Dive Brief:

• Shaw University has announced the placement of an continuing education center in Durham’s American Underground entrepreneurial development facility, a Google for Entrepreneurs authorized tech hub.
• The university’s Center for Alternative Programs in Education (CAPE) placement in the entrepreneurial working space will allow adult and non-traditional students to have access to Durham’s burgeoning startup community, and provide engagement with employers and potential investors.
• With eight sites established throughout North Carolina, the CAPE initiative has graduated more than 4,000 non-traditional students from North Carolina metropolitan and rural communities since 1994.

Dive Insight:

Shaw’s program is an ideal example of how colleges and universities can pair students with professional development opportunities, without significant investments beyond typical continuing education models. Leasing space in an entrepreneurial hub affords students valuable, affordable exposure not only to curriculum materials, but networking, startup culture and entrepreneurial advisement.

For other small, private colleges, this also presents a new model for academic service delivery beyond traditional campus borders, and opportunities for much-needed philanthropy. Establishing connections to future tech CEOs enhances visibility for donations, employment pipelines, and industrial partnerships that help to create alternative revenue streams and aid in building brand awareness in new industrial communities.