BIOL 4940/4941	Creative Inquiry	FALL 2023 Aug. 23 – Dec. 15
Meeting Time and Place:	3:30 – 5:00 PM on Wednesdays	Jordan Room
INSTRUCTORS:	Dr. Tzuen-Rong Jeremy Tzeng
OFFICE:	149A Life Science Building
PHONE:	(864) 650-8020
EMAIL:	TZUENRT@CLEMSON.EDU

Course Title

Entrepreneurship in Science: From Idea to Market

Course Number

BIOL 4940/4941: Creative Inquiry, 2 Credits Fall, 2023 and 1 Credit Spring, 2024

• Class Meetings:
  • Wednesdays from 3:30 to 5:00 PM
• Teaching Modality:
  • We will meet in person and via Zoom when appropriate.

Office Hour – Please email for an appointment

Course Description

The two-semester course examines the fundamental questions encountered by individuals considering the path of business ownership. The course focuses on reviewing the history and role of entrepreneurs in the economy, characteristics of entrepreneurs, career paths of entrepreneurship, and one's personal potential as an entrepreneur. The course aims to equip the students with the ability to identify business opportunities, translate ideas into products, and pitch ideas to secure financial support.

 

In the Fall semester, the course will focus on lecture topics related to entrepreneurship and identifying potential business opportunities. Students will seek SCbio membership, a statewide, non-profit, industry association, and economic development organization tasked with building the business of life sciences in South Carolina's life sciences industry.

 

In the Spring semester, students will be guided through generating ideas, forming the Catalyst Competition teams, identifying the team project mentor(s), facilitating workshop participation, meeting the development timeline, presenting at the College of Science Catalyst Competition, and contributing to post-competition analysis and feedback. The winning teams will have the opportunity to participate in the 2024 SC Innovates competition that encourages ingenuity and entrepreneurship. Students will also attend the 2024 SCbio Annual Meeting scheduled on Feb. 6-8 in Greenville, SC.

Learning Outcomes

Students will:

• demonstrate an understanding of how Entrepreneurship can impact their lives and society.
• demonstrate an understanding of how to translate ideas into viable products or services.
• demonstrate an understanding of the basics of building an idea into a venture.
• demonstrate an understanding of the meaning of entrepreneurial thinking.
• demonstrate the ability to collect primary and secondary research and present the findings verbally.
• demonstrate the ability to pitch business ideas.

 

 

Textbook

OpenStax Entrepreneurship, by Michael Laverty and Chris Little (ISBN-13: 978-1-947172-70-8)

Access the FREE textbook and associated resources at: https://openstax.org/details/books/entrepreneurship

Course Schedule

Month	Date	Lecture Title
Aug.	23	CH 1 The Entrepreneurial Perspective
	30	CH 2 The Entrepreneurial Journey and Pathways
Sept.	06	CH 3 The Ethical and Social Responsibilities of Entrepreneurs
	13	CH 4 Creativity, Innovation, and Invention
	20	CH 5 Identifying Entrepreneurial Opportunity
	20	Take Home Exam I administered, Due on Sept. 27
	27	CH 6 Problem Solving and Need Recognition Techniques
Oct.	04	CH 7 Telling Your Entrepreneurial Story and Pitching the Idea
	11	CH 8 Entrepreneurial Marketing and Sales
	18	CH 9 Entrepreneurial Finance and Accounting
	25	CH 10 Launch for Growth to Success
	25	Take Home Exam II administered, Due on Nov. 01
Nov.	01	CH 11 Business Model and Plan
	08	CH 12 Building Networks and Foundations
	15	CH 13 Business Structure Options: Legal, Tax, and Risk Issues
	22	Thanksgiving Holiday
	29	CH 14 Fundamentals of Resource Planning
Dec.	06	CH 15 Next Steps
	12	FINAL EXAM, Comprehensive (Tuesday 7:00–9:30 PM, Jordan Room)

Course Policies

Grade Distribution:

Midterm Exams	2 ea.	Take Home (25 points each)	50
Assignments	3 ea.	5 points each	15
Attendance & Participation			10
Final Exam	1 ea.	Comprehensive, Dec. 12, Tuesday 7:00 – 9:30 PM	25

 

Students will receive documented feedback on engagement in lectures including exams, attendance and participation in course discussion, and completion of assignments. The grading scale is as follows:

 

A  =  90 – 100% B  =  80 – 89% C  =  70 – 79%

D  =  60 – 69% F  =   < 60%

Academic Integrity

As members of the Clemson University community, we have inherited Thomas Green Clemson's vision of this institution as a "high seminary of learning." Fundamental to this vision is a mutual commitment to truthfulness, honor, and responsibility, without which we cannot earn the trust and respect of others. Furthermore, we recognize that academic dishonesty detracts from the value of a Clemson degree. Therefore, we shall not tolerate lying, cheating, or stealing in any form.

All infractions of academic dishonesty by undergraduates must be reported to Undergraduate Studies for resolution through that office. In cases of plagiarism instructors may use the Plagiarism Resolution Form.

Plagiarism, which includes the intentional or unintentional copying of language, structure, or ideas of another and attributing the work to one’s own efforts. Graded works generated by artificial intelligence or ghostwritten (either paid or free) are expressly forbidden.

