member of a multi-institutional program that encourages undergrad, hands-on learning that encourages students to think ahead and encourages I&E at a very base level. Saxby's is a coffee chain company in multiple universities along the east coast, where each establishment is entirely run by the students at that particular university, allowing students to climb ranks, come up with new business ideas, and practice practical innovation. The Rowan Saxby's is well loved by students on campus and can be found in the Rohrer College of Buissness Building.
More information about Rowans Saxby's Location can be found here: https://ent.rowan.edu/rcie/saxbys.html
More Information about the Saxby's program as a whole can be found here: https://www.saxbyscoffee.com/the-saxbys-elp/
Engaging With Regional and Local Development Efforts
Rowan Innovation Venture Fund
The Rowan Innovation Venture Fund, co-founded by Howard Lubert, is a University based $5 million private-equity fund. Established in 2014 and provides early stage funding to students, faculty, alumni, and companies that have developed and tested products. This Fund heavily contributes to a growing initiative in encouraging entrepreneurial and innovative campus growth. Howard Lubert is also the Area President of the Keiretsu Forum Mid-Atlantic. Through Keiretsu, Rowan students can get funded for projects.
The New Jersey Entrepreneurship State Fund is also available to Rowan students as it is awarded to a NJ student on a yearly basis through the NJ State Department.
More Information about the Rowan Innovation Venture Fund can be found here: https://ent.rowan.edu/rivf.html
AccelerateRU
AccelerateRU is a summer program that encourages entrepreneurship through helping students increase the speed at which they can get their ventures off of the ground. Depending on the project, there is also an opportunity for seed funding. Students are coached on marketing, design thinking, as well as legal matters regarding IP's. These projects, historically, have greatly benefitted the grater Glassboro area.
More Information about AccelerateRU can be found here: https://ent.rowan.edu/rcie/startupru/accelerateru.html
South Jersey Tech Park
The South Jersey Tech Park was generated from a generous donation that seeks to improve the technological advancments of the southern New Jersey Area as well as increasing technological advancements and research of Rowan University.
More Information about the South Jersey Tech Park can be found here: https://sjtechpark.org/
IDEAS TO BRING I&E TO CAMPUS
To increase collaboration between the different colleges.
- Create a Student Government Association chartered club that brings together students from different clubs to communicate and discuss collaborative efforts. June 2018
- Host competitions that require individuals to team with students who have different skills in diverse fields. February 2017
- Implement an interdisciplinary course that encourages students to work together. September 2019
- Host events that incorporate speakers who appeal to students in all diverse fields. June 2017
- Implement a program that connects students to partners who have the skills they lack. June 2017
- Pass a bylaw in the SGA constitution that requires SGA chartered clubs to not only perform community service hours, but, to also collaborate with a number of clubs every year. June 2017
To encourage students to think creatively.
- Make students aware of the Hatch House incubator on campus. This is a space where students are free to collaborate, think and relax with other students. February 2017
- Bring a Ted Talk to campus as a means of inspiring and motivating students. September 2018
- Educate faculty about how to foster innovation in the classroom as opposed to limiting it. September 2020
- Implement a required course that teaches students the difference between design thinking and lean startups and how to utilize them in the real world. September 2021
- Host events that foster innovation. This can be a competition asking students to create a more efficient bike. The winner can receive money or just bragging rights! February 2018
- Host our own very short mock UIF program where we lead students in learning about design thinking. We will work with them to identify campus problems and to solve those problems. May 2017
To educate students about what it means to be an entrepreneur.
- Host events in which CEO’s come to speak about their entrepreneurial experiences. March 2017
- Host an information session that brings together campus innovators and teaches students about what it means to be a CEO. March 2017
- Host an event in which students are put onto diverse teams and must create a mock startup. February 2017
- Work together with the CEO club to foster entrepreneurship in fields other than business, especially STEM. January 2017
- Require students of all majors to take the Entrepreneurship & Innovation class offered to business students on campus. September 2019
- Create a video series interviewing entrepreneurs and market it to students on campus. The series will discuss what it means to be a CEO and how to do it. March 2017
To create awareness about Rowan's entrepreneurial resources.
- Work with Rowan’s American Marketing Association to market Hatch House Ventures. March 2017
- Speak to the marketing department about using Rowan’s entrepreneurship resources as the project for their marketing plan classes. For this class, dozens of students will work together to produce an extensive marketing plan for the organization or project. April 2017
- Work with all club leaders to send press releases to their members about resources our school offers. We can also come to speak at their meetings to educate students about the resources. March 2017
- Create a website that compiles a list of resources that Rowan has. This will be similar to what the UIF Rowan Wiki page may look like but will be for Rowan students. It will be able to direct them to where they are looking to go. September 2020
- Host an orientation-like event for freshmen students that educates them about the resources we have. September 2019
Related Links
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Rowan University Student Priorities
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