Stevens Henager College in Orem to Offer New Entrepreneurship Certificate Program

Officials at Stevens Henager College in Utah Valley recently announced that the College will be offering a new Certificate Program in Entrepreneurship – a program designed to help people learn about the important considerations and the important things to know when deciding to go into business for ones-self – when deciding to take the leap of faith into the world of self-employment.

The first class in this series of courses will start on Friday, July 18^th from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. and run for six weeks, meeting once a week on Friday evenings.

Examples of the topics that will be covered in this first class will be:

· finding, developing and protecting new business and product ideas

· writing good business plans

· financing new business ventures and expansions

· strategies for entrepreneuring

· debunking the myths of entrepreneurship

· post start-up issues

· making the transition from founding entrepreneur to day to day manager

· and other related kinds of topics

And according to officials at the College, this program was designed – and will be taught by Dr. Gary Benson (PhD) – one of the part-time adjunct professors at the College.

Dr. Benson, they say has been doing this kind of thing for years at other colleges and universities and, in addition, they say that he has also had a great deal of personal experience in the real worlds of entrepreneurship and business.

For example, they say, that for over a decade (during the 1990’s) he was the Young Entrepreneurship Chairholder and Wisconsin Distinguished Professor at the University of Wisconsin. And before that, he was the Monus Entrepreneurship Chairholder for several year, at Youngstown State University in Ohio. And before that, he was the Dean of a School of Business, an MBA Program Director and a regular business professor at other universities such as Indiana University and elsewhere.

The overall purpose, or objective, of this course, or program, according to Dr. Benson, is to help people who think that they might be interested in pursuing a life and a career of self-employment – as an entrepreneur – to determine things like:

· whether they are really cut out for that sort of thing – whether they really have the right stuff to succeed in the real world of entrepreneurship – as entrepreneurs and/or would-be entrepreneurs

· whether their new business and/or product ideas are really worth while and can make money

· along with helping such people to acquire the skills and the tools necessary to enhance their probability of success should they decide to move forward in an attempt to realize their entrepreneurial dreams and aspirations.

According to Dr. Benson, this first 6 week course will cost $95 – with discounts being available to both couples who attend together and for those who are already students at SHC, to begin with.

And after the first six week class if over if there is sufficient interest in doing so, there will be follow-on six week courses offered, as well, on topics such as:

· writing business plans

· financing new business ventures

· and others

For example, Dr. Benson says, that by the end of a 6 week class on “writing business plans” it would be hoped that all students would actually have a business plan for their business idea, or product, completed.

And if the program grows and develops the way we think it will, says Dr. Benson, students who complete four such six week courses will receive an “Entrepreneurship Certification” in addition to the certificates they receive for having completed each such six week course. And such certificates and certifications can be very helpful to entrepreneurs when dealing with people such as bankers and suppliers and vendors and customers and clients and so on, once their businesses have been launched.

Also according to SHC officials, Dr. Benson recently taught a program like this program for the Latin Connections Business and Professional Association here in Utah Valley and there have already been two or three businesses launched and/or expanded as a result of that program. Hence, they have similar high hopes for such a program held at and sponsored by SHC at the SHC College campus and facilities on Sandhill Road in Orem.

And, finally, those same officials point out that Dr. Benson has also recently started an “Entrepreneurs Incubator” here in the Provo/Orem area and that two of his students from SHC are also ready involved in that Incubator in one way or another and that that Incubator is already full and functioning smoothly. Hence, they say that they hope that if this New Smart Start Entrepreneurship Program at the college is successful, as they think it will be, that they can develop the same kind of an Incubator affiliated with the college, as well.

Persons interested in taking this new six week course at the college should contact the college at (801) 623-3266 or lee.benson@stevenshenager.edu.

Stevens Henager College in Orem to Offer New Entrepreneurship Certificate Program

Officials at Stevens Henager College in Utah Valley recently announced that the College will be offering a new Certificate Program in Entrepreneurship – a program designed to help people learn about the important considerations and the important things to know when deciding to go into business for ones-self – when deciding to take the leap of faith into the world of self-employment.

The first class in this series of courses will start on Friday, July 18^th from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. and run for six weeks, meeting once a week on Friday evenings.

Examples of the topics that will be covered in this first class will be:

· finding, developing and protecting new business and product ideas

· writing good business plans

· financing new business ventures and expansions

· strategies for entrepreneuring

· debunking the myths of entrepreneurship

· post start-up issues

· making the transition from founding entrepreneur to day to day manager

· and other related kinds of topics

And according to officials at the College, this program was designed – and will be taught by Dr. Gary Benson (PhD) – one of the part-time adjunct professors at the College.

Dr. Benson, they say has been doing this kind of thing for years at other colleges and universities and, in addition, they say that he has also had a great deal of personal experience in the real worlds of entrepreneurship and business.

