The School of Business at North Carolina Central University has consistently aimed to facilitate experiential learning to generate a globally ready workforce, which is entrepreneurial in its approach when encountering dynamic and uncertain environments.

To further align our goals with that of UNC tomorrow to discover, create, transmit and apply knowledge to address the needs of the individual and society, the NCCU School of Business, proposes the following project: Facilitation of the emergence of sustainable enterprises in NC, through collaborative learning, between local businesses and NCCU students and faculty. The project ensures the achievement of UNC tomorrow’s mission by building a community of practice that will enable economic transformations first regionally and then expand nationally and internationally.

The interdependence between the academic and industry communities is no longer just a causal transaction. There is a dire need for socio-economically responsible behaviors among all members of a community. Existing businesses need the fresh perspectives of students, students need the reality of experiential learning and academicians need to focus on long-term as well as short-term application oriented research. It is only through the collaborative learning network can a society take that giant leap forward.

Keeping these aspects in mind NCCU’s School of Business has taken a three-pronged approach to implementing this proposal in its program:

1. Along with the SBTDC, the School of Business students in teams of 2 or 3 will work through out the semester with local businesses, helping the company analyze, strategize and implement action plans to be more successful socio-economically
2. A Minor in Entrepreneurship is being developed. Of specific interest are two courses which entail the following:
   1. Different Facets of Entrepreneurship- This course will give students an overview of International Entrepreneurship, Social Entrepreneurship, Sustainable Enterprises, Family Businesses, Minority Businesses, Specialty Businesses- like Tourism, Travel, Food and Beverage and Technological Entrepreneurship. It will encourage them to think across the board and potential opportunities
   2. Cases and Issues affecting Local Businesses- Local Entrepreneurs will be speakers, who will present their case to the students every week, and the students will have weekly assignments to provide effective solutions for these cases.
3. All faculty are encouraged to integrate a case study from the NC region in their course material
4. Keeping in mind the need for environmental awareness, all classes are encouraged to go paperless
5. A virtual entrepreneurial network is being proposed, that can share relevant research work, course materials, conduct local, national and international business plan training and competition.

The aim of this program is to encourage students and faculty to integrate their work with the local business community and to build a community of practice that can create a greater level of awareness among its stakeholders on how to achieve economic success through socially-responsible behaviors.

For further information, please visit NCCU's website.