The Navigator by Robert Parke Harrison

My goal is to be contributive to the larger conversation in American society about reimagining the role of the traditionally liberal arts colleges and universities in the 21^st century. Also, my research recognizes the unique role that elite universities such as Stanford, MIT, Princeton, Yale, Harvard and Columbia play in the production of American leaders for all aspects of American life. I want to contribute to the dialogue inside and outside the academy about how students are being prepared as 21^st century knowledge workers, managers, and owners. This conversation covers the role of fields such as the humanities, social sciences, the STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering and math) and the emerging discipline of entrepreneurship in preparing college and university students for successful and rewarding careers.

Students need to understand how to approach preparing for their careers strategically. To this end, the two courses that I am designing are intended to speak to students in the context of today’s rapidly changing global economic landscape. Some people in academia might take exception with this notion of trying to have an effect beyond the purely academic realm. My simple response is today students should be given access to information and experiences that empower them, are useful and help them acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to create their own opportunities. A wide toolbox cohort who is majoring in English took a strategic path to creating her entrepreneurial opportunity. She described her route in the following terms:

My shift away from STEM is what got me interested in entrepreneurship. There were two tendencies that existed deeply within me. I have always been extremely interested in entrepreneurship. I started a non-profit in high school. Most people do not think of English majors and entrepreneurship. They see me as the head of a magazine, and they say she is an English major and she likes entrepreneurship. Oh being the head of a magazine focused on entrepreneurship makes sense. I love the magazine and I love English, but I am most interested in the startup culture. Being the head of the magazine gives me a platform to network within the entrepreneurial community.

I am proposing to teach two classes that relate to my research and interests, and speak to today’s students in a strategic way: The Culture of Entrepreneurship and Law, the Internet and Society. In my view 21^st century teaching should entail a multidisciplinary approach to reflect the reality of how we navigate today’s world. This means my classes will include elements of technology, the humanities, and entrepreneurship. My classes will draw on my background in academia, business, finance, anthropology, American studies, law, entrepreneurship, and Wall Street.

In The Culture of Entrepreneurship students will be exposed to a multidisciplinary approach to studying the phenomenon of entrepreneurship in American society today. In this course students will explore topics such as the role of the entrepreneur in American culture and society, how the entrepreneur is perceived in American society, as well as how the entrepreneur is portrayed in academia and popular culture. Students will be engaged in a capstone project of playing the role of co-founder of a startup and designing a corporate culture that is sustainable and scalable. The working definition of a startup is: A temporary organization that is formed to search for a sustainable and scalable business model.

In Law, the Internet and Society students will analyze issues such as privacy in an era of social media. They will discuss the fact that privacy is a cultural, social and legal construct in American society. Students will dissect how Americans’ expectations of privacy are culturally constructed and influenced generationally. Capstone projects will involve one of the major themes of this class: a) expectations of privacy in an era of social media, b) governmental policy governing the Internet, c) the cultural significance of “free” on the Internet, d) Internet piracy and intellectual property, e) the relationship between humans and machines, and f) the sharing economy (Airbnb, Uber, Lyft, and Zipcar).