Oakland University welcomed the new Stinson Student Advancement Center to campus this December with a grand opening celebration. The new center demonstrates the School of Business Administration's dedication to student success.
On Monday, Dec. 13, more than 125 SBA faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends joined the SBAto celebrate the center, which is located in Elliott Hall and is a tangible example of the way the SBA is transforming its spaces to create a student community.
"OU offers many fine programs to prepare our graduates to meet academic, social and economic challenges throughout their academic career and beyond. All of which lead to students receiving a distinctive education that will carry them through life," said Virinder Moudgil senior vice president for Academic Affairs and provost. "The SBA's new center represents a tangible example of OU's dedication to supporting our students in and out of the classroom."
The new center and other recent renovations show how the SBA is focused on putting student needs first. Delivering support and services to complement the high quality instruction students receive enables them to succeed in work and in other areas of their lives.
"The convenience of the new Stinson Center is a luxury for SBA students. Words cannot describe my relief that next semester, I can attend classes, grab a real lunch, meet with my student organization, seek curricular guidance, and collaborate globally with professionals from all over the world -- in one central location -- the Stinson Student Advancement Center," said Bridney Perry, marketing senior, and vice president of OU's collegiate chapter of the American Marketing Association, who spoke at the event.
"On behalf of the student body here in the School of Business Administration, allow me to express my gratitude to our donors for this new Student Center and cafe. Your efforts have not gone unnoticed," she said.
The addition of the Stinson Student Advancement Center is a significant example of the student-centered environment the SBA has been consiously building.
But it's also a step in the evolution of the SBA, which began with evaluating the benefits of the school's hallmark Applied Technology in Business (ATiB) program. The ATiB program offered students a wealth of experiences to enhance their education and work experience, as well as their connection to the SBA through a built-in community of peers.
“The single most important contributing factor in my educational background is the real world experience I received by working with the many business partners of the SBA," said Razzaaq McConner, SBA '99, commodity manager, metallic purchasing group, Chrysler, who spoke at the event. "Experiences of this magnitude provided me with a competitive advantage over other graduates both from Oakland University and elsewhere. This was a key contributing factor in launching my career with Chrysler."
The Stinson Student Center brings services to students, creates a home for students in Elliott Hall and provides countless opportunities for interaction between expert faculty, business leaders and students in formal and informal settings.
"Building on the success of how ATiB enabled the creation of a community, our faculty members created distinct experiential learning programs to broaden the formation of more student communities in support of the SBA’s student-centered vision," said Mohan Tanniru, dean, SBA. "As those communities grew, it became clear that what was missing was a "space" for these communities to gather -- and for others to form."
Craig and Ann Stinson both value the experience they gained at OU's SBA. As students - Craig graduated in 1984, Ann in 1983 - they worked hard on and off campus to complete the education that provided the foundation for their success today.
"The business school is so pivotal to OU. My wife and I are so proud to be able to give something back to the faculty and students," Craig said. "We feel blessed to be able to do this. This was what we needed to do to move this place forward. There were so many people and so many good ideas that just needed some support. Vision is a nice thing to have. Bringing it to reality is better."
With the technological and design advances modeled here the SBA is exposing students to diverse learning opportunities, and distinctive learning and social experiences that will prepare them to make meaningful and substantial contributions to society and the workplace.
For more information about Oakland's SBA programs,
view the website.
