The modality proposed is the creation of "social entrepreneurship" or "social innovation" centers which will be based on "educational learning communities." These learning communities will start as residential, scholarly, and social on-campus centers. They will continue into off-campus field studies and vocational placements with cutting edge organizations fomenting and managing positive social change. They will result in a lower cost educational experence with less time on campus and more time doing meaningful work in the community. The student will have more choice of majors and course work since there will be on-campus agreements allowing students the freedom to "go between the academic silos." The programs will be managed through a process of "dynamic governance" (related to holacracy and sociocracy, see http://diederick.gaia.com/blog/2006/5/holarchy_plus_sociocracy_equals_holacracy)

 

The academic component of the model starts with a base of liberal arts studies particularly focusing on ethics and philosophy. In further years the student has a wide choice of coursework depending on their specific interests. For example, a student interested in international development might take courses in agriculture, engineering, community organizing, media, political science, and etc. Leadership and entrepreneurship will be particular focuses through the curriculum and various new interfaces will be explored such as "strategic entrepreneurship" and "entrepreneurial leadership."

 

In addition, students will be tested during their participation in these programs for various types of "emotional intelligence", particularly "cooperative intelligence" and "innovative intelligence."

 

The goals of this model are threefold: 1) To attract new students to programs combining the liberal arts with more career centered education; 2) To develop a more affordable and meaningful education model for both the student and the institution of higher education; 3) To train a class of innovative and entrepreneurial change agents that will renew and strengthen the institutions of our society.