Date of Award
2003
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Programs for Higher Education
Advisor
Alan K. Cohen
Committee Member
Clifford L. Shisler
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
academic schedules, adult learners, advisement, community colleges, computer-assisted learning, credit-bearing programs, curriculum plan, entrepreneurship, environmental scan, evaluation, flexible scheduling, formative committee guidance, Global Entrepreneurship Program, implementation, international business, literature review, non-traditional learning modalities, part-time study, portfolio preparation, program development, small business activities, strategy validation
Abstract
During an environmental scan Suffolk County Community College’s (SCCC) business faculty determined that employed, adult learners, seeking part-time, flexible academic schedules, were unable to enroll in the limited, traditionally delivered course offerings in entrepreneurship and international business. In order to meet the identified learning need, this project was designed to develop a curriculum plan for an innovative, credit-bearing, international business program for adult students engaged in a variety of small business activities. Additionally, proposed steps for implementing and evaluating the program were included in the project.
The Global Entrepreneurship Program plan was developed around the answers to six research questions. The procedures used to answer these questions included a literature review, formative and summative committee guidance and input, the selection, development and adaptation of courses, strategy validation, and the generation of a plan for implementation and evaluation.
In addition to the creation of six new international business courses, the Global Entrepreneurship Program plan integrates (a) non-traditional learning modalities, (b) enhanced computer-assisted learning experiences, and (c) the advisement and prior learning portfolio preparation services of Suffolk County Community College’s Adult Learner Program. As a result of this project it is anticipated that SCCC will introduce the Global Entrepreneurship Program into its master academic schedule during the 2003-2004 academic year.