Oxford Center Forms Consortium to Assess Entrepreneurship in Universities and Colleges

Online, August 28, 2012 (Newswire.com) - The Oxford Center for Entrepreneurs is pleased to announce the formation of the University Ranking and Oversight Consortium (UROC) and the appointment of its inaugural chairperson, Retired General Russel Honore' (US Army). Comprising academic and entrepreneur leaders across the country, the Consortium is dedicated to building and promoting stronger, more effective and relevant business school programs and curricula for developing entrepreneurs of the future. The ranking will comprise over 300 college and university systems that include business schools, liberal arts and sciences as well as technical schools and design schools. The top 50 schools will be published in The New York Times.

The chief goal of UROC is to develop and publish an empirical, totally objective criteria that expands the entrepreneur class beyond the business school and into other academic disciplines. The ranking process will be audited by an independent third party.

W. Cliff Oxford, successful entrepreneur and academic innovator, founder of the Oxford Center for Entrepreneurship, said, "The rankings will put both academic and entrepreneurs front and center and working together to educate and develop a wider class of entrepreneurs that will succeed and get our economy moving again." Oxford added, "We are honored that General Honore', an evangelist of entrepreneurship in his own right, has agreed to serve as the consortia's chair and bring his national credibility to the ranking."

Honore', best known for his leadership as a General during the Hurricane Katrina crisis, is a huge supporter of entrepreneurship that helps veterans not only come home and find employment but also helps them create companies. "Entrepreneurship is America's competitive advantage and how we compete on a global scale. We need to keep it, nurture it, and build it."

The Consortium understands how critical a credible empirical process is to assessing academic programs and is excited to announce that an Atlanta-based independent national accounting firm will be the auditing partner for its program criteria and ranking data. The criteria will be weighted 40% on inputs, which focuses on curriculum and programs and 60% on outputs such as jobs created, new companies started and apprentices hired.

For more information about UROC or the Oxford Center for Entrepreneurship, please call 800-810-6879.

About The Oxford Center for Entrepreneurs
The Oxford Center for Entrepreneurs was started in 2004 and has been the leader to bring academics and entrepreneurs together to build a platform for growth. We were the innovator of the 7C entrepreneurship program for communities and colleges/universities.

Led by W. Cliff Oxford, The Oxford Center is Atlanta's premiere educational and leadership platform for business leaders who believe education and commerce are core strategies that help build great brands, set market standards and to own and dominate as a category leader. Combining education, innovation, and networking, The Oxford Center connects leaders to leaders to increase their revenues and elevate their business profiles.

The Oxford Center for Entrepreneurship has the vision, mission and standards for creating Entrepreneur centers that will drive and escalate economic development in communities using active learning with real world curriculum at Universities and Colleges. These Entrepreneur centers will have two chief objectives: to create jobs and wealth in communities by helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses, and to change business education as we know it.