New building expected to open in December 2017
INDIANAPOLIS – Marian University (www.marian.edu) will break ground Friday, May 6, 2016 on a new building that will house its Byrum School of Business, university officials announced today. A ceremony marking the occasion will take place at 6:30 p.m. on the university’s campus on Indianapolis’ west side, on the eve of its 79th annual commencement.
The new building is expected to be completed in December 2017. The $7 million facility is needed to accommodate growing enrollment in the Byrum School of Business, and is part of a $15 million campaign to support the school’s unique, experiential approach to learning.
“We have adopted a fundamentally different approach to preparing students for the dynamic business world,” Dr. Russ Kershaw, dean of Marian University’s Byrum School of Business, said. “We have replaced the traditional textbook-lecture-exam-based courses with a series of business experiences that require all students to engage with real business people and projects from day one. Our focus is on providing students with practice in solving actual business problems, and helping them develop key skills, instead of memorizing facts, formulas and terms for the test. This new facility is being explicitly designed to help us deliver this program.” Kershaw stated that 100 percent of all Byrum School of Business students complete an internship, and 90 percent of all students are working with local businesses on projects at any given time.
The new Byrum School of Business will be designed to represent the changing work styles and mobile technology of businesses today, with trendy breakout areas, expansive glass walls, and open perimeter spaces. The dramatic atrium will provide flexible work zones with tiered collaboration space configurable for presentations, creative brainstorming, or casual student gatherings. The innovative space supports the school’s unique hands-on curriculum where students learn by collaborating with businesses. Schmidt Associates has been chosen as the architect for the new space; construction will be completed by Shiel Sexton.
Marian University’s Byrum School of Business offers Bachelor of Science degrees in five areas of study: accounting, finance, management, marketing, and business analytics. Last year, 98 percent of Byrum School of Business graduates obtained full-time, professional employment in their fields within six months post-graduation. One hundred percent of accounting graduates have been employed at graduation in full-time accounting positions in each of the past five years.
To date, Marian University has raised $3.9 million toward the $15 million goal for the Byrum School of Business fundraising campaign, which is chaired by Marian University trustees Ed Bonach, chief executive officer of CNO Financial Group, and John Cardis, retired national managing partner at Deloitte & Touche and a Marian University alumnus. Paul Norman, chief executive officer of Norman-Spencer Agency and a 1973 graduate of the university, has contributed a significant lead gift to the campaign.
In addition to the new building for the Byrum School of Business, Marian University is also planning construction of new facilities for dining, recreational sports, classrooms, a fieldhouse, and more. The university announced at a press conference last month that it had raised $15 million of the $30 million needed for that project.
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Marian University (www.marian.edu), founded in Indianapolis in 1937, is the only Catholic liberal arts university in central Indiana. It serves a student body of nearly 3,000 through dedication to excellent teaching and learning in the Franciscan and liberal arts traditions. Marian University is one of Indiana’s 31 independent colleges and one of 244 Catholic colleges and universities nationwide.
Since 2001, Marian University has been led by President Daniel J. Elsener, whose vision and leadership are transforming the university. In 2013, Marian University opened the Michael A. Evans Center for Health Sciences, home to its College of Osteopathic Medicine. Marian University has amassed 33 national championships in cycling, captured the NAIA Football National Championship in 2012 and 2015, and won the NAIA Women’s Basketball Championship in 2016.