CONTACT:
Don Gudmundson, MBA Program Director, (920) 424-7401
GREEN BAY – The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh College of Business has announced plans to create a permanent location for its master of business administration (MBA) program at the downtown Regency Center in Green Bay.
The center will be developed by Commercial Horizons, which owns and operates the Regency Suites office complex. It will include three state-of-the-art classrooms, three breakout rooms and a student lounge.
“This project is not just about UW-Oshkosh,” business Dean E. Alan Hartman told Green Bay area business and government officials recently. “It’s about the business community in Green Bay investing in its future and building intellectual capital. We are excited to have the support of leaders and alumni and are working hard to make the center a reality.”
The center is a privately funded initiative. In order to open by summer, sponsorships of the rooms and a name for the center need to be secured by Feb. 1.
The largest of the three classrooms will be executive-style with tiered seating. All three classrooms will be technology-enhanced, creating new teaching and learning opportunities by integrating networking, digital and audiovisual technologies.
The center will provide a central location for Green Bay professionals to pursue an evening MBA, Hartman said. Businesses will be able to use the educational training space for a fee during the day by making reservations at the Regency Suites Conference Center.
The UW-Oshkosh MBA program, one of the largest in the state, has more than 650 admitted students taking evening courses in Oshkosh, Green Bay, Stevens Point and online. It has offered evening classes in Green Bay since 1970 at St. Norbert College, UW-Green Bay and Northeast Wisconsin Technical College.
The new location will bring nearly 500 business professionals to downtown Green Bay for training and education each week.
“An MBA center downtown fits in nicely with the progressive urban development plans in place for Green Bay,” said Jeff Mirkes, Downtown Green Bay Inc. executive director.
“The center will help Green Bay businesses attract professionals to the region who are looking to continue their education at a nationally accredited business school,” said Mayor Jim Schmitt. “UW-Oshkosh’s accreditation through the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) puts the program in the top 20 percent in the nation. That makes it a valuable asset for our city.”
