The Center, through the College of Business at the Main Campus, has created a groundbreaking undergraduate small business minor for non-business majors. It also supports a certificate in small business and an entrepreneurship program for business majors. A unique dimension of the minor is the strong involvement of the business community. Business co-teachers, mentors and case studies of actual businesses are key elements of the minor. Classes are taught by academics in partnership with business co-teachers and business resource people.
Mentors guide students in two ways.
Business owners mentor student proteges who are enrolled in the minor, establishing a relationship which they themselves tailor. Business leaders also mentor student teams as they do the required research case study projects on actual Arizona-based small and growth businesses. Jere W. Glover, chief counsel for advocacy at the U. S. Small Business Administration, praised winning programs like ASU s. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, we sincerely hope that all of these programs will be widely copied throughout the country.