As president of Centenary University, partnerships with the business community are critical to my strategic vision.
Early in my presidency, I recognized that one of the core strengths at Centenary is our entrepreneurial program.
Professor Linda Poisseroux has done an extraordinary job of leading our Enactus program over the years. Under her leadership, we have been one of the best teams in the US in this international student entrepreneurship competition and even earned a patent for a student-developed product. One of the first things that I did as president was to work with Linda to establish the Centenary University Institute for Entrepreneurship and appoint her as the director. To ensure that the institute has the gravitas it needs, I placed the organization in a section of campus that looks like a large corporate office, creating a realistic business environment for our students.
Since it was dedicated last spring, the institute has become a full partner with the Hackettstown Business Improvement District, local businesses, and the community at large. The CEO of the Business Improvement District, Laurie Rapisardi, has stated that the institute has done an exceptional job of educating local business owners and employees, and providing high quality guidance in areas in which businesses have been struggling. The management consulting services that the institute has provided to businesses include strategic planning, marketing, social media execution, consumer survey development, and financial analysis. The institute has also organized several BID business networking events, a successful Women in Entrepreneurship event, and an extremely successful Small Business Summit.
Through another agreement last year, Centenary began a partnership with Ideal Institute of Technology in Pleasantville, which provides vocational training and a salary to students seeking career opportunities. This unique “earn as you learn” agreement established a Centenary University campus at Ideal, offering a clear pathway for vocational students to work while earning a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, with a concentration in radio and television or film studies; Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity; Bachelor of Science in Business Administration: Accounting; or Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. Like the Centenary University Institute for Entrepreneurship, the agreement with Ideal helps to build a stronger workforce for our state.
By Centenary University President Dale Caldwell, Ed.D.
