Newswise — Syracuse University’s Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises (EEE) Program, housed within the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, was ranked #1 in the country for veterans by College Factual, a USA Today-affiliated website that helps students find the best colleges and universities for their unique needs. The EEE program was ranked #2 overall for entrepreneurship.
“This recognition reflects Syracuse University’s institution-wide commitment to being the nation’s ‘best’ university for military students and veterans,” said J. Michael Haynie, vice chancellor and executive director of the Institute for Veterans and Military Families. “The EEE program is a great example of the kind of class-leading innovation we’re pursuing across the University, in an effort to broadly engage and empower the military-connected community.”
The EEE program, which teaches approximately 2,500 students per year at the undergraduate, masters and doctoral levels, heavily emphasizes experiential learning in teaching entrepreneurship, and is committed to providing a myriad of opportunities for students, many of whom are veterans, to gain and apply real-world perspective and skills.
The Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship at Whitman makes connections with the community and supports the EEE program’s outreach efforts. The Center’s Couri Hatchery houses more than 130 student businesses; collectively, those businesses have raised more than $3.4 million in external capital. Syracuse University’s entrepreneurship alumni, including veterans, have gone on to establish successful entrepreneurial ventures.
“We’re tremendously pleased that College Factual has recognized the important work that the EEE program and its Falcone Center is doing to support veterans,” said Alex McKelvie, professor and chair of the entrepreneurship department at the Whitman School. "We believe that Syracuse University is a special place for entrepreneurship and we look forward to working with our partners from across the campus to continue to raise the bar for entrepreneurship programs across the country."
The EEE program also engages approximately 4,500 individuals per year, through its educational and community outreach efforts, such as the WISE (Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship) Business Center, the V-WISE (Veterans Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship) program, the South Side Innovation Center and veteran’s entrepreneurship training, such as the Barnes Family Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) program.
The EBV program is celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2016. Founded at the Whitman School, the EBV program is offered at 10 top universities across the United States and offers cutting-edge training in entrepreneurship and small business management for post-9/11 soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines disabled as a result of their service to our country. Since its initiation, the EBV program has trained more than 1,300 graduates, with 68 percent of graduates launching a business after graduating from the program. The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans’ Families (EBV-F) program was also launched for caregivers of seriously wounded veterans to provide the same educational and mentoring opportunity.
College Factual’s ranking methodology for its Best for Vets ranking examined components, including affordability, population, flexibility, policies and resources for veterans. In addition, College Factual took into consideration overall college quality.
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