Business Department to Add New Minor Program

Starting in the spring semester, Oklahoma Christian University’s business department will be adding a new minor program. This program will be centered around entrepreneurship and will help majors wanting to start their own business. 

The new minor is being set up by Les Nunn, who has experience in starting and building entrepreneurship programs at various other schools, like the University of Southern Indiana. Professor of business Jeff Simmons is supervising the start-up process of the program. 

Simmons said he thinks students will learn a lot from Nunn. He said Nunn will help build the program from the ground up. 

“A lot of students we have here and prospective students mentioned they want to someday own their own business, run their own nonprofit, something like that,” Simmons said. “And so we’re just trying to address the demand that’s in the marketplace.”

The entrepreneurship program is catered to be paired virtually with any major or degree program at Oklahoma Christian. Simmons said society is in high demand for entrepreneurs and this program will provide an outlet for various majors. 

“It is just in our popular culture, entrepreneurship has received a lot of attention,” Simmons said. “Pop culture has latched onto entrepreneurship and I think part of it is because people have become disenfranchised with the typical corporate ladder type world.”

The program will have a portion which is lecture-based  in addition to a hands-on portion. This will give students the chance to see what their future businesses could look like.  

Senior Kayla Yowell is an interdisciplinary studies major who spends a lot of time in the business department. She said she is really looking forward to seeing how this program will progress after she graduates. 

“It gives students an opportunity to expand their dreams and make business into a reality,” Yowell said. “And see what the life of entrepreneurship is like and the ups and downs of one.”

Entrepreneurship is a highly requested subject amongst business students, as well as other degree programs like the STEM field. Oklahoma Christian is partnering with Tinker Air Force Base to provide technology for programs like this, which gives graduates the opportunity to base their business around something they are familiar with. 

“They can take these technologies, try to find civilian uses for them and then try to figure out what kind of uses are applicable to society today,” Simmons said. “This provides them with a product that can be developed and sold in the marketplace.”

Oklahoma Christian has had entrepreneur classes in the past, but not a full program dedicated to catapulting students in the creation of their own business. 

“It will mean a lot to the business department to explore their amazing business ideas and expand their department,” Yowell said. “It’s an offer to others who might become entrepreneurs to help students see what it means to become an entrepreneur.” 

For any questions and information about the entrepreneurship program, email les.nunn@oc.edu.