Entrepreneurship Is Booming At Long Island University: Student-Run Business Ventures Transform Academic Studies
The spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship is flourishing at Long Island University (LIU), as a host of student-run businesses have launched on the LIU Post campus over the past four months. Students gain real-world business experience as they manage, market, operate, and staff the new ventures.
“These businesses embody LIU’s commitment to transforming the way students prepare for their careers,” says Dr. Kimberly R. Cline, president of LIU. “We are taking experiential learning and entrepreneurship to an unparalleled new level, giving our students opportunities to develop the confidence and real-world experience that personify an entrepreneurial spirit—an advantage they can use to succeed in any field they choose.”
The student-run businesses are an extension of LIU’s emphasis on experiential/active learning both inside and outside the classroom. This encompasses hands-on experience running real businesses; role-playing and case-study business simulations in class; and a broad range of mentoring, internship, co-op, and job-shadowing options. Uniquely, the entrepreneurship theme is not limited to business majors; it embraces an interdisciplinary approach that overlays entrepreneurial thinking and skills with the liberal arts, visual and performing arts, health care, accountancy—virtually all fields of study at the university.
“We are defining entrepreneurship as something larger than the business realm, to embody a way of thinking and an approach to the world,” explains Dr. Andrew J. Rosman, dean of the College of Management at LIU Post. “Students are looking at the world as entrepreneurs as they learn to apply classroom concepts to businesses where real dollars are involved. Students are accountable to themselves, each other, and to the success of the whole. This broad perspective gives students a powerful edge when they graduate.”
The Student Body: LIU’s first student-run business with a focus on trending styles for men and women.
The End Zone: The eatery features a 12-foot bar serving nonalcoholic beverages and a pub menu.
Post Treat Shoppe: This store offers everything from salty snacks to tempting baked goods.
Juice Bar: Adjacent to the campus gym, this venue offers an array of made-to-order smoothies and grab-and-go foods.
The enterprises have students working in key roles where they gain impressive experience in helping to run a business and make executive-level decisions. Students meet weekly to discuss progress, get feedback, and set goals.
Student-business committee members are keenly aware that participation in the program will strengthen their resumes and make them highly desirable to employers. “Not many students have actually run a business,” says LIU Post student-business committee member Monica Peralta. “My future employers will love to see that I’ve had this kind of experience.”
Profits from all the student-run businesses go toward supporting LIU scholarships and providing capital for future student-run ventures. “The LIU entrepreneurial model is distinctive in higher education,” says Dean Rosman. “Its strength lies in how well it’s interconnected with so many facets of university life and how deep an experience our students receive. It’s not just a theme or a course—it’s a well-coordinated eco-system.” #