See the Undergraduate Academic Integrity Policy website for additional information and the current catalogue for the policy.

Accessibility

Clemson University values the diversity of our student body as a strength and a critical component of our dynamic community. Students with disabilities or temporary injuries/conditions may require accommodations due to barriers in the structure of facilities, course design, technology used for curricular purposes, or other campus resources. Students who experience a barrier to full access to this class should let the instructor know and are encouraged to request accommodations through SAS (Student Accessibility Services) as soon as possible. To request accommodations through SAS, please see this link: (https://www.clemson.edu/academics/studentaccess/register.html). You can also reach out to SAS with questions by calling 864-656-6848, visiting SAS at the ASC Suite 239, or stopping by the office as a drop-in appointment.

The Clemson University Title IX Statement Regarding Non-Discrimination

Clemson University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, veteran’s status, genetic information or protected activity in employment, educational programs and activities, admissions and financial aid. This includes a prohibition against sexual harassment and sexual violence as mandated by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. This Title IX policy is located on the Access and Equity website. Ms. Alesia Smith is the Clemson University Title IX Coordinator, and the Assistant Vice President of Equity Compliance. Her office is located at 223 Brackett Hall, 864-656-3181 and her email address is alesias@clemson.edu. Remember, email is not a fully secured method of communication and should not be used to discuss Title IX issues.

Clemson University aspires to create a diverse community that welcomes people of different races, cultures, ages, genders, sexual orientation, religions, socioeconomic levels, political perspectives, abilities, opinions, values and experiences.

Emergency Preparation

Emergency procedures have been posted in all buildings and on all elevators. Students should be reminded to review these procedures for their own safety. All students and employees should be familiar with guidelines from Clemson University Public Safety.

Clemson University is committed to providing a safe campus environment for students, faculty, staff, and visitors. As members of the community, we encourage you to take the following actions to be better prepared in case of an emergency:

1. Familiarize yourself with all possible exits, safer locations, and other key information on the emergency evacuation maps in this building, and those that you visit regularly.
2. Make a plan for how you would Run, Hide, and Fight in case of an active threat in this building, and those that you visit regularly. For example:
1. Run – what are all the possible exits in this building, and the routes to them?
2. Hide – what are the potential hiding locations in this room and building that are out of sight of doors and windows, how do you lock the door(s), how would you barricade the door(s) and windows, where do you turn off the lights?
3. Fight – What tools are available in this room and building, should you have to fight?
3. Ensure you are signed up for emergency alerts. Alerts are only sent when there is a potential threat to safety, a major disruption to campus services, and once-monthly tests.
4. Download the Rave Guardian app to your phone. (https://www.clemson.edu/cusafety/cupd/rave-guardian)
5. Learn what you can do to prepare yourself for the hazards that affect our locations. (http://www.clemson.edu/cusafety/EmergencyManagement)

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Materials in courses are copyrighted, including instructor’s materials. They are intended for use only by students registered and enrolled in a particular course and only for instructional activities associated with and for the duration of the course. They may not be retained in another medium or disseminated further. They are provided in compliance with the provisions of the Teach Act. Students must seek permission from instructors to record any class activity, including lectures, discussions, and presentations. Students should refer to the Use of Copyrighted Materials and “Fair Use Guidelines” policy on the Clemson University Website for additional information.

Original works of authorship including but not limited to books, novels, poetry, articles, works of art, photos, images, videos, movies, music, architectural designs etc. are protected under copyright law.  Unless otherwise indicated all such materials are copyright protected.  When copyright protected materials or portions of such materials are made available to you by an instructor, they are intended to be used for educational purposes, for use only by students enrolled in a particular course and only for instructional activities associated with the course. They should not be retained in another medium or disseminated.  Any further use of this material may be in violation of federal copyright law.

Helpful Resources:

The Department of Biological Sciences is committed to providing a supportive learning environment for all students. If you are facing tough times, please utilize these resources. You may also reach out to me directly.

1. Financial Assistance: Clemson Student Financial Aid (http://www.clemson.edu/financial-aid/index.html), and Anderson Interfaith Ministries (https://www.aimcharity.org/)
2. Food Insecurity: Clemson Paw Pantry (http://facebook.com/CUpawpantry)
3. Textbook Assistance: Clemson Library FAQs (https://clemson.libanswers.com/faq/100017) and Clemson Bookstore Open Education Resources copies (https://clemson.bncollege.com/shop/clemson/page/find-oer)
4. General Resources: (https://www.clemson.edu/studentaffairs/advocacy-success/resources/index.html)
5. Multicultural Resources and Support: Gantt Multicultural Center (https://www.clemson.edu/centers-institutes/gantt/multicultural-programs)
6. LGBTQ Support: Gantt Multicultural Center –LGBTQ Programs (https://www.clemson.edu/centers-institutes/gantt/lgbtq-programs/resources.html)
7. Adjustment and Transition: Counseling and Psychological Services (https://www.clemson.edu/campus-life/student-health/caps) and Student Transitions and Family Programs (http://www.clemson.edu/studentaffairs/stfp/index.html)
8. Interpersonal Violence: Healthy Campus (https://www.clemson.edu/campus-life/healthy-campus/interpersonal-violence/index.html)
9. Addiction (https://addictionresource.com/) and Vaping (https://vapingdaily.com/health).