With the opening of the new, state-of-the art Timothy J. Hyland Hall, UW-Whitewater’s College of Business and Economics certainly has a new home that would be the envy of any campus. The $41.5 million, 185,000-square-foot building provides 48 state-of-the-art classrooms and has set a new bar for sustainable construction.

But what is even more impressive is the learning and instruction that goes on inside its walls. It’s something that both individual students and businesses are tapping into as the value of education continues to grow, even in a tight economy.

UW-Whitewater is meeting that response, both in the way it offers instruction and the types of coursework available.

Case in point: Innovative new programs, such as a major in entrepreneurship and the school’s emerging role in water technology education in the region.

“In the past, we offered an entrepreneur emphasis for students seeking a general business major,” says Dr. Donald Zahn, associate dean of the College of Business and Economics. “We had a demand for this type of in-depth coursework, and we’ve worked to meet that demand. With the approval from the Board of Regents this past fall, we’re now able to offer a full-blown, stand-alone major.”

Zahn notes that there are already about 50 students enrolled in the program with an active collegiate entrepreneur group on campus. Students are able to participate in early-stage business plan competitions and present their ideas to a panel of judges.

The major, which is clearly market-driven based on demand and interest from the community, was established through the collaboration between different departments within the College of Business and Economics.

A similar type of synergy is also fueling the school’s new emphasis on emerging water technology issues. UW-Whitewater is currently partnering with the Milwaukee 7 Water Council to train students in water-related industries.

“Our faculty really have bought into this concept; it’s a good idea,” says Zahn of the new interdisciplinary program offered as an Integrated Science-Business major.

The school’s strong academic reputation, combined with its depth of coursework, has continued to trump the tough economic conditions.
At the undergraduate level, UW-Whitewater continues to grow online, but at a steady, controlled pace.

“We offer more than 200 online classes,” says Zahn. “Online coursework just really makes sense. For some of our students, it is the only way they can afford to go to school and it allows them to balance successfully work and school.”

For others, it’s a matter of geography. While UW-Whitewater’s online program draws students from around the state, between 40 and 45 percent of online students are non-residents.

“They’re drawn to UW-Whitewater’s reputation,” says Zahn.

UW-Whitewater offers two master’s degrees: A traditional Master’s of Business Administration, which can be completed on campus, online, through an off-site program at the American Family Insurance Campus in Madison or a combination of the three.

“We’ve actually been seeing a larger percentage of undergraduates continuing on into our graduate program,” says Zahn “Even more interesting is that there still seems to be support from employers for employees who want to continue on to graduate school as well.”

The school also offers a Master’s Degree in Professional Accountancy.

“Most students take the additional 30 courses in the program so they can sit for the CPA exam,” says Zahn.

Regardless of whether students are seeking innovative new majors or more traditional coursework, advanced or undergraduate degrees, Zahn says that UW-Whitewater is certainly a school to make the short list for any student, particularly with the new Timothy Hyland Hall now completed.

“It really helps us to be in a good building,” he says. “It gives us a place on campus, but also a place in the region that makes a statement for the quality of a UW-Whitewater education.”

By Laurie Arendt

Laurie Arendt is editor of CRW. She can be reached at crweditor@crwmag.com