At NC State, more than 35,000 undergraduate and graduate students learn by
doing — pursuing original research, starting new companies, and serving their communities.
The mission of the College of Engineering is to support and prepare students and faculty for the grand challenges of engineering and computer science. Whether through scholarships, mentorship programs, living and learning communities, prototyping and business development labs, or a variety of other experiential learning opportunities, students have access to the tools to build an entrepreneurial mindset and the confidence and support to launch their own ventures.
Of equal if not greater importance is that we are able to carry this out within a culture that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion at all levels so all of our students and faculty can thrive and prosper in their endeavors.
NC State's Entrepreneurship program is currently refining its Guiding Principles/Core Values:
- Open Source (entrepreneurial thinking should be an option for everyone)
- Collaboration (community of support, peer networks, “hub”)
- Curiosity (curious mindset, recognizing opportunities, entrepreneurial thinkers, exploration of possibilities, failure is an opportunity to learn)
- Inclusion (place for all, diverse perspectives)
- Leadership (cultivating student leaders, self-actualization, growing ventures, teams and selves)
- Problem-solving (creativity and innovation, learn by doing)
- Interdisciplinary (new topics, new people, new places, new ideas; “There is always something to be learned from the seemingly unrelated.”)
The underlying COE mission and vision is a sustained effort to engage and invest in vital areas of research growth and educational need. It involves, first and foremost, making strategic investments in faculty and infrastructure in areas that provide the greatest potential for attracting strong faculty that will best serve the needs of our country and state. At the core of the COE’s mission and vision is enhancing student success through the integration of research and education. We believe that the KEEN entrepreneurial mindset will provide COE with additional tools that will enhance student success, enhanced problem solving skills, and engineering innovation.