A-to-Z Index


Community Consulting

 

The Center for Entrepreneurship in the College of Business and the Shenandoah Valley Small Business Development Center seek to support the launch, development, and growth of local businesses by providing a forum for connecting business needs with faculty/student resources.

Faculty Consulting

JMU faculty are experts in a variety of fields.  Faculty are available for independent consulting work.  The scope of the project and the project fee are negotiated with the faculty member.  Most independent consulting work is completed during the summer, but is determined by the faculty member.  Fee is negotiated with faculty member.

Faculty Research

Faculty seek opportunities to collect data and analyze results that can lead to changes in your business based on measurable outcomes.  They get access to the data and you receive the analysis.  Research is ongoing.  No fee.

Class Projects

JMU Faculty individually determine whether to introduce experiential exercises into the course curriculum.  Faculty seek projects that fall within the timeframe of a semester (January-April or September-December, six-week summer session) and meet the learning objectives of the course.  No fee.

Request for Proposals

Community Consulting Project Request Form

Business owners and managers are invited to submit proposals for consulting work performed by JMU faculty and students by completing an online survey on the websites for JMU College of Business and Shenandoah Valley Small Business Development Center.  Proposals are accepted anytime throughout the year and are stored in a database available to JMU faculty only. Clients are expected to provide the necessary information for successful completion of the project and to be available to meet with faculty/students to provide direction and answer project-related questions.

JMU Faculty will review project proposals and determine whether the project proposal best fits individual faculty consulting, faculty research initiatives, a dedicated group of business majors, or a class project.  The faculty member will contact the business person directly to discuss the possibility of accepting the proposal. 

Scheduled Classes                                                         Planning Horizon

Fall Semester (September – December)                           June – August

Spring Semester (January – April)                                   October – December

Summer Session (May/June)                                           March - April

Upon agreement, the parties will complete a non-disclosure agreement before work begins.

Business consulting services are offered in partnership with:

Center for Entrepreneurship, College of Business

The Center for Entrepreneurship encourages entrepreneurial education and research by creating 1) opportunities for faculty to gain current experience in the marketplace, 2) opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students to learn experientially, and 3) collaborative research opportunities for faculty and organizations.

Shenandoah Valley Small Business Development Center

The mission of the SV SBDC is to advise, train, and inform small businesses to help them achieve success.  We offer consulting services on a confidential, no-fee basis, free or low-cost workshops, and connections to local, state, and federal resources.  The Virginia SBDC Network is the most extensive business development program in the Commonwealth.

For more information on consulting services, please contact cfe@jmu.edu.