Focusing on Entrepreneurship at Iowa's Public Universities

At its June meeting, the Board of Regents approved two department name changes. The Iowa State Department of Management and the UNI Department of Marketing both will add entrepreneurship to their names, reflecting the growing focus on the subject within the departments. ISU’s Department of Management will become the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, while UNI’s Department of Marketing will be known as the Department of Marketing and Entrepreneurship.

These name changes will allow the departments to better and more accurately direct and serve interested students, businesses and numerous other stakeholder groups. Further, the name changes highlight the importance of entrepreneurship as a strategic focus of both departments.

“This better highlights the good work the entrepreneurship program is doing at the University of Northern Iowa,” said Dr. Matt Bunker, professor and chair of the UNI Department of Marketing. “The name change fits well with the mission of the department and college.”

Departments focused on entrepreneurship at Iowa’s public universities better promote business development to students and better prepare those students to impact Iowa’s changing economy. Graduates who open small businesses in Iowa contribute to the state economy and create local jobs that are vital to Iowa’s future.

“Entrepreneurship is an important focus in the state of Iowa, at Iowa State University, and in the Department of Management in the Ivy College of Business,” said Deidra Schleicher, John and Deborah Ganoe Professor and chair of the ISU Department of Management. “This is perhaps even more true now than ever, as entrepreneurial thinking and innovation will be an important engine for recovery in the coming years. Entrepreneurship is the fastest growing major in the Ivy College of Business, which demonstrates the strong student interest in this field.”

Neither name change will require significant cost increases or affect accreditation requirements. In fact, six of ISU’s 19 department of management faculty members actively focus on teaching and research in entrepreneurship-related areas already, while student participation in the UNI Marketing Department’s entrepreneurship minor has grown to 41 since its inception five years ago. With faculty focus and student participation already present, the name changes simply reflect the growing demand for entrepreneurship coursework and research.