University of Cincinnati Center for Entrepreneurship Education & Research Receives Recognition

Case of the Year Competition
In conjunction with the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), every year the UC Center for Entrepreneurship Education & Research holds an internal best field case competition, The Cecil Boatright Business Plan Competition, to select the top field cases completed by CoB teams. The winner of the Boatright competition goes on to represent UC in the National Small Business Institute® Case of the Year Competition. Over the past four years, UC has brought home three national titles for Best Graduate Case of the Year in the comprehensive category.

For 2005, MBA students Michael P. McAllister, Tim J. Fahey, Brian M. McGeady, Mike R. Mendenhall and Duane M. Perrin won Third Place in the National SBI Case of the Year in the Graduate Comprehensive category. The team’s comprehensive analysis of HyTek Coating’s business operations including financial, marketing and organizational issues received many favorable comments from the judges. From schools across the United States, over 20 of the top cases were whittled down to a final six at the national level. In addition to receiving a plaque from the Small Business Institute, the team will also receive a $300 award provided by Students in Free Enterprise. The HyTek team will be formally recognized at the 7th Annual UC Entrepreneurship Recognition Banquet, May 13th, 2005, at the UC Marriott Kingsgate Conference Center.

SIFE is an extensive network of 1,600 college and university chapters in 40 countries that provides students the opportunity to develop and apply leadership, teamwork and communication skills through learning, practicing and teaching the principles of free enterprise.

The University of Cincinnati SBI program operates a field case study program that provides no-cost counseling to area businesses and organizations. The focus of the field case study program is twofold:

• To provide a meaningful learning experience for students interested in small, entrepreneurial, corporate and not-for-profit ventures; and
• To provide personalized, confidential management counseling to Greater Cincinnati businesses and organizations participating in the experience.

Under faculty guidance, teams of graduate-level or senior undergraduate-level students meet with business owners/managers over the 10-week academic term to assess problems and issues confronting the business and make recommendations for improvement. UC’s entrepreneurship program was ranked among the top 50 programs of its kind in 2001 by Success magazine, and is a nationally ranked program among all regional-level programs in 2003 and 2004 by Entrepreneur magazine. A major thrust of the E-Center is to foster and facilitate entrepreneurship across the campus.

Entrepreneur Magazine Contributes Their Two Cents
UC’s Center for Entrepreneurship Education and Research has been named one of the best 100 collegiate entrepreneurship programs in the United States, in the April 2005 issue of Entrepreneur magazine. UC’s Center for Entrepreneurship Education and Research appears in the third tier of the list of the top 50 regionally recognized academic programs in the country.

Entrepreneur’s third annual evaluation of the best entrepreneurship programs at U.S. colleges and universities is the most credible and comprehensive analysis of its kind. The rankings were performed by TechKnowledge Point Corp. in Santa Barbara, Calif. Founded in 2001 by David Newton, TechKnowledge Point Corp. is an online research and referral exchange for entrepreneurship and enterprise development.

For the complete story and listing, visit Entrepreneur.com.

More about UC’s Center for Entrepreneurship Education and Research 

Prior rankings in Entrepreneur magazine