Emporia State University School of Business Expands Entreprenuership-Focused Programs, Opportunities
ESU's School of Business places particular focus on high-impact learning opportunities with new entrepreneurial center, relaunch of Studio E and new degree
Emporia, KS (12/16/2021) — Emporia State University continues to place an emphasis on high-impact learning opportunities with the launch of the Bobbi and Steve Sauder Center for Entrepreneurial Development and the relaunch of the student-led advertising collective, Studio E. These come after the recent addition of a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Entrepreneurship, a new program within the School of Business for students interested in entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurship has become a primary focus at ESU's School of Business, culminating in the ribbon cutting at the Bobbi and Steve Sauder Center for Entrepreneurial Development in October. The center was strategically and intentionally placed between the Kansas Small Business Development Center, which offers help to small business owners through business plans, funding information and more; and Studio E, the recently relaunched student-led advertising agency. After taking a year hiatus during the pandemic, Studio E is back and working with seven clients from the community, including some from the Kansas Small Business Development Center. Students charge for their work, which ranges from graphic design to writing and even account management and strategy.
"All of these areas within the School of Business are part of a comprehensive and thought-out plan to develop high-impact learning for students across campus, in addition to students in the School of Business," said Dr. Ed Bashaw, dean of the School of Business. "The Bobbi and Steve Sauder Center for Entrepreneurial Development provides interactive areas where students can collaborate, while the Kansas Small Business Development Center gives the community a place to receive resources for their small business. Studio E is where the community and students come together, as students provide advertising services to businesses around Emporia."
In addition to the new spaces, in March 2021, ESU announced the Interdisciplinary Entrepreneurship degree. The program is in its first year and prepares students with the mindset, skills and resources to launch a business in their area of interest. Because this program is interdisciplinary, students can determine how it fits within their own long-term goals, combining it with other majors on campus. The collaborative spaces within the School of Business and particularly Studio E and the Bobbi and Steve Sauder Center for Entrepreneurial Development provide extended opportunities for these students to pursue their business goals even before graduation.
Thanks to the generous funding of Bobbi and Steve Sauder, local Emporians and entrepreneurs themselves, the Bobbi and Steve Sauder Center for Entrepreneurial Development has become the heart of the School of Business, providing students with the space they need to get their business ideas off the ground.
"This is just the beginning of our focus on providing high-impact learning opportunities for all ESU students within the School of Business," said Bashaw. "We will continue to foster the entrepreneurial spirits within our students, giving them access to real-world experiences and meaningful collaboration with the community and other students, with the ultimate goal of providing a business school experience unlike any other, that prepares students for their professional life after college."
To learn more about the School of Business and its programs, visit emporia.edu/business/.
About Emporia State University
Emporia State University offers over 200 academic programs in the School of Business, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, School of Library and Information Management and The Teachers College. ESU is the only public university in Kansas to have earned national recognition as a College of Distinction, an honor for universities that demonstrate innovative application of high-impact education. ESU is ranked No. 1 in lowest student debt of all four-year public universities in Kansas.