Though the Raymond von Dran Innovation and Disruptive Entrepreneurship Accelerator (RvD IDEA) program has been shut down for restructuring at Syracuse University, it is crucial that steps are taken to include students in the transitional process.

IDEA, a program with a mission to support entrepreneurial endeavors on the SU campus, has been shut down to be reworked into a larger, more centralized program that will extend resources to students of all disciplines. The proposal includes significant external support as part of reconfiguring activities and programming surrounding student entrepreneurship initiatives at SU.

Entrepreneurship is a fundamental theme of the SU campus and its colleges. The university’s decision to centralize these campus resources should continue to foster a community supportive of entrepreneurial endeavors, and should work to do so by including the involvement of students, particularly those who had been involved with IDEA for years, in organizational procedures.

J.D. Ross, communications director for the School of Information Studies, said in an email to The Daily Orange that a newly designed physical space in the center of campus is being planned to support entrepreneurship programs for students. Ross said that faculty members from all of SU’s schools and colleges will be providing oversight for many of the initiatives formerly run by IDEA and that further details regarding the transition will be announced next month.

Some students have been vocal with their frustrations about the shutting down of the program, particularly those involved with IDEA during their time at SU. By communicating plans for the new entrepreneurship hub, the university can show students are an important part of the process.

In the same way that the university values entrepreneurship, it must also value clear communication with the SU community. While the move to consolidate entrepreneurial resources into a physical space has the potential to foster positive results, the transition must be proactive in ensuring that proper input is taken into account under restructuring efforts.