The Washburn School of Business has made strides in the past year. Along with being accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business and being named to the top 290 business schools in America by “The Princeton Review,” the school can now say it is also the first in the Midwest to accommodate a hands-on Business Technology Center.

Any person who has walked by Henderson since early June has noticed heavy construction taking place on the first floor. The construction is now nearly complete and will be revealed to the public Friday, Oct. 19. The official ribbon cutting occurred Friday, Oct. 12, with the 20 exclusive donors as well as the three lead donors as the guests of honor.

The three parts of the Business Technology Center, named after the three lead donors, include the Chandler Board Room, where students will gain firsthand experience giving presentations in a professional setting; the Donald C. Wright and Robert L. Gustavson classroom, which includes several high tech gadgets; and the Mayo Schmidt Finance Lab, where students can use the same database technology corporate America uses.

David Sollars, dean of the School of Business, said this project will benefit the students in more ways than most can imagine.

“There are two reasons why this will help so many students,” said Sollars. “The main being the crucial hands-on experience students will gain. Another is just the technology that is being utilized here is the same that is being used in the actual business field.”

Construction of the rooms took five months. Students will be able to use the facilities as soon as Oct. 28, but it will mainly be utilized next semester. When all was said and done costs for the project were estimated at $500,000. Although this may seem like a lot to some, Sollars believes it is a crucial investment in the university.