The latest advancements in technology and design were unveiled today (Thursday) with the dedication of the new addition and renovated University of Wyoming College of Business building.
Remarks were given by Gov. Dave Freudenthal; UW President Tom Buchanan; College of Business Advisory Council Chairman Peter Johnson, Sinclair Oil president; Sen. Grant Larson of Jackson; Associated Students of UW President Cameron Nazminia; and UW Trustee President Jim Neiman.
The facility, located on the corner of 15th and Ivinson streets, is a complete renovation of the existing 53,000 square foot structure, plus 112,000 square feet of new construction. The building opened for fall semester classes Aug. 23.
The centerpiece of the new building is the Jonah Bank Atrium, which serves as a gathering spot for students and faculty and a site for college events.
"The College of Business now has a facility that better reflects the excellence of our faculty, programs and students," says Brent Hathaway, dean. "While the new building is an integral part of the UW campus, its benefits are not limited by our geographical borders. The building's technological advancements allow us to teach students here or throughout the state by using online education capabilities such as online education and two-way video conferencing."
For more than five years, Larry Weatherford, Scarlett Chair in Business Administration and Department of Management and Marketing chairman, has spearheaded the project.
"The end result," Weatherford says, "is a student-centered facility that offers unique business education opportunities, including a networked trading room for managing investments, a practice facility where students can hone their job interview skills, multimedia and behavioral labs and a fully furnished boardroom where students will experience board meetings conducted by regional firms."
The classroom spaces will accommodate a variety of teaching and learning methods. The new building also features a trading room, behavioral and multi-media laboratories, an executive boardroom, conference and seminar rooms and an auditorium. College of Business students will benefit from the latest wired and wireless technologies, including high-definition playback and projection systems in each classroom, a video production and editing facility, video conferencing capabilities, financial data feeds and a stock ticker in the atrium.
Since planning began for the new structure, UW has sought LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold status for building. Among the LEED certification goals are lower operating costs and greater life cycle; reduced waste sent to the landfill; energy and water conservation; a healthier and safer environment for occupants; reduced greenhouse gas; and demonstrated commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility.
It will be a few months before UW learns if the building becomes only the fourth business school nationally to achieve a gold rating. The College of Business would be the first state-funded and higher education building to become certified and only the ninth building in Wyoming to achieve gold status.
Some eco-friendly facts about the College of Business's new facility:
-- 95 percent of the material from the old building was recycled to divert it from the local landfill.
-- 10 percent of the new building is made of recycled content.
-- Urinals use one cup of water per flush versus the standard one gallon.
-- 90 percent of storm water will be treated to remove a minimum of 80 percent of suspended solids from the water.
-- Bike storage and shower facilities are available to encourage people to bike to work rather than drive.
-- Water efficient landscaping will reduce water usage by 50 percent or more.
-- The new building will achieve an annual energy savings of 15 percent while the remodeled building will realize a 29 percent savings.
-- Outdoor air will be monitored to ensure carbon dioxide concentrations are within recommended standards.
-- Janitorial closets are separately exhausted to minimize chemical and pollutant sources.
Roger Baalman, UW director of facilities planning, says the university has made great strides the last several years in the capital facilities design and construction process to meet LEED standards.
Those same procedures were/are being used on several construction projects, including the College of Law Moot Court, the Information Technology Center, the Information Library and Learning Center, the Kendall House, the Robert and Carol Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center and the East Stadium Club and Suites.
"The goal of the Visual Arts Facility and the Energy Resource Center is to take the present process one step further to determine how UW's facilities can demonstrate exceptional energy conservation and utilization of alternative energy sources," Baalman adds.
