UGS 302 – Entrepreneurship: Write your own job description Syllabus as of January 19, 2015 Unique Number: Semester: Location: Day/Time: Instructor: Office Location: Phone: Website: Email: Office Hours: #62370 Spring 2015 MAI 220F Tue/Thurs 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. Michael E. Webber, PhD ETC 6.106 EA or FAC428 (512) 475-­‐6867 http://www.webberenergygroup.com webber@mail.utexas.edu Tuesday 2:00-­‐2:45 p.m. in ETC 6.106EA Wednesday 10:00-­‐10:45 a.m. in FAC 428 Sarah De Berry-­‐Caperton ETC 6.106B (512) 471-­‐7838 Asst. to Webber: Office Location: Phone: Instructor: Lydia McClure, PhD Email: lmcclure@ati.utexas.edu Office Hours: Thursday 11:30 am to 12:15 p.m. in FAC lobby Instructor: Isaac Barchas, JD Phone: (512) 460-­‐9973 Email: ibarchas@ati.utexas.edu Office Hours: Tuesday/Thursday 11:00 to 11:30 a.m. in LifeSci library Instructor: Kathleen Baireuther Email: kbaireuther@ati.utexas.edu Office Hours: By appointment only Graduate TA: Columbia Mishra Email: columbia.mishra@utexas.edu Office Hours: Tuesday 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. in ETC 5.116 Undergraduate TA: Coleman Tharpe Email: colemantharpe@utexas.edu Office Hours: Monday 9:00 to 10:00 am at ETC 6.106E conference table Textbooks: Required: Disciplined Entrepreneurship by Bill Aulet. In addition, suggested readings may be posted periodically. General Information about Signature Courses: From the UT Signature Course web site (http://www.utexas.edu/ugs/sig/current_students), Signature Courses are an important part of becoming a successful college student. Students learn to be effective communicators, UGS 302, Spring, 2015
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inquisitive researchers, and critical thinkers. From http://www.utexas.edu/ugs/sig/propose/requirements All signature courses are required to entail six specific components: • Interdisciplinary & Contemporary Content • Information Literacy • Written & Oral Communication • Top Faculty •
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University Lecture Series o “The University Lecture Series gives students an opportunity to interact with leading members of our faculty—scholars, scientists, and civic leaders who are nationally and internationally renowned. Signature Course students will be required to attend one of these lectures, each designed to create a campus-­‐wide conversation.” Gems of the University o “The University of Texas has a wide array of world-­‐class resources available to students. From the Harry Ransom Center to Waller Creek, these resources are incorporated into the Signature Course as a means informing course content and student research.” Our course will incorporate all six of these requirements. Course Overview: There is no prerequisite for this course. Students who complete this course successfully will have walked and talked with entrepreneurs around Austin and the infrastructure that supports them. The result will arm the student with an awareness of idea formation, the ability to identify problems faced by potential customers, research skills designed to help them in the rest of their careers, and ease of access to entrepreneurial resources across UT-­‐
Austin. After this course, each student will have self-­‐defined answers to the questions like those below. • What is an entrepreneur and what defines their success or failure? • What kind of problems are entrepreneurs solving? How did they design solutions for the customers? • What does it mean to make a product and what are its components? • How does UT-­‐Austin support and grow student entrepreneurs – this is a “roadmap to entrepreneurship at UT-­‐Austin” Learning Objectives: The student successfully completing this course will: • Communicate what it means to be an entrepreneur • Understand how idea formation occurs • Know where to find entrepreneurial resources at UT-­‐Austin and across the city of Austin • Realize the lifecycle of a product • Appreciate the histories of entrepreneurs in Austin • Understand how to create a business UGS 302, Spring, 2015
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Course Requirements: In-­‐class assignments: - In-­‐class assignments from the required readings. Writing assignment: - One long paper on an entrepreneur in Austin (approximately 3500-­‐4500 words, or 10 typed pages). Details below. Small-­‐group immersive exercise (or “ideation 101”): - Form an idea, design a survey to test an idea and argue the results. Each student will choose a group of people with a problem, design a series of questions to better understand this problem, interview the group of people, propose a solution and present the results to the class. Details below. Attendance at out-­‐of-­‐class events: attend at least two events of each type (4 events in total) • Entrepreneurial events: Attend events on-­‐campus and one event in the Austin community. The list of appropriate events will be provided at the beginning of the semester. Details below. • University Lecture Series: Attend at least two, see above. Students are required to attend at least two of these out-­‐of-­‐class public lectures. Gems of the University: - Explore at least three gems of the University. Students are required to attend in-­‐
class field trips to UT Gems. Grades: Grades will be based on three factors: 1. Class participation: general contribution in class, reading quizzes, including recaps (20%) a. Class participation and discussion and reading quizzes (60%) b. Four brief recaps of out-­‐of-­‐class events (40%) 2. Grade on the written assignment (40%) a. Outline (5%) b. First draft (20%) c. Final paper (75%) 3. Immersive Experience: (40%) a. 3Day Startup (20%) (Noon to 600 pm, Friday 2/6/15, 900 am to 600 pm Saturday 2/7/15) i. Participation (60%) ii. Presentation day 1 (10%) iii. Presentation day 2 (30%) b. Ideation Outcomes (20%) i. Survey design (10%) ii. Survey execution (25%) iii. In-­‐class final presentation (50%) iv. Peer evaluation (15%) Final grades will include + and – distinctions (e.g., a B+ or B-­‐ is possible). UGS 302, Spring, 2015
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High-­‐level Schedule: This course has four different components: 1. Background concepts and terminology a. Entrepreneurship – What is it? Who can be one? Are you one? b. On-­‐campus resources for entrepreneurship 2. Immersive Experience a. Shortened 3Day Startup event (Feb 6/7) b. Preparation and revision of pitch decks c. “Ideation 101” (group project) – begin to innovate by finding a group of individuals with a problem and form an idea (based on market and financial data) to solve their problem. 3. Thinking as an entrepreneur a. Case-­‐studies of local entrepreneurs driven by in-­‐class discussions with ATI-­‐
invited entrepreneurs. The written assignment will be focused on one of these entrepreneurs, or a local entrepreneur of your choice. b. Resources for entrepreneurship-­‐-­‐Weekly in-­‐class assignment: read the required Disciplined Entrepreneurship assignments 4. Explore the Gems of the University. Including, using the UT library – market research helps entrepreneurs make educated guesses on the creation of new products and limits their risk. During “Ideation 101”, use the library to wisely support your arguments. Requirements for the semester: This class is intended to introduce you to the resources at UT-­‐Austin in support of student entrepreneurship and acquaint you to the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Austin. • Attend classes • Participate in discussions and all in-­‐class exercises • Write a 3500-­‐4500 word paper, plus turn in draft assignments associated with the paper • Present a novel business idea with a group from the class • Attend immersive experience • Attend at least one entrepreneurial event at UT Austin campus • Attend at least one entrepreneurial event in Austin • Attend at least two of the approved University Lecture Series events • Visit at least three of the Gems of the University (in-­‐class) • Complete a course evaluation Observance of University policies: Standard University policies relating to accommodation for students with disabilities and to scholastic dishonesty will be followed in this course. Information regarding these policies may be found in the General Information Bulletin. The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic adjustments for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-­‐6259, 471-­‐4641 TDD or the College of Engineering Director of Students with Disabilities at 471-­‐4321. UGS 302, Spring, 2015
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Detailed Schedule: UGS 302, Spring, 2015
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