La Salle University Announces Plans For New $35 Million Business School Facility

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- La Salle University today announces its plans to build a new $35 million School of Business facility on its main campus in Northwest Philadelphia.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131113/PH16350 )

"When complete, La Salle University's School of Business will be among the most advanced learning facilities for business education in the nation," says La Salle University President Michael J. McGinniss, F.S.C., Ph.D.  "What differentiates this facility is the space planning that places classrooms, gathering areas, and faculty offices in close proximity to each other, fostering personal interaction and mentoring between students and faculty.  This focus on mentoring is precisely at the core of the Lasallian Catholic tradition of education."

"This new building marks a milestone in the rich 150-year history of La Salle University," says William R. Sautter, La Salle University Chair, Board of Trustees and La Salle School of Business Alumnus.  "This building will provide state-of-the-art teaching and experiential learning opportunities that will replicate real-world environments leaving our students better equipped to compete in today's business world."

The $35 million project will have a positive impact on the community, creating approximately 600 jobs during construction. 

The new 78,000 square-foot multi-tiered building is slated to open for classes in January 2016.  It will be located at the intersection of Wister and Chew Avenues extending the University's frontage from Olney to Chew Avenues and expanding its West Campus.    

Highlights of the new corporate-style building include:

• A completely wireless infrastructure that will allow students to interact in real time with other students and executives from around the world
• A 300-seat auditorium that can be used to host symposia and conferences
• A variety of classroom designs to meet different teaching styles
• Flexible collaborative learning rooms that will reinforce student / faculty and student / business executive interaction.
• An array of computer classrooms and simulation facilities
• Video conferencing capabilities throughout the building
• A sales training laboratory
• A corporate-style boardroom
• A large atrium space that can be used to host networking and social events

The new building will offer gathering places and technology-equipped breakout rooms where students can converse with faculty, other students, and business executives. Spaces are designed to facilitate the collaborative learning and teamwork environment that is necessary in today's business world.

Funding for the project will come from a $20 million investment from the University's resources, and the remaining $15 million will come from alumni, more than half of which has already been secured.

Consultants for the project include:  Kimmel Bogrette Architecture, Bohler Engineering, The Harman Group, Inc., Burns Engineering, Inc., and RJC Design Group.

By the time the new building opens in 2016, La Salle University's School of Business would have just celebrated its 60^th anniversary of providing business leadership to the Philadelphia region and beyond.

La Salle's School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), a designation held by less than five percent of business schools worldwide.  The School of Business is recognized by AffordableCollegesOnline.org as one of the nation's top 15 business programs for a lifetime return on investment.

La Salle University was established in 1863 through the legacy of St. John Baptist de La Salle and the Christian Brothers teaching order, which St. La Salle founded in 1680.  La Salle is an educational community shaped by traditional Catholic and Lasallian values. The University is ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the top 30 schools in the North Region and among the top 10 Catholic schools in the region. 

CONTACT:    Jon Caroulis, 215.951.1085  
                    Karen Muldoon Geus, 215.951.1849

SOURCE La Salle University