Compromised academic freedom?
Technology transfer offices are often accused of harming academic freedom -- by limiting publication, licensing rights exclusively, or other actions. Professionals know that limits to academic freedom are routinely accepted in consulting agreements and in other fashions.
Now gift givers are in the act. The University of North Carolina - Charlotte and 17 other campuses
accepted a gift which required them to teach a book in certain courses. While some faculty are not bothered, as they see that it is a book they would teach anyway, others are disturbed.
Will folks now need to publish on the book? Or is this ok?
Best in Class Evaluation
Evaluation of economic programs is a tricky business. The Stanford Social Innovation Review often has interesting articles. .
Drowning in Data is one interesting one about how it is now possible to collect far more data than in the past, but does the data prove "effectiveness?" And will donors trust the data (see
this article)? Or will national standards
hurt programs with different goals, who appear "the same" (or others
want to appear the same)?
While the Stanford-published works focus on traditional non-profits, programs designed for economic impact have similar problems. This
excerpt encourages us to move beyond jobs as a measurement for entrepreneurial activity. And while I haven't read it yet, I'm very interested in Scott Shane's new book,
The Illusions of Entrepreneurship, to see how we might encourage it -- and discourage it -- where appropriate.
Where do I face this? Since I am no longer Vice President for Metrics & Surveys for
AUTM, I have moved onto my local problems: the
Portland State Business Accelerator. . .the Portland State Innovation & Industry Alliances office. . .and other national conversations, including one the National Governor's Association is hosting. Given all the activity in the US & abroad in innovation metrics, there is still stuff to do.
Labels: measuring entrepreneurship
PC.com
Now I coach a number of people on what kinds of computers to buy (and I have my own experts that I go to for help!) but I wonder if I will now use PC.com, owned & operated by Intel Corporation, to show you all the wonderful ways you can use computers with Intel processors. At least Intel is very up front about it. .
