Business Fellows Proposal Checklist

Is your project idea a good fit for the Business Fellows program?  Consult this checklist to find out!

Who are the required players?

o Faculty mentor (serves as project director)

o Interdisciplinary team of students (juniors, seniors, graduate students from any Ball State major)

o Business/community partner (business, organization, agency, or community or educational institution)

What are the key components of a successful Business Fellows project?

o The faculty mentor(s) and student team will work directly with an Indiana business or organization to engage in a problem-based project.

o The goals of the project are to assist the partner organization directly in improving services, increasing business, developing new job opportunities, improving quality, or improving competitiveness.

o Each project should emphasize the professional development of the student team members and identify the key skills/ experiences that will lead to students' professional development and growth.  The project should also provide opportunities for students to connect with employment opportunities in Indiana.

o Each project should identify desired outcomes and include plans for assessment of those outcomes by multiple measures; assessment support will be provided by the Office of Academic Assessment and Institutional Research.

What are the expectations for the team members?

o Faculty mentors will participate in a summer planning seminar to set project requirements, determine selection of students, and plan each student's individual work. Business partners will be invited to attend a portion of the seminar.

o With the faculty mentor's and business partner's input, the Business Fellows team will create a work plan, roles for each team member, and a timeline for the project.  The team will present the plan to the business/organization partner for approval.

o Business Fellows team members (students and faculty) will participate in Student Professional Development Training workshops in the fall and spring semesters that will help students develop core work-related competencies and better prepare them for the workplace.

o Faculty mentors will explore with their departments the option of course credit.

o Business Fellows student team members will devote approximately ten hours a week to their projects for one or more semesters, depending upon the needs of the project.

o Business partners will provide a regular contact person who will work with the faculty mentor and provide input and feedback to the Business Fellows team as needed throughout the project.  The typical project will also involve some level of financial support from the business/community partner.  The level will be determined by the type of employer and the needs of the project.

o Upon completion of the project, the Business Fellows team and faculty mentor will make a formal presentation of results/deliverables to their client.

o The Business Fellows team will prepare a poster presentation for an on-campus meeting of all Business Fellows participants and invited guests.

o The faculty mentor will assist students in creating a portfolio of their project that demonstrates their skills.

o The Business Fellows team will measure and demonstrate outcomes of their project (as identified in the initial assessment plan).

For the complete Business Fellows proposal visit the Career Center Web site at www.bsu.edu/careers/fellows.