For example, they say, that for over a decade (during the 1990’s) he was the Young Entrepreneurship Chairholder and Wisconsin Distinguished Professor at the University of Wisconsin. And before that, he was the Monus Entrepreneurship Chairholder for several year, at Youngstown State University in Ohio. And before that, he was the Dean of a School of Business, an MBA Program Director and a regular business professor at other universities such as Indiana University and elsewhere.

The overall purpose, or objective, of this course, or program, according to Dr. Benson, is to help people who think that they might be interested in pursuing a life and a career of self-employment – as an entrepreneur – to determine things like:

· whether they are really cut out for that sort of thing – whether they really have the right stuff to succeed in the real world of entrepreneurship – as entrepreneurs and/or would-be entrepreneurs

· whether their new business and/or product ideas are really worth while and can make money

· along with helping such people to acquire the skills and the tools necessary to enhance their probability of success should they decide to move forward in an attempt to realize their entrepreneurial dreams and aspirations.

According to Dr. Benson, this first 6 week course will cost $95 – with discounts being available to both couples who attend together and for those who are already students at SHC, to begin with.

And after the first six week class if over if there is sufficient interest in doing so, there will be follow-on six week courses offered, as well, on topics such as:

· writing business plans

· financing new business ventures

· and others

For example, Dr. Benson says, that by the end of a 6 week class on “writing business plans” it would be hoped that all students would actually have a business plan for their business idea, or product, completed.

And if the program grows and develops the way we think it will, says Dr. Benson, students who complete four such six week courses will receive an “Entrepreneurship Certification” in addition to the certificates they receive for having completed each such six week course. And such certificates and certifications can be very helpful to entrepreneurs when dealing with people such as bankers and suppliers and vendors and customers and clients and so on, once their businesses have been launched.

Also according to SHC officials, Dr. Benson recently taught a program like this program for the Latin Connections Business and Professional Association here in Utah Valley and there have already been two or three businesses launched and/or expanded as a result of that program. Hence, they have similar high hopes for such a program held at and sponsored by SHC at the SHC College campus and facilities on Sandhill Road in Orem.

And, finally, those same officials point out that Dr. Benson has also recently started an “Entrepreneurs Incubator” here in the Provo/Orem area and that two of his students from SHC are also ready involved in that Incubator in one way or another and that that Incubator is already full and functioning smoothly. Hence, they say that they hope that if this New Smart Start Entrepreneurship Program at the college is successful, as they think it will be, that they can develop the same kind of an Incubator affiliated with the college, as well.

Persons interested in taking this new six week course at the college should contact the college at (801) 623-3266 or lee.benson@stevenshenager.edu.

U.S. News places UCAS on list of America’s Best High Schools

The Utah County Academy of Sciences (UCAS) was listed this week by U.S. News and World Report as one of America’s Best High Schools. In a study published Monday, UCAS received a Bronze rating and was the only Utah charter school to be listed. While no Utah high schools were listed in the top 100 (Gold) category, three Utah high schools received silver and ten received the Bronze. U.S. News used math and reading scores for traditional as well as minority students for their initial screening. They then used “College readiness” as evidenced by AP tests and IB programs to determine placement on their lists. One hundred schools nationally were honored with a Gold rating, 504 nationally with a Silver rating, and 1321 schools with the Bronze. Over 21,000 high schools in the country were rated for the study.

UCAS is an Early College High School located on the UVU Orem campus. UCAS does not offer any AP or IB classes but prefers to have their students take the actual college classes from the professors at UVU. UCAS serves 10^th, 11^th, and 12^th grade students from Utah County and has 340 students currently enrolled. Emphasizing math, science, engineering, and technology UCAS helps academically motivated students work on their college credits while still in high school. Over 80% of the UCAS high school graduates earn an Associate Degree from UVU at the same time.

The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation awarded UCAS a $500,000 start up grant in 2004. After a year of preparation, UCAS began operations in 2005 as a state chartered public school working with Utah Valley University as well as Alpine, Nebo, and Provo school districts. It has grown from 185 to 340 students who occupy a classroom building and a new activity center building on the north edge of the UVU campus.

UCAS students scored an ACT 25.5 composite compared with a state average of 21.8. ACT also evaluates students for College Readiness. UCAS students scored significantly higher than the state average in all areas. For example 98% of UCAS students are college ready in English Composition compared with a state average of 75%. UCAS has 53% of its students prepared in all areas for college work compared with the Utah state average of 25%. Another measure of academic proficiency is the state end of level exams. In the latest figures, 100% of UCAS students were proficient in language arts 97% proficient in Biology and 82% in Physics.

For more information regarding US News America’s Best High Schools see www.usnews.com/sections/education/high-schools/index.html

For more information regarding UCAS please see www.ucas.k12.ut.us