Extract

* Gary D. Beckman and Richard A. Cherwitz Introduction The growing interest in transforming the academy to meet the realities of a modern world while simultaneously preserving and celebrating the noble traditions that have comprised the education of prior generations is both palpable and tangible. Although this is a laudable and long overdue venture, the mechanisms for accomplishing this transformation are varied and reflect institutional micro-cultures. Cross-disciplinary entrepreneurship education is emerging as a leading method to respond to these needs; it provides an opportunity to reposition the academy as a vital part of American life by embedding change within a rich liberal arts tradition. For all the criticisms and challenges American higher education has confronted over the past century, transforming the university is occurring at an almost breakneck pace; as this book and its contributors document, entrepreneurship is the theme and empowerment is the goal.1 Institutional change, however, is a sustained proposition; it requires more than good ideas and innovative programs. There are a myriad of topics to be considered before these endeavors can be implemented and successfully mainstreamed within the academic culture. Campus-wide efforts to transform academe via entrepreneurship share certain commonalities: garnering faculty support, visionary leadership and innovative curriculum certainly lead the list. However, many universities find that defining entrepreneurship is a vital part of their campus-wide initiatives; they discover that defining the term in a manner unique to their intended goals and institutional culture is critical to implementation and sustainability. It is understandable that the academy is uneasy...