Page 12 The Skanner MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE EDITION September 21, 2016
MBE 2016
Special Business Edition
Business Briefs
U.S. News Ranks PSU as
Top 10 ‘Most Innovative’
U.S. News & World Report has ranked
Portland State University among the
top 10 “most innovative” national uni-
versities in its Best Colleges 2016 rank-
ings, released online last week.
In the U.S. News “most innovative”
rankings, Portland State moved up to
No. 9 from No. 16 on the second annu-
al list of schools to watch for making
“cutting-edge changes.” PSU tied with
Purdue University–West Lafayette and
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
and bested universities such as Har-
vard, Duke, Cornell and UC Berkeley.
U.S. News asked top academics to
name campuses that are “making the
most innovative improvements in
terms of curriculum, faculty, students,
campus life, technology or facilities.” A
school had to receive multiple nomina-
tions to be listed.
The 2017 rankings also recognize
PSU’s senior capstone, service learn-
ing and undergraduate business pro-
grams. PSU also is a top pick of high
school counselors.
PSU’s innovations include:
• A growing strategic alliance with
Oregon Health & Science University,
including a new joint School of Pub-
lic Health and the Collaborative Life
Sciences Building on the South Wa-
terfront, a state-of-the-art home for
health and science programs.
• ReTHINK PSU, a push to help stu-
dents stay on course and graduate
•
•
•
•
•
sooner using innovative curriculum,
community engagement and ef ec-
tive technology. Projects include cre-
ating a better mathematics lab, new
online mentoring, targeted academic
advising, l exible degrees for return-
ing adults and redesigned student
services.
The Four-Year Degree Guarantee, a
pledge that students who follow a de-
gree path will graduate in four years
— or they can i nish for free.
Expansion of the Urban Honors Col-
lege to provide intense research op-
portunities and academic challenges
for highly motivated students.
BUILD EXITO, a partnership with
OHSU and community colleges fund-
ed with a $24 million grant from the
National Institutes of Health to cre-
ate career pathways in biomedical
research for diverse students.
The Institute for Sustainable Solu-
tions, a center for sustainable re-
search, curriculum, and community
engagement at PSU that administers
a 10-year, $25 million challenge grant
from the James F. and Marion L. Mill-
er Foundation.
“Building a Better Student Experi-
ence,” a project funded in part by
grants from the Gates Foundation
and Association of Public and Land-
grant Universities to enhance advis-
ing, develop a personalized student
web portal and interactive degree
maps, and better coordinate student
services across campus.
U.S. News ranks colleges annually
from indicators of academic excel-
lence, including surveys of adminis-
trators at peer institutions, student
retention and graduation rates, faculty
resources, student selectivity, i nancial
resources and alumni giving. More
information and full rankings are at
www.usnews.com/colleges.
SBA Now Accepting
2017 National Small
Business Week Awards
Nominations
The U.S. Small Business Administra-
tion is now accepting nominations for
its 2017 National Small Business Week
Awards, including the annual Small
Business Person of the Year. Since 1963,
National Small Business Week has rec-
ognized the outstanding achievements
of America’s small businesses for their
contributions to their local communi-
ties, and to our nation’s economy.
The dedicated website www.sba.gov/
nsbw/awards provides forms, criteria
and guidelines for submitting a nomi-
nation.
SBA Awards given in celebration of
National Small Business Week, April
30 – May 6, 2017, include the following:
• Small Business Person of the Year
o One from each of the 50 states, the
District of Columbia, Puerto Rico,
the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam.
• Exporter of the Year
• Phoenix Awards for Disaster Recov-
ery
o Phoenix Award for Small Business
Disaster Recovery
o Phoenix Award for Outstanding
Contributions to Disaster Recov-
ery, Public Oi cial
o Phoenix Award for Outstanding
Contributions to Disaster Recov-
ery, Volunteer
• Federal Procurement Awards
o Small Business Prime Contractor
of the Year
o Small Business Subcontractor of
the Year
o Dwight D. Eisenhower Awards for
Excellence (for large prime con-
tractors who use small businesses
as suppliers and contractors)
o 8(a) Graduate of the Year
• Jody C. Raskind Lender of the Year
• Small Business Investment Company
of the Year
• Awards to SBA Resource Partners
o Small Business Development Cen-
ter (SBDC) Excellence and Innova-
tion Center Award
o Women’s Business Center of Excel-
lence Award
o Veterans Business Outreach Cen-
ter of the Year
All nominations must be submitted
no later than 3 p.m. EST, Monday, Jan.
10, 2017. SBA will no longer be using
the Small Business Week online portal.
All nomination packages may only be
hand delivered or mailed to an SBA Of-
i ce. Email submissions of SBA Awards
forms will not be accepted as they con-
tain personally identii able informa-
tion (PII).
For contact information and other
District Oi ce information visit online
at http://www.sba.gov/districtoi ces.
See BRIEFS on page 10
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