Special Programs and Activities
Centers of Excellence
Institute for Innovation and Economic Development
In today’s world, the shift to complexity and the need for rapid changes is all around us- in our corporations, institutions, and non-profit organizations. Finding ways to assist leaders to implement change and learn new ways of thinking, behaving, and doing is what the offerings that Institute for Innovation and Economic Development provides. The chart highlights the areas of focus and the available programs. The Institute for Innovation and Economic Development supports students, industry, and government with university resources in four areas:
Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Supporting the University and regional need for building a strong entrepreneurial and business creation culture the Institute hosts the Generator, UNA’s student incubator, and co-working space. The Generator Student Club meets weekly during the semester. Students are mentored as they participate in startup competitions, launch their own startups and seek financial support. The Institute is a key collaborator on Shoals Shift, the region’s tech movement which includes startup competitions, mentorship weekends, pre-seed and angel funding, and meetups.
Economic Development: The Institute prepares a variety of economic development reports to private and public organizations, including impact analysis, market assessments, feasibility studies, customer perception surveys, retail market analyses, geospatial assessments, and salary surveys.
Corporate Consulting: The Institute provides experts in business services, including human resources, marketing, management, sales, accounting, finance, economics, business law, and information systems. The Institute can help solve real-world business problems. Collaborative Agile Strategy: The Institute is the home of the Agile Strategy Lab and the Strategic Doing Institute which are at the forefront of research in agile strategy and the science of complex collaboration. Our staff is certified/trained in several agile strategy methods that can assist a community, organization, or company to compete in today’s global world.
Center for Learning and Professional Development
Our mission is to provide lifelong learning opportunities for people of all ages in the Shoals area and beyond. We serve as the University’s primary means of extending its educational and training resources to the non-traditional student, especially to adults seeking continued personal and professional development, and to employers seeking updated workplace skills and productivity-improving knowledge.
The Center for Learning and Professional Development is located in the UNA East Campus Building, at 1640 Tune Avenue, Florence AL 35630. Parking and classroom access is located behind the building. UNA’s Continuing Education classes take place at the East Campus, the College Street building, our Bridgestreet in Huntsville location, and other custom locations as needed.
The Joel R. Anderson Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Studies
The Joel R. Anderson Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Studies is home to our 6,000 square foot student incubator and maker space called The Generator. The goal of The Generator is to assist students who desire to start a business or commercialize their innovations with resources and expertise.
The Generator is open to all UNA students interested in starting or growing a business. Services include assisting new student business owners in developing a working business model, establishing their company and progressing to independent operations. Accepted students are given access to co-working space, connection with mentors from faculty and the business community, taught skills to become fiscally responsible, and provided guidance in solving the problems every newly launched venture faces. The Generator offers an appropriate setting apart from the classroom which is crucial to making entrepreneurship a more integral part of the total student experience. Students are encouraged to work together to promote the success of each other’s ventures and to demonstrate leadership by actively engaging and supporting entrepreneurial activities across campus. Students will be exposed to teaching that focuses on building sustainable companies. The Generator is housed on the first floor of 541 W. College St. at the new College St. Building off campus.
Small Business Development Center
The mission of the Alabama SBDC at UNA is to strengthen Alabama’s economy by providing high-quality one-on-one confidential assistance, training, and education to small businesses targeted for increasing employment, fostering growth, and improving financial stability.
The Alabama SBDC at UNA has been offering advising and training services at no cost to current and prospective small business owners in the area since its inception in 1980. The SBDC is located at 541 W College St Box 5250, Florence, AL 35632, and is part of the College of Business and Technology. SBDC advisors have years of experience in working with the small business community and are ready to assist with your business endeavors. The SBDC maintains a business library of books, publications, and videos at the Center available for use by the business community.
Steele Center for Professional Selling
The mission of the Steele Center for Professional Selling is to increase the prominence, credibility, and reputation of the sales profession by educating the next generation of sales professionals in an inclusive manner, in turn, providing a return on investment for students and their families as well as the corporate partners who support our center. In 2017, the center was renamed the Steele Center for Professional Selling, in honor of alumnus Robert H. Steele's father. Mr. Steele has supported the Center since then and been an advocate for the Center in the corporate community. The Center offers a career fair and Speed Sell competition each semester and also conducts internal role play competitions with top corporate partners. The Center is currently a full member of the University Sales Center Alliance, which is comprised of around 60 of the top sales centers in the world.