OSU Announces New Building
To Serve All Business Students
Oklahoma State University’s Spears School of Business, housed in the same building for nearly 50 years, will be moving into a new 200,000-square-foot building, Dean Larry Crosby announced Friday. Crosby said during the announcement that there are more than $15 million in commitments toward the goal of raising $60 million for the construction of the new facility.
One of the highlights during the announcement was a $5 million gift from Chesapeake Energy Corporation for the Chesapeake Energy Student Success Center in the new building.
“Chesapeake is one of the largest employers of OSU graduates, and their investment in the University benefits both their company and our institution. We are deeply appreciative of their commitment to the state and giving back to the citizens of Oklahoma in a very significant way,” Crosby said.
OSU President Burns Hargis said, “The Spears School of Business is well-respected, and these amenities will take it to another level by creating a learning space that gives our students more advantages in the business world.”
The new facility will more than double the size of the current 80,000-square-foot building that has been home to the college since the mid-1960s. The new building will be on the east side of Hester Drive, stretching from Athletic Avenue to Morrill Avenue, and will eventually replace the current Business Building and Hanner Hall.
In addition to the 4,200-square-foot Chesapeake Energy Student Success Center, the new business school home will feature a naturally lit all-purpose atrium, an outdoor terrace, and two auditoriums with seating for 300 and 150 people. Meeting rooms for collaborative group work, incubators to facilitate entrepreneurship, and gathering rooms will encourage cross-disciplinary interaction among faculty and students.
“We have always been supporters of Oklahoma State University and its many excellent programs, and knew this was another opportunity to make a difference,” said Jennifer Grigsby, Chesapeake Senior Vice President – Treasury. “It’s extremely exciting for us to be able to participate in the growth of the Spears School of Business and we look forward to the Chesapeake Energy Student Success Center playing a vital role in the enhancement of the academic experience of students for many years to come. We believe the future of Oklahoma is in good hands and we are honored to have a part in the development of the leaders of tomorrow.”
The Chesapeake Energy Student Success Center will house four departments. Student Services will offer academic advising for all undergraduate students. Career Services will provide career development opportunities, programs, internships and opportunities to network with corporate recruiters. Professional Success Passport will identify and encourage participation in activities offered by the school’s 20 student organizations. Finally, the Business Writing Lab will provide assistance on assignments, résumés and other projects.
“I think the new building will really be the new vehicle that enables us to move to the next level,” Crosby said. “Consider football as an example. What happens on the playing field is ultimately what matters; it’s a win-loss record that happens on that grass out there.
“But the facility facilitates what happens on the grass. With a better facility, you can attract better players, better coaches, better trainers, and get better equipment for training. So I think that the building is really going to enable us to improve our record, to use that analogy.
“In my mind, it’s going to really affect the student experience. Consistent with my statement of purpose, they are really going to be more engaged as a result of the facility. We’ll increase the opportunities for their interaction with each other. I imagine that in this new building the students are going to come and stay the better part of the day, interacting with professors and their colleagues, running into graduate assistants, etc. This will really become their home,” Crosby said.