FAMU’s School of Business and Industry has a storied reputation for producing top-rate students who soar up the corporate ladder. New Dean Shawnta Friday-Stroud wants to build upon that legacy by making SBI America’s premier training ground for black small business owners.The FAMU Board of Trustees recently approved SBI’s plans to develop a bachelor of science and master of science in entrepreneurship.
“There is a dearth of viable small and minority businesses,” SBI officials wrote in the university’s Strategic Plan. “An emphasis in entrepreneurship can prepare aspiring business owners and promote job creation and wealth accumulation in the local, state and national environments, particularly in minority communities.”
A small business is an independent company that consists of fewer than 500 employees. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms, employ just over half of all private sector workers, and pay 44 percent of the country’s total payroll.
Small businesses are also responsible for most of America’s new jobs. They accounted for 64 percent (or 14.5 million) of the 22.5 million net new jobs (gains minus losses) between 1993 and the third quarter of 2008.
Florida’s three biggest public research universities already offer entrepreneurial instruction. FSU offers an undergraduate major in entrepreneurship. UF and USF offer a minor in entrepreneurship as well as a master of science degree in the field.
Great Move SBI!!!
ReplyDeleteYes! There should be a legacy of Sustainability as a principle lynchpin.
ReplyDeleteAbout damn time! Negroes always late to the party! Stop training these brothers/sisters to be slaves for the man!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great idea. I taught at SBI while I was working on my phd and I would ask the class how many of you have a million dollar idea that you cannot wait to start working on? 90% hands up.
ReplyDeleteMost students wanted to be record producers, so maybe SBI and the music school should collaborate.
Interestingly, when I taught at FSU or any other college, hardly any of the students were interested in starting their own business... they are working for the J.O.B.
I've yet to meet a successful entrepreneur who studied to be one. The question remains, are entrepreneurs made or born?
ReplyDelete9:06, I agree, there are claases out there if the business since is all they are missing. Money, drive and an idea is what it takes to make it happen. Look at the big Fortune 500, maybe they are going to be studing to run someone elses company. Question, Do you need a B.S. or M.S. to run someone elses business?
ReplyDelete12:33, That wasn't the point. What happens when these companies get big and become corporations. SBI has served a much needed void in the world and shouldn't stop just because some people don't think that SBI as it was couldn't produce entreprenuers. FAMU already had a program that just wasn't part of SBI. It was eliminated in the late 90's and I was always faithful that this proposal would come to life. geez
ReplyDeleteThe categorization of small businesses should be adjusted to less than 200. Bigger is not always better or sustainable. I think this will help with the drain or resources for true small business which spurs growth. (Like majority wives registering as minority despite their wealth) Frankly 500 employees in the 21st century is a huge company on the ground. Furthermore this will clear up the confusion with small companies having to be mis-characterized and hidden by the success or lack thereof of the huge "small" business.
ReplyDelete4:27, most fortune 500 companies were built on the backs of our families and now on the consumerism programmed within most of us unfortunately. Furthermore they went to college and most were from money families, married into pedigree or was somehow associated, save for the few breakthroughs. My point is that we have to know that businesses can't be predatory, must be of the people and MUST BE SUSTAINABLE! That in itself is worth studying and watch the progress. Sustainable businesses will by nature have advances in technology and practices which should all be anchored in Green thinking. Let's learn from our mistakes and empower our legacy of small business again.
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome news.......
ReplyDelete@12:33am You obviously didn't read the article or understood what you read. Entrepreneurship means to self employee so obviously they are making an effort to teach Black people how to be successful at working for them selves.
Dr. Friday is the dean of SBI!
ReplyDeleteThe school has really come down a notch. I was thinking about coming down for some recruiting but damn....
I'm not sure SBI is full of the same kids it had just 5 years ago.
I guess I don't feel so guilty about mentoring UF students now.
You'll do what you will, Uncle Ruckus. Smh
ReplyDelete...And what's wrong with Shaun-tay?
ReplyDeleteShe's a very smart woman. I think she'll do a great job!
Don't know what they're actually having to sit through ...
ReplyDeleteBut I just hope that whatever curriculum(s) they implement there from now on ...
That the students all come out looking HAPPIER than they do in that picture!
You cannot teach entrepreneurship! Everything a student needs to run a business is already taught in SBI! As a MBA graduate and owner of a ver good small business I know htis for a fact.
ReplyDeleteYou CAN indeed teach certain aspects of what it takes to be an entreprenuer ... although I agree that a large part of what it takes to be one is more intrinsic.
ReplyDeleteOne of the criticisms of SBI in the past was that at one time its curriculum & programs did nothing but kick out Fortune 500 Zombies, and that anything considered outside the SBI Comfort Zone was discouraged &/or highly frowned upon.
Just the fact that SBI is finally looking to bring/move the School into the 21st Century somewhat, and from under the seeming cloud of inertia that it has never been able to get from under since Dr. Mobley's departure should be seen as a positive.
New programs, new dean: all good. In the meantime, however, will the school ever be accredited? just axin'.
ReplyDeleteSBI is accredited. I don't know if it ever got around to getting certified by that business school association (which is what people are talking about when they talk about "SBI accreditation."). I certainly hope not.
ReplyDeleteDean Mobley had it right...a non-traditional course load (the primary complaint of the business school association was that SBI 5 yr students took too many hours) is what is needed for a school like SBI to constantly beat its Ivy league peers.
Previous SBI figureheads have really bungled this issue...hence the reduced performance of the school...