MSU bolsters state's business, economy continued
In addition to other related courses and programs,
Neighborhoods initiative supports student success
the Eli Broad College of Business offers a
The MSU Neighborhoods initiative—a
specialization in entrepreneurship, providing
new concept in on-campus living that
students with experiential learning opportunities in
brings together a variety of student
which they work alongside entrepreneurs to make
services in one location—is expanding
real business decisions.
after last year's successful start on the
The MSU Entrepreneurship Network, or msuENet,
provides entrepreneurs—including MSU students—
east side of the Michigan State University
campus.
with educational opportunities, resources, mentors,
This semester the initiative moves to the
and funding. A Certificate in Entrepreneurship
west and south sides of campus, setting
program offers a crash course in developing
up shop in the newly remodeled Brody
entrepreneurial skills through experiential learning.
Neighborhood and Holden Hall. When
"Developing an entrepreneurial mindset helps
students seek opportunities, develop innovative
solutions to problems, weigh risks and benefits,
take action, and make a difference," says Barbara
Fails, interim director of msuENet. "Whether those
the project is fully operational, MSU will
consist of five unique undergraduate
neighborhoods and Spartan Village, as
well as a soon-to-come-online virtual
neighborhood.
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skills are applied to the creation of a commercial
MSU Neighborhoods is a new model for supporting
indications that East Neighborhood students, by
enterprise or simply to various aspects of their
student success, bringing together the environments
taking advantage of the on-site math and writing
personal, professional, and social lives, they are
in which students live and learn and the services they
services, performed better in those classes than other
important skills to hone and use."
need. It focuses on four central themes: intercultural
students. One reason for the academic success,
Fledgling student entrepreneurs also can test their
wings in the Hatch, a business incubator that
development, academic support, residential support,
particularly in math, is that the math department was
and health and wellness.
able to customize the services it provided based on
the particular classes students in the neighborhood
enables them to grow their ideas in a creative,
The hub of each neighborhood is the engagement
collaborative environment. A partnership between
center, which houses student resources. Here,
the City of East Lansing and msuENet, the Hatch
students can socialize and study, seek academic
Simon says this ability to customize and the gathering
provides space for students to interact with like-
assistance, or even see a health care provider.
of input from the students are what will continue to
minded students, faculty, and local businesspeople.
were taking.
make MSU Neighborhoods successful.
"The Neighborhoods Project is more than just having
"It's always going to be dynamic because the people
And thanks to a $1 million endowment established
people from different places coming together to live,"
by the Forest Akers Trust in January 2011, MSU
says MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon. "It's people
who live there will have a strong voice in how it
undergraduates who develop business concepts
from a variety of places interacting with one another,
evolves—taking this set of assets, this set of services,
can form teams, cultivate faculty and industry
getting to know and learn about one another and
and shaping them in ways that best meet their needs,"
mentors, and pitch ideas for business plans for
their cultures and traditions."
she says.
MSU Neighborhoods began last fall with the opening
Additional information on MSU Neighborhoods is
of the Hubbard Hall Engagement Center, the hub of
available at neighborhoods.msu.edu .
start-up support of up to $5,000. An endowment
fund established by the Rollin M. Gerstacker
Foundation provides similar opportunities for
students in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics disciplines.
activity for MSU's East Neighborhood. There are early
MSU, Broad College of Business climb in rank„
Michigan State University has one of the top 25
Several other areas within the business college also
business schools and the best supply chain manage-
fared well in the latest U.S. News rankings: produc-
ment program in the nation, according to U.S. News
& World Report's latest rankings of undergraduate
tion/operations management (12), accounting (14),
programs.
U.S. News also recognized three "outstanding
The Broad College of Business climbed from 28th in
programs" at MSU designed to foster student
last year's rankings to 24th this year. The supply
success: study abroad; service-learning, in which
chain program, offered through the business school,
students volunteer in the community; and learning
rose from No. 2 to No. 1, beating out Massachusetts
communities or residential colleges.
Institute of Technology's program.
The improved showings mark the third time in less
Student entrepreneurs have the opportunity to develop their
business ideas in the creative, collaborative environment of the
Hatch, a business incubator in which East Lansing and MSU partner.
marketing (19), and international business (24).
Overall, MSU ranked 71st on the list of 268 best
national universities and 28th among public univer-
than a year that the business college has cracked the
sities, both improvements from last year, according
top 25 in a national ranking.
to the magazine's 2012 Best Colleges edition, which
Forbes ranked the college's MBA program 19th in
August, while Bloomberg Businessweek late last year
ranked the MBA program 20th, its highest ranking
ever in that publication.
hit newsstands in September. 4,