News 2015: Construction of UMass Dartmouth Charlton College of Business expansion underway

News 2015: Construction of UMass Dartmouth Charlton College of Business expansion underway
Construction of UMass Dartmouth Charlton College of Business expansion underway

22,000 sq ft 'Learning Pavilion' will contain classrooms, meeting spaces, auditorium, and technology enhanced learning areas

Construction of UMass Dartmouth's Charlton College of Business expansion is officially underway this summer. The 22,000 sq ft 'Learning Pavilion' will contain critically needed space including classrooms, meeting spaces, auditorium and technology enhanced areas.

The Learning Pavilion will be an architectural gateway providing a clear accessible entry point to the inner academic campus, promote a sense of community and enhance the overall student experience, and encourage meaningful interactions between faculty and students via seminar rooms, public spaces, technology labs and general classrooms with close proximity to faculty offices. 

The University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees approved a new PhD in Business Administration this June, the 13th doctoral program at UMass Dartmouth and the first at the Charlton College of Business. The PhD program builds on the MBA program which grew from 168 students in the fall of 2011 to 328 in fall of 2014. Besides being the only Business Administration PhD south of Boston, the Charlton College of Business doctoral program will be the only UMass Business Administration PhD with a part-time option for working business and technology executives, and it will feature an Operations/Technology Management option. 

This past December, the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education approved two new Master of Science programs at the business school. The Master of Science in Accounting degree program at UMass Dartmouth strives to add to the undergraduate accounting educational experience by developing in students the broader and deeper technical accounting knowledge and enhanced communication, technology and problem-solving skills necessary for success in professional accountancy and business. The Master of Science in Technology Management program is designed with the primary goal of helping engineers and managers appreciate and comprehend the complexity of management challenges in today's technology-driven, Internet based, dynamic, and globalized business world.  In October a new Master of Science (MS) in Health Care Management program was approved to support a growing field as health care institutions strive to be more innovative and efficient in their delivery of services in a fast-changing marketplace and highly regulated environment. 

University officials and Bruner/Cott Architects and Planners released the first renderings of the inside and outside of the business school's new facility this past November. The project is expected to cost a total of $15 million. Construction, which is being managed by Agostini Construction, is scheduled to be finished in fall 2016. The Charlton College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International. The business school's enrollment has grown to 2,000 students. Charlton College of Business has been named in The Princeton Review's 2015 edition of its "Best 296 Business Schools." 

UMass Dartmouth distinguishes itself as a vibrant public university actively engaged in personalized teaching and innovative research, and acting as an intellectual catalyst for regional economic, social, and cultural development. UMass Dartmouth's mandate to serve its community is realized through countless partnerships, programs, and other outreach efforts to engage the community, and apply its knowledge to help address local issues and empower others to facilitate change for all.