Jenkins MBA@RTP New Facility
Open House, Ribbon Cutting Mark Opening of New MBA@RTP Facility
September 25, 2010
A new learning center opened in Research Triangle Park in August 2010, accommodating growing enrollment in the NC State Jenkins MBA program for working professionals.
On Sept. 21, 2010, the NC State College of Management and Jenkins Graduate School of Management officially opened the new MBA@RTP location for the Jenkins MBA program.
Among those participating in the ribbon cutting and open house were Ken Atkins, director of Wake County Economic Development; Harvey Schmitt, president and CEO of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce; Rebecca Swanson, associate vice provost for distance education at NC State University; and Smedes York, former mayor of Raleigh and currently member of the College of Management’s Advisory Board. Also attending were other members of the college’s board, as well as MBA students, faculty and staff of the college.
Before cutting the ribbon, Ira R. Weiss, dean of the college, acknowledged the role of three individuals who contributed significantly to the success of the Jenkins MBA program: Dr. Steve Allen, associate dean of graduate programs and research; Pam Bostic, director of the Jenkins MBA program, and Judee Lonee, assistant director of the part-time MBA program.
“Judee has done a a tremendous job of building relationships with employers in Research Triangle Park, helping both employers and employees see the value of our programs – and then taking prospective students through the application and admissions processes,” Weiss said.
He also commended the graduate faculty of the college, saying, “They are the cornerstone of our programs as they continue to develop new knowledge and best practices – through their research and interaction with business and industry – and then to turn that knowledge into classroom instruction that prepares our students for today’s challenging, global, technology focused business environment.
“About four and a half years ago – in February 2006 – we welcomed the first cohort of 45 students into our initial MBA@RTP location,” Weiss said. “Since then, enrollment in this part-time MBA program – designed especially for working professionals – has continued to grow – so much so, that we are now in our third location with about 330 part-time students currently enrolled. Their participation in this program reflects the value that employers and professionals in Research Triangle Park place on our curriculum – especially our MBA concentrations in biosciences, supply chain, and services management and technology entrepreneurship and commercialization. These concentrations were designed to meet the needs of engineers, scientists and others seeking to develop career-building managerial skills and to bring even greater value to their employers. In the same vein, the building we’re in today has been re-configured to meet the needs of our students and their professors,” Weiss said.
“Most importantly, this facility is in the heart of Research Triangle Park, which provides incredible convenience to our working professional students and tremendous opportunities to partner with companies that are located here, companies that are interested in having their technical professionals become educated in the best practices of management. With our 24/7 access to this new facility, the College of Management now also has a place where we can hold conferences and weekend programs, and develop opportunities for collaboration with faculty at Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill. This new location really allows us to be an active part of the RTP community,” Weiss said.
The Jenkins MBA@RTP program’s new learning center encompasses 5,000 square feet on the first floor of the four-story building at 1 Park Drive in Morrisville. It includes four classrooms, three conference rooms, and three faculty offices. It has the same smart podiums and other classroom technology as is used in the college’s classrooms in Nelson Hall, on NC State’s main campus in Raleigh. It also provides a kitchenette, reception area, wireless Internet services, phone service in all offices and conference rooms, and modern design to meet the needs of business students.
The MBA program began using the new facility in August 2010.
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