Work-in-progress: Embedding entrepreneurship in the computing curricula

Two projects at Arizona State University at the Polytechnic campus blend a range of student engagement activities to promote entrepreneurship. The first, ldquofrom .EDU to .COMrdquo, engages students with industry entrepreneurs through on-campus events (colloquia and a Polytechnic showcase event), student engagement projects with SMEs, and internships. The second, ldquoAgile Methods for Entrepreneurshiprdquo proposes curricular modifications, cohort programs with the Polytechnicpsilas business school, lab-oriented practice with ASUpsilas University Technology Office, and an off-campus 2-day workshop with students and real-world entrepreneurs, among other activities. Besides being housed in the same academic unit, these projects also share a common, differentiating approach. First, both emphasize a ldquolearn by doingrdquo approach consistent with the Polytechnic mission. Second, both engage students in entrepreneurship through a variety of activities. We believe the latter point is especially important; in our view entrepreneurship is often promoted through a single highly visible activity. Our approach embeds entrepreneurship across the spectrum of student engagement. This reflects our belief that students must engage repeatedly with entrepreneurs to understand and adopt this cultural norm. In this paper we describe our entrepreneurial engagement activities and discuss preliminary results from the first year of our experience.