A new home for the College of Business
Of the 1,400 colleges of business in the United States, fewer than 15 percent are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Pittsburg State University is among that elite group and it is the only regional university in Kansas to hold this accreditation. The university was awarded this prestigious accreditation in recognition of its quality faculty and outstanding curriculum. The PSU College of Business has seen its enrollment grow by nearly 20 percent since 1996. This growth is expected to continue as the demand for nationally-accredited business programs remains high.
To fully realize the growth potential, however, the university must deal with the limitations of the current facility housing the College of Business. This facility was built in 1951 to serve as a high school. In the early 1970s, it was renovated to house the College of Business. In spite of the first and subsequent renovations, the building does not meet the current or future needs of the College of Business.
This list of the current facility's limitation is lengthy. As the College looks to grow and compete in the coming years, it will need larger classrooms, more faculty offices, a library and conference facilities. There is no room for adding such amenities in the current facility.
A special aspect of the new building will be a conference center, which will not only serve the College of Business but the entire university as a resource for hosting campus, community and regional events.
This new facility will be located on Ford Street, just west of the Kansas Technology Center. Placing this new facility near the College of Technology is part of a vision to increase program accessibility for business and technology majors. The cost of the proposed new home for the College of Business and the conference center is estimated at $25 million. State or federal funds are currently not available so private gifts will be the primary source to fund construction.
The Office of University Development and university staff members are working toward the goal of identifying alumni, friends, and businesses to support this project. If you have questions or want to discuss the proposed College of Business building and Conference Center with a university staff member, contact Blake Bard, Director of Major Gifts, bbard@pittstate.edu, at 620-235-4768.