Purdue News

April 2, 1999 Board OK's plan for $38.5 million Krannert expansion WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Plans to add a third building to Purdue's School of Management moved forward today (Friday, 4/2) with approval by the university's board of trustees to proceed with initial planning of the $38.5 million project. Download Photo Here Photo caption below In other actions, the board approved a new bachelor of science degree program to be offered in Columbus, Ind., by the Purdue School of Technology Statewide Delivery System and voted to allow alcohol to be served at some catered functions on the campus of Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne and at the International Dinner Series on the West Lafayette campus. The site under consideration for the classroom and distance learning facility for the School of Management and the Krannert Graduate School of Management is near the existing Krannert Building at the corner of State and Grant streets. Architects for the project will be Goody, Clancy and Associates, Boston, and the Scholer Corp., Lafayette. The other management building is the Krannert Center for Executive Education and Research, just west of the Krannert Building. Construction of the new building is part of a plan to provide an environment that will prepare students for the challenges of managing in the next century, Dean Dennis Weidenaar said. He said that although Krannert consistently ranks among the top 25 business schools in the country, competition for quality students, faculty and high-profile corporate recruiters gets tougher each year. "We educate our students to work for the premier technology-driven corporations," he said. "And the quality of our facilities, our technology and our faculty must mirror the marketplace. Also, without expansion, it would be nearly impossible to accommodate a significant growth in our enrollment, which is another long-term goal." Weidenaar said the proposed new building also will reflect the day-to-day experience of a management student at Purdue, which is structured more like work than study. "Our students are involved in team projects, computer simulations, e-commerce courses and other hands-on projects," Weidenaar said. "So, our business school should resemble a high-tech workplace with plenty of meeting space for students and faculty and places for work teams to plug in their laptop computers and work, day or night." Other parts of the proposed new building would include faculty offices, a career center, seminar rooms and rooms equipped for distance learning. Funding for the new facility would be a part of the $55 million "Krannert at the Frontier" campaign that is in the planning stages. The preliminary goals of the campaign are to expand facilities, to fund endowed professorships and scholarships, and to upgrade computer technology. Purdue's School of Management and Krannert Graduate School of Management employ 82 faculty members. Enrollment is 416 graduate students and 2,400 undergraduates, and another 243 people are enrolled in the Krannert executive master's programs. The school offers majors in management, accounting, industrial management and economics. The new bachelor of science degree program in Computer Information Systems Technology at Columbus, if approved by the Commission for Higher Education, will be offered this fall. It will be the fifth bachelor of science program available through the statewide technology system, which operates in 10 Indiana communities and also offers two-year associate degrees in a number of areas. The changes in the university's alcohol policy will allow wine to be served with meals at the International Dinner Series, which is part of an advanced course in the Department of Restaurant, Hotel, Institutional and Tourism Management. The Fort Wayne policy will allow university groups and visiting conferences that use three specific Purdue facilities to be served alcohol by an approved outside vendor. The affected facilities are the Walb Student Union Building, Williams Theatre and the McKay Farm. All events intending to serve alcohol must be approved in advance, and organizers must provide assurances that the majority of the attendees are at least 21 years old. Sources: Dennis Weidenaar, (765) 494-4366; weidend@mgmt.purdue.edu Robert L. Ringel, executive vice president for academic affairs, (765) 494-9709 Kenneth P. Burns, executive vice president and treasurer, (765) 494-9705, kpburns@purdue.edu Wayne Kjonaas, vice president for physical facilities, (765) 494-8000; wwkjonaas@physfac.purdue.edu Writer: Frank Koontz, (765) 494-2080; fkoontz@purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu PHOTO CAPTION This is an architect's drawing of the proposed building that would expand the School of Management facilities at Purdue. (Courtesy of Goody, Clancy and Associates, Boston.) Web or ftp download available. Photo ID: BOT.Krannert Download Photo Here To the Purdue News and Photos Page