Ball State University's entrepreneurship program is persevering despite overturning directors three times since 2005.
"Entrepreneurship is about finding opportunities and pursuing those opportunities to successful implementation," Michael Goldsby, director of Ball State's entrepreneurship program, said. "Our goal is that our students be risk takers and pursue the opportunities that come into their lives, whether it's starting a new business, developing new products in a company or building their reputations as innovative leaders in their future fields."
Don Kuratko founded the program and brought it to national attention but moved to Indiana University in 2005 for a similar position.
Kuratko did not return phone calls for this report.
Goldsby said the program is currently building on the traditions Kuratko put in place.
"We have added a campus-wide minor to our program, hold a national business plan competition at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway that brings in universities from all over North America and have built our curriculum around innovation and applied creativity," Goldsby said.
As a result of these additions, Ball State's program was ranked eighth by US News & World Report in this year's America's Best Colleges list.
Senior entrepreneurship major Max Kepler said the program has also begun to attract attention from real entrepreneurs through the Assent Awards.
"We will be entering in several business plan competitions this year," he said.
"I believe that the entrepreneurship program has the foundation necessary to be and remain in the top of the nation," senior entrepreneurship major Jon Schwartz said. "I expect it to continue to thrive in the years ahead."
Goldsby said this year the program would be celebrating its 25th graduating class.
"The program is now a reflection of all the teaching innovations the program has developed over that time," he said.
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