Daniel F. Bassill said:

I think it's great that you've encouraged your class to do their planning and brainstorming in this open forum. I've offered suggestions to one group with hopes that a) I provide some useful ideas; and b) some of the students make the leap from a class assigment to contributing their time and talent to real world projects that are already in place.

I hope your example encourages professors in other colleges and universities to bring their students into on-line forums like this.

I certainly hope that 100% of the students will take away enough from the class that at the right time in their future lives they see a place that a small action by them can make a big change in the world and that they take the opportunity. I don't expect them to all devote their lives primarily to world good, but I do hope that say 5% of them are sufficiently inspired that they go on to do so.

In terms of inspiring other universities. I always think big. I've been at UCSC for two years. This class is step one on the path to building a Social Entrepreneurship degree program at UCSC. This class took one year to get on the books. I roughly envision a draft plan for a whole new degree by next year, and approval by the university 2 years after that. As far as I know there is not a similar undergraduate degree at any major US university. They are primarily sub-groups in business schools. Building that program at a high profile place like "University of California" I hope is enough of a catalyst that it becomes standard fair at all universities. Every college has computer science and economics and sociology. In 20 years I want every college to be educating people in 'How to Change the World'.

Interestingly, I originally thought "Social Entrepreneurship is so hot that some ex-dot-com is going to fund the whole she-bang!". I still think this, and I chose to teach at UCSC against other more prestigous schools exactly because of proximity to silicon valley. However, I've just spent all quarter telling my students "Dont rely on government or foundation grants, build a sustainable business that is profitable!" It finally sunk in that I need to rethink my own plans for a degree program so that they are not falling into this same trap of needing to beg for money to get anything done. Its the great thing about this job - you teach the students, and they teach you.