1991-1993 Catalog - Catalogs - West Virginia University

In cooperation with the Center for Extension and Continuing Education, the BBRprovides technical assistance in arranging continuing education and professionaldevelopment programs involving the College of Business and Economics faculty.Center for Economic ResearchThe Center for Economic Research (CER), assists in information-gathering anddisseminating services. The CER serves as a major business and economic datacenter and is a depository for the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) andBureau of Census databases. The only agency in the state concerned with all aspectsof West Virginia's business and economic climate, the Center charts business andindustry trends and disseminates information about the state economy. The availabilityof such detailed data on the economic environment will help to make West Virginiamore attractive to firms considering locations within the state. Among other projects,the CER will develop an input/output model for West Virginia, an econometric model,and a gross state product series.Small Business Development CenterThe WVU Small Business Development Center (SBDC) was established in 1984to facilitate small business formation, stabilization, and growth. A member of a statewidenetwork of ten college- and university-based centers, the WVU SBDC serves asa coordinator of federal, state, university, and private resources to encourage economicand business development. Specialized services offered by the SBDC includemanagement consultation, business planning, procurement information, workshops,and research projects.loan assistance. Through individual business counseling sessions, the entrepreneurThe SBDC also provides information on financial planning andor prospective business owner/manager can receive guidance from the SBDC in suchspecific areas as licensing procedures and regulation, tax information, accounting andbasic record keeping, financial planning and cash flow analysis, market research, andmarketing strategies.In 1990, the SBDC provided professional counseling for 261 clients, conducted 20conferences, workshops, and training seminars, and has cooperated with numerousorganizations from the public and private sectors in economic development efforts.SBDC client statistics reveal that nearly half of those persons requesting assistancewere already in business before coming into the program. Of the remaining clientele,about one-third actually decided to start their own small businesses. To date, theSBDC has provided information, counseling, training, and other types of assistance tomore than 6,000 individuals and helped to start nearly 200 new businesses, resultingin the generation of over 900 jobs.The WVU SBDC also works with numemrous otherorganizations in leveraging resources and supporting activities for the purpose ofimproving business conditions throughout the state. Examples include involvementwith economic development programs of both private and public sectors, such asSoftware Valley, Inc.; Main Street, West Virginia; and Partnership for Progress.Institute of Industrial and Labor RelationsFaculty associated with the Institute of Industrial and Labor Relations combineteaching, research, and service activities. Research results concerning labor-managementcooperation and economic development are made a part of the educationalprocess within the College, and opportunities are available for students to assist withresearch.Research and public service activities embrace study of those elements of labormanagementrelations and human resource development uniquely identified with WestVirginia. The Institute for Labor Studies (ILS) and the Applied Research, Evaluation,and Planning (AREP) units at WVU, along with the ILR Department, have been thecatalyst for two area labor- management committees funded by the Federal Mediationand Conciliation Service. The Institute, in partnership with West Liberty State Collegeand West Virginia Northern Community College, has formed a University- Industry148 College of Business and Economics