Goshen College included in ‘Entrepreneurship Magazine’s’ rankings

GOSHEN, Ind. – Though it is a recent addition to Goshen College’s business department, the college’s entrepreneurship program is already gaining national recognition. “Entrepreneurship Magazine” included Goshen College’s entrepreneurship program among its rankings of the best programs in the country. Goshen College placed in the second tier, which is for schools with a smaller number of faculty and courses in entrepreneurship.

“To think Goshen College has already found a place on this list is quite an honor,” said Melissa Kinsey, director of Goshen College’s Entrepreneurship Learning Center. “We strive to develop quality courses and programs, and it is good to be recognized in a peer reviewed ranking with other colleges and universities from across the nation.”

Kinsey added, “Most of the schools mentioned in our category are much larger schools. If a student is interested in a quality education from an accredited four-year liberal arts college in our region of the country, not many schools can compete against Goshen College in offering an entrepreneurship minor.”

The Entrepreneurship Learning Center was launched in July of 2004. The entrepreneurship minor was developed over the course of the past year and will be officially introduced this fall.

“We already have students pursuing this minor,” Kinsey said. “It is designed for business and nonbusiness majors. All students are encouraged to consider entrepreneurship, not just business majors. Graduates in programs such as music, peace, justice and conflict studies, history or art, are likely to be involved in their own business venture, or often operate nonprofit organizations.”

One of the strengths of the entrepreneurship program is its faculty. “The business department faculty has a wealth of personal experience to share with students,” Kinsey said. “Our faculty come not only with academic credentials, but most also have entrepreneurial business experience in fields ranging from law to accounting to marketing to business management.”

This spring the Entrepreneurship Learning Center awarded its first entrepreneurship grant in the amount of $5,000 to Tom Stahly, a senior from Goshen, to assist in business startup. Stahly used the grant money to start a business called Kipsee Inc., a search engine optimization company that also takes on elements of Web design. Kipsee Inc. became a legal entity on March 2.

Along with the grant money, the award recipient earns the opportunity to enroll in Applied Entrepreneurship, a course with mentoring giving a student three credit hours to work on his or her business. The entrepreneurship program is also working with businesses in our community to also make available incubator space.

“Students get to start their business while still in the safe confines of the Goshen College environment, complete with access to the business faculty who are ready to help when questions arise,” Kinsey said.

The Entrepreneurship Learning Center is funded for three years through a Lilly Foundation grant to stop the Indiana “brain drain” in which college-educated citizens look elsewhere for residence and employment.

Goshen College, established in 1894, is a four-year residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” Kaplan’s “Most Interesting Colleges” guide and U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.

– Anna Groff

Editors: For more information, contact News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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