Page 34 - College Planning & Management, October 2017

Business MANAGING HIGHER ED
Science and
Technology.
The fusion of science into business schools is restyling both learning opportunities and facilities.
BY ROBERT QUIGLEY, AIA
TO PREPARE business school students for an economy increas- ingly driven by scientific discovery and technology innovation, B-school admin- istrators are altering curriculums and invest- ing in new science and technology facilities. Science courses are gaining new-found prominence, and are proving to be popular among astute students who are seeking a broader experience and an opportunity to enhance their critical thinking skills.
At Bentley University in Waltham, MA, a recent renovation of Jennison Hall replaced 50-year-old labs and classrooms with a dynamic science and research
hub. Opened in January of 2017, the 85,000-square-foot renovation trans- formed the dark and tired building into a cross-disciplinary destination, integrating new, shared science instructional labs; technology-enhanced classrooms; and a technology-fitted dry laboratory the uni- versity calls a “collaboratory.”
On the site of the relocated I-95 highway in Providence, RI, Johnson & Wales Univer- sity opened a new science and engineering building last fall that expands the university’s commitment to interdisciplinary science education and experiential learning for busi- ness students. The 71,000-square-foot John
34 COLLEGE PLANNING & MANAGEMENT / OCTOBER 2017
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PHOTO © JOHN HORNER PHOTOGRAPHY
Business? Meet
J. Bowen Center for Science and Innovation (left) combines the School of Engineering and Design with the College of Arts and Sciences’ biology programs and other research centers into a new STEAM building with three floors of adaptable learning, lab and group study spaces.
Both of these capital investments are tied to a strategic objective by administrators to expand their school’s curriculum options, integrate traditionally siloed disciplines
and departments and align the learning experience of students to match the needs of employers in our increasingly science-and- data-dependent innovation economy.
Meeting Business Needs of the Innovation Economy
Bentley’s graduating business students are entering a job market dominated by technology, pharmaceutical, healthcare, en- vironmental and research employers. Mas- sachusetts ranks first nationwide, per capita, in technology-related patenting, licensing and venture capital. The region’s economy includes a fast-growing life science and drug development industry, anchored by research institutions such as Harvard, MIT and five major research hospitals.
In response to the economic and employment landscape, in recent years the university had added new curriculum and broadened its engagement with the region’s employers. The opportunity to accelerate the fusion of science and business educa- tion came when a campus-wide space utility study revealed that all four floors of Jennison Hall required a comprehensive renovation and modernization to support Bentley’s educational mission and pro-
vide more effective space for faculty. The university partnered with ARC/ Architec- tural Resources Cambridge to develop and execute a plan to renovate the entire interior of Jennison beginning in May 2016.
Determining the Program
To develop a program design strong enough to lead students and faculty into a new era of emphasizing science in a