Social Enterprise Incubator

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

170 hours

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject has been developed in partnership with The Big Issue, an independent, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting and creating job opportunities for homeless, marginalised and disadvantaged people, to provide students with the opportunity to work in small project teams to conceptualise, develop and pitch a viable and sustainable social enterprise initiative. Teams will liaise with external organisations such as The Big Issue as well as community groups and thought leaders from business as appropriate to identify an area of community need and design a social enterprise to address that need. Project development will be informed by the scholarship of social enterprise and will be closely supported by a program of workshops, webinars and supervision from academic staff and experienced social enterprise providers. Project teams will present their business cases in both written and verbal form to an audience of academics, business leaders and social enterprise practitioners. Students completing this subject will develop a critical understanding of the nature of social enterprise in contemporary society and of the practical requirements for developing sustainable social enterprise projects.

Students who successfully complete this subject should:

• demonstrate a detailed understanding of aims, practicalities and limitations of social enterprise;
• demonstrate a detailed understanding of the scholarship pertaining to social entrepreneurship;
• apply rigorous methods of inquiry and appropriate methodologies to the field of social enterprise with intellectual honesty and a respect for ethical values;
• work effectively as a member of a project team to devise and elaborate a detailed business case for a social enterprise project;
• communicate effectively with community groups, individuals and potential project stakeholders to identify and develop a social enterprise project; and
• communicate the results of the project effectively to community, professional and academic audiences.

1. A 1,000-word concept proposal and work plan (20%), due in Week 2 of semester.
2. A 3,000-word business case (60%), due in Week 10 of semester.
3. An oral presentation of the business case (1,000 words equivalent) (20%), due in the Week 8 of semester.

Hurdle Requirement: Students are required to attend a minimum of 80% of classes in order to pass this subject.

A subject reader, resource pack and webinar series will be provided.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On completion of this subject, students shoud have:

• advanced communication skills (written and verbal) and stakeholder management skills appropriate to professional contexts;
• project management and business planning skills, including scoping projects, developing timelines and meeting deadlines;
• task management; and
• research and critical thinking skills as applied to a professional context.