UW-Whitewater was recently chosen as the new location for the headquarters of the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
Assistant professor of the Management Department from the College of Business and Economics, Jeff Vanevenhoven said this move “changes the profile of the university’s representation in the area of entrepreneurship and business development.”
According to the association’s website, the Chair of the Site Select Committee, Pat Dickson, released a statement regarding UW-Whitewater’s selection of the new headquarters saying that the USASBE site selection committee unanimously recommended the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater to be the host site for the organization based on the strong commitment that UW-W and the whole community has made to focus on entrepreneurship.
Dickson also said, “Although one of a number of strong proposals submitted, UW-W rose to the top because of the enthusiasm and clear focus for creating the next generation of entrepreneurs that the committee saw.”
The national organization’s mission statement has a focus on providing a network to advance knowledge and foster business development through entrepreneurship education and research.
Having an organization like this on campus, some of the faculty in the School of Business and Economics said they look forward to the overflow of information that will be accessible.
“Entrepreneurship is a trait,” Vanevenhoven said. “If it’s a trait, it can be taught, then it can be learned, and if we can learn it, we can do it,”
The headquarters at UW-Whitewater also might allow for student organization growth, specifically the Student Chamber of Commerce.
This act, in which the university was chosen in a tight bidding war for the location, shows the growth and rising potential in the area of small business and entrepreneurship here on campus, Vanevenhoven said.
“There was a very competitive selection process, and we were selected over a group of institutions that is really recognizable,” said William Dougan, a professor of Entrepreneurship and Management from the School of Business and Economics.
There are benefits that the association will bring to you, even if one is not a business or entrepreneurship majors, Vanevenhoven said.
“It can affect all students,” Vanevenhoven said. “We have larger student groups who have the concept of business, and this association with USABE will help students be better informed on how to have more meaningful businesses.”
Vanevenhoven also commented on the increased awareness of the university at a national level as a result of housing the USASBE headquarters.
“This association brings additional visibility to this campus, and the association with UW-Whitewater will help increase national awareness of the strength of our entrepreneurship and business program,” said Christine Clements, dean of the college of Business and Economics.
The association’s office headquarters will be in the Center for Innovation and Development, on the first floor of Hyland Hall. According to its website, the expected arrival date is between April and May.
