1.
E-Scholars Program
A COLLABORATIVE UNDERGRADUATE
ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM
AMONG
UNIVERSITY OF PORTLAND (OR)
ST BENEDICTS/ST JOHNS (MN)
ST MARYS UNIVERSITY (TX)
Winner - USASBE Outstanding Specialty Program 2001/2012

2.
Purpose of E-Scholars Programs
 E-Scholars is a comprehensive entrepreneurial
development program for undergraduate students
in all majors
 The program gives students from any major on
participant campuses an opportunity to identify an
opportunity, then implement and lead a business
enterprise that aims to be best in class

3.
Entrepreneur Scholars Program Format
Program combines:
 classroom work
 interaction with world-class entrepreneurs and enterprises
 participation in local, national and international “ecosystem”
 domestic and international business travel
 applied learning
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4.
Program History
 Created at University of Portland in 1999
 Expanded in 2004 – 2006 with Grant from
Coleman Foundation
 St. Johns University and College of Saint Benedict,
Minnesota
 St. Mary’s University, Texas
 Available to many more
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5.
Six Core Principles
1. Represent entrepreneurship as a noble vocation
2. Strive for excellence
3. Develop talent
4. Believe in a self-conscious education
5. Believe in building communities
6. Be resource providers
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6.
Use Classrooms without Boundaries
 Travel domestic and international
 Visits to entrepreneurs
 Guest lecturers
 Visiting entrepreneur mentors
 Multiple faculty
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7.
Three Core Courses/Adapted at Each School
1. Creating World Class Organizations:
how opportunities and innovations are developed
into world-class ventures;
2. Global Entrepreneurship: global feasibility of
innovations, global implications on innovation and
how innovation can solve global problems;
3. The Entrepreneur Apprenticeship: supported
venture launch or apprenticeships
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8.
E-Scholars Curriculum
BUS481 Entrepreneurship Apprenticeship (3)
Venture Launch/Prototyping
Entrepreneurial Internships
Projects
Fall 2011 Spring 2012
BUS480
BUS482
World-Class Venture
Creation (3) Global Entrepreneurship
(3)
Ideation/Opp. Assess.
Business Models
Feasibility Analysis
Intl. Aspects/Culture
Business Plan & Pitch

9.
Make Use of Individualized Learning Plans
Each student :
 Explores their own industry of interest
 Visits entrepreneurs in their areas of interest
 Attends workshops, lectures, etc
 Creates own venture plan
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10.
Domestic & International Travel
to Meet Entrepreneurs on Their Own Turf

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11.
Inter-institutional and University-wide
 Faculty Teams from multiple disciplines
 Faculty from Business, Engineering, Sciences, Social Sciences
 Development and Alumni Relations Offices
 Entrepreneurship Center Director
 Broad reach to students across all majors
 Brief all faculty annually
 Help to identify potential students and encourage them to seek out
more info and apply
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12.
E-Scholar Student Consortium
 2 Day Student Consortium Combining Students of
All Schools Each Winter
 Elevator Pitch Competition - $500 prize
 “24 Hour Business Plan” Competition – Inter-institutional
Teams
 Entrepreneurship Knowledge Team Playoff

13.
Active and Challenging Set of Co-curricular Events
Program Event Timeline
 October/November- Idea Bash/Business Pitch
 E-scholars Fall Break – NYC/Silicon Valley Best
Practices Tour
 February – Invention to Venture or Similar Event
 Late February – E-scholar Student Consortium
 Christmas or Spring Break – International Business
Trip
 April-$100K Business Plan Competition

14.
Continuous Evolution of Content & Delivery
 Faculty Consortium each Summer for Lessons
Learned/Best Practices
 Adapting program for new approaches to means-
driven entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation
 Entrepreneurship faculty at all institutions continue
to research and integrate changes and best practices
in the field

15.
National/Local External Partnerships

16.
Escholar Student Ventures
Costello’s Travel Caffé

17.
EnableMart

18.
A car sharing program
• Partnering with Enterprise
• Started fall 2011

19.
Challenges and Lessons Learned
 Keeping curriculum fresh, individualized and locally
relevant while maintaining program principles.
 Exchange of ideas and best practices, not rigorous
timelines, books, activities
 Students have regional differences, styles, etc. based
on institution, but have developed similar core
knowledge, skills, confidence and values – all
focused on identifying an opportunity and executing
well on it to create value, meaning and change
 The World is Flat – similar exposure, attitudes and
goals

20.
Growing the Consortium of
E-Scholar Campuses
 Consortium supports all E-Scholar Campuses that
commit to core program and its values
 Consortium members communicate regularly,
faculty teams meet annually, students gather
annually
 Opportunities for students to broaden there reach
and compete with others that have similar
curriculum and experiences
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