“Establishing the School of Entrepreneurship is an important step for CSUSB and the Jack H. Brown College as it evolves and innovates to meet the needs of students and the local community,” said Stull. “We envision a substantial positive impact, as it will further cement the JHBC reputation as a leader in the field of entrepreneurship education and increase the college’s ability to engage with the local business community in terms of relationships, collaboration and resources.” As a school of entrepreneurship, it will oversee and coordinate eight major academic programs in entrepreneurship with over 20 full- and part-time faculty, Stull said. CSUSB President Tomás D. Morales said he was pleased to give the final approval to establish the School of Entrepreneurship, which had been championed at the department, college, Faculty Senate, and by the provost. “The School of Entrepreneurship represents a truly wonderful and pioneering example of our mission here at Cal State San Bernardino in offering our students a challenging, yet rewarding, educational experience,” Morales said. The creation of the School of Entrepreneurship will significantly raise the university’s profile in recruiting potential students and reinforcing its efforts to become a “destination” program that draws students from beyond the Inland Empire region, Stull said.

For the existing CSUSB entrepreneurship faculty, the designation will provide an advantage in applying for external research and grant funding. It will also create a significant competitive advantage as the school recruits for top faculty talent. The designation also allows for more interdisciplinary collaboration on campus and the potential for joint faculty appointments with fields such as art, natural sciences, social sciences and education. The school will add to the university’s entrepreneurship program’s already high profile within the inland region with potential employers, donors and other organizations, which in turn enhances support for startup ventures as well as job and internship opportunities for students in the school, said Stull, who added that the hope is that this will attract more local professionals and entrepreneurs to support the school as mentors, guest lecturers and adjunct faculty. The CSUSB entrepreneurship program is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the leading accreditation for business academic programs worldwide and has evolved and grown substantially since it was launched in the early 2000s.