By Brian E. Clark
WisBusiness.com
When UW-Madison MBA students return for fall classes in late August, they’ll find new digs in the form of the $40.5 million east wing of Grainger Hall.
The 131,416-square-foot, four-story addition features enhanced space for Wisconsin Enterprise MBA programs, the Evening MBA and Executive MBA, all of which serve working professionals.
The new tower also features common areas for visiting recruiters, alumni and students –including the multi-purpose Plenary Room on the first floor — as well as the Capital Café and 29 modern classroom and meeting/breakout rooms.
Dean Michael Knetter said the new wing, designed specifically for the 12-track career specialization model of the Wisconsin MBA, contains state-of-the-art technology and meets or exceeds standards for sustainability.
Knetter said the move of MBA offices and career specialization centers, some of which were “shoe-horned” into the original building, would provide much-needed space for undergraduate and doctoral programs in the older structure.
Knetter said the new wing is a fitting addition to an MBA program that has improved considerably in terms of national rankings in recent years.
“We don’t manage to rankings,” said Knetter, whose office will be in the new wing. “But it can help attract better students and recruiters.”
He said the east wing will help create a community for students and alumni and practitioners.
“We now have a pretty nice kitchen, living room – with fireplace — and dining room here on the first floor,” he said while showing off the new space recently.
“We think it’s attractive enough to keep people in the building,” said Knetter, who noted that $30.5 million of the cost of the addition was raised through private donations. The remainder came from the state.
The new space also includes interview rooms, so program administrators will no longer have to give up their offices when recruiters come to campus.
Knetter said the addition is part of the UW-Madison east campus renovation effort and gives a facelift to the corner of Park and West Johnson streets, where the new tower replaced an old bank building.
The addition will be officially opened during Homecoming 2008, which will occur the week of October 17-25.
