A model to increase the impact of student consulting projects in rural communities

Leveraging the Student Consulting Model to Create a Comprehensive Academic Program

“…Not only has the model been embedded for a long period of time, but it has also now become a central tenant for the experiential learning opportunities provided in the BSE. The faculty have also engaged in the important of entrepreneurship pedagogy research to disseminate, assess and evaluate experiential learning and the student consulting model (Barber et al, 2020(Barber et al, , 2021McMillan & Barber, 2020).…”

“…Great efforts are made to connect our students and community partners and develop mutually beneficial programming. This program sets the stage for students to make community connections and become the next generation of business owners (Barber et al, 2021).…”

“…Certainly, supportive alumni play a critically important role in fundraising. However, many are genuinely interested in student learning and providing networks that support students as they transition into the professional world (Barber et al, 2021).…”

“…A particular type of experientiallearning opportunity is through student-led, team consulting projects. These opportunities are not only valuable for students but can lead to more impactful community engagement and charitable gifts (Barber et al, 2021). One organization with a focus on the student consulting model is the Small Business Institute® (SBI) which was first piloted in 1972 with support from the Small Business Administration and has been continuously used in select business schools for decades (Small Business Institute, 2020).…”

An Overview of Rural Entrepreneurship and Future Directions

“…For example, there is a gap in education opportunities around succession and exit planning strategies for rural entrepreneurs (Crawford & Barber, 2020). The outcomes of these two papers suggest a gap in services offered, though the impact of these services on rural businesses depends on the entrepreneur's capacity to implement recommendations and strategies (Barber et al, 2021).…”