Richard Clapso/Contributing Writer
Colleges claim that their students not only graduate, but graduate as leaders. FIU will now support this idea with its new entrepreneurship course starting in fall 2014. The class will be a requirement in the core curriculum for undergraduates.
At a town hall meeting in February, University President Mark Rosenberg discussed the possibility of this new course being offered.
“We’re going to have to do a lot better job at making sure our students have the education and the ability not just to take good jobs but to create good jobs,” Rosenberg said. “The future of our community from an economic development standpoint lies in homegrown opportunities.”
While the University will be looking into new ways for students to get into the job market, some students don’t think that this course should be a requirement.
“As part of the curriculum for all majors, no, I don’t think that it should be required. There are so many prerequisites as it is to begin your intended major, this would just be yet another course students take just to get to the meat of their college careers,” said Michael Collado, junior journalism major. “That said, I can understand why the school would do this. FIU most likely wants to ensure that their graduating students leave with a tool set to not just be employees, but also employers — in other words, not just followers, but leaders. In the end, I can’t say whether it’s good or bad…but it certainly couldn’t hurt.”
University Provost Douglas Wartzok discussed at the town hall meeting that this course will likely not be a requirement in its first year or so, but it instead could become an online course.
“We can’t say whether it’ll be part of the core curriculum or not, but we will be instituting it,” Wartzok said. “Initially, we’re looking at possibly making it a [Massive Open Online Course] where everybody would take it and have to have a certificate of completion. Then, those who want to delve into more deeply would be able to take it for credit as well.”
Some students, like Natalie Villarreal, junior digital media major, thought of the possibilities that this new course could bring.
“I think this could be a huge boost not only for my future career, but also to the careers of people that I [employ],” said Villarreal. “I think all students should be required to take this class. It doesn’t matter what field you’re in, everyone has to work with a leader, so why shouldn’t that leader be you?”
Rosenberg told the community that many students have successfully begun entrepreneurship programs from the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, College of Engineering and the Allied Health areas. Students, like Noemi Nunez, senior public relations major, believes that this program could potentially help her beyond a career.
“I go to college not only to be qualified for a job, but also learning information that will aid me past my career. Life is like a business, so being able to maintain the money I make, and the employees I have, will all come down to choices,” said Noemi Nunez, senior public relations major. “Choices that I could learn from this entrepreneurship course, and that’s why I think FIU is adding it.”
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