By Kiara Catanzaro
Staff Writer
Construction of The William E. and Ann L. Swan Business Center is anticipating completion on June 1, 2013. Business students can expect a modern building which will have features similar to other buildings created years ago, according to Dr. Pierre A. Balthazard, professor of management and Dean of the School of Business.
“When the campaign was created to begin this project, we wanted to do two things: get enough money to do a nice job, so that we could compete as a credited business school, and second, to use a third of the money collected to support programs and the building as it grows older,” Balthazard said.
Dean Balthazard said he has seen a difference in the amount of faculty involvement regarding the construction.
“Every minute aspect of the plans has been reviewed by faculty members and different committees of faculty,” Balthazard said. “They (the faculty) have enrolled themselves in this process so they can have their ideas put into place for the construction of the building. It is built to our specifications.”
Balthazard is looking forward to the atrium and the plaza which will go between Plassmann Hall and the Business Center. There will be seating areas located outside, equipped with wireless Internet. Balthazard said it will be interesting to see how students adapt to the new space and utilize it as a gathering place as they use the Hickey Dining Hall or Cafe La Verna.
The business building will have the availability for distance education between St. Bonaventure and Hilbert College, Bonaventure’s graduate campus in Buffalo.
“We will see for the very first time synchronized classrooms, where a professor will be teaching either in Buffalo or in Olean and the other classroom will be receiving in high definition that class as well,” Balthazard said. “We do have classes that will be taught on both campuses, at the same time, by the same professor.”
“At some point this spring, we will give a glimpse of what the school looks like. I don’t know exactly how we are going to do this, but we are going to make it available for other faculty member from other departments and students to view,” Balthazard said. “For example, a limited open house so they can have their specified time to view the building before it becomes opened for the fall semester.”
Balthazard is looking to secure three words to represent the new business school: engagement, impact and innovation.
“There are three words that I would like to see describe the new building and have the building represent,” Balthazard said. “One is engagement. We are already one of the most engaged schools on campus, and are nationally recognized. This school will help further achieve the role of engagement for our students. The second thing that I want this building to allow is impact. That means we need to do things that will be impactful locally, for our students and faculty. I want the building to impact on a variety of different scales. The third is innovation. We want the building to have a wow factor in different aspects, for example, architecturally. If we do those three things successfully, I think the money for this building will be very well invested.”
