Students Showcase Real-World Projects in Senior Experience Trade Show

What: California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) Fall Semester Senior Experience Trade ShowWhen: Thursday, December 16, 2010 at 7:00 p.m.  Where: California Center for the Arts, Escondido - 340 Escondido Blvd.More than 200 business and community leaders are expected at the CSUSM Senior Experience Trade Show tomorrow, December 16 starting at 7:00 p.m. at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido, 340 N. Escondido Blvd. Since the program's inception 18 years ago, Senior Experience has had more than 5,000 students complete a total of 1,200 projects, resulting in 1.4 million hours of service to the community.Senior business students from CSUSM will be on hand at the Trade Show to display and discuss the "real world" projects they have been working on for the past semester. Projects run the gamut from writing business plans to analyzing a manufacturing process to conducting feasibility studies for introducing a new product or entering a new market. During the 18 years that Senior Experience has been in place at CSUSM, more than 500 of companies have benefitted from participation.This semester, more than 25 companies sponsored student projects, including Army and Navy Academy, Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos, Bumble Bee Foods LLC, City of Oceanside, Cocco's Gourmet Chocolates, EasyTurf, LEGOLAND California Resort, Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa, Sport Management Research Institute, Stone Brewing Co., and Tri-City Medical Center.The Senior Experience program is the only one of its kind in the nation and is a graduation requirement for all College of Business Administration (CoBA) majors. Under the supervision of a faculty member, the course puts senior-level student teams to work on real world business problems for both profit and non-profit organizations. Students gain by working as consultants on rigorous, real-world projects that require teamwork and application of classroom knowledge. Businesses gain by receiving concentrated attention from bright, energetic teams that provide a fresh, independent look at their projects. Students typically invest between 750 and 1,000 hours into each project.Local business leaders are invited to attend and admission is free. For more information, contact Jim Hamerly, Senior Experience Program director, at 760-750-4266. About California State University San MarcosCalifornia State University San Marcos combines the ambiance of a mid-sized, personal, modern campus with the unequaled value of the California State University. Since its founding in 1989, the campus has distinguished itself. Students benefit from the latest facilities and equipment, a superb faculty that enjoys teaching, and a rigorous academic program that prepares students for a successful life in and out of the workplace. A recent survey reported that our annual spending in the region was $161 million, generating a total impact of $307 million on the regional economy. 85 percent of CSUSM's alumni stay in the region. CSU San Marcos is located on a 304-acre hillside overlooking the city of San Marcos. It is 15 miles east of the ocean; just 30 miles north of downtown San Diego.