The creation of a centralized entrepreneurship program at Syracuse University is an effective measure in the restructuring of on-campus entrepreneurial initiatives, but Bird Library is not an ideal location for the initiative to be housed.

SU has been named the recipient of $900,000 grant that will establish a new entrepreneurship program in Bird Library. The grant, which is given out by the Blackstone Charitable Foundation, will provide students of any major with the opportunity to receive training seminars, mentors and other resources as part of the LaunchPad program.

The campus-wide program is a substantial move to provide innovative resources for all students. But while Bird Library was likely a practical selection to house the program for the time being, it is not an ideal space for the program in the long run. Instead, the LaunchPad program should eventually be located in the Schine Student Center.

Students take advantage of campus libraries for peaceful environments in which they can do their homework and study in quiet spaces. This restrictive atmosphere would contribute to a strange setting for the entrepreneurship center of campus, considering these spaces should promote creativity and brainstorming exercises that should not be suppressed to maintain the quiet levels of the library.

The Daily Orange Editorial Board acknowledges that the state of campus and its buildings are in flux at this time under the Campus Master Plan; however, by moving the program to the Schine Student Center, LaunchPad coordinators will still maintain the program’s central location on campus, but will be able to reap the benefits of a free-flowing, student-centered environment.

But regardless of its location of campus, the program has immense potential to generate positive opportunities for SU students.

Besides SU, Cornell University, New York University, the University at Albany and the University at Buffalo will receive parts of the three-year, $4.5 million grant in the Blackstone Charitable Foundation’s move to expand their campus entrepreneurship programs.

Through this relationship, these universities will be able to work together and use each other’s resources to make meaningful innovations in New York state. According to a Blackstone Charitable Foundation release, the program could generate about 6,000 jobs across the state over the next five years due to its presence on the five campuses.

But as the program establishes itself on the SU campus, coordinators can work to ensure its lasting success by securing an improved location in the Schine Student Center.

Published on October 28, 2015 at 12:47 am

Contact: opinion@dailyorange.com