The board greenlit plans for the 79,500-square-foot facility during its spring meeting, Feb. 6–8 in Washington, D.C. Construction of the building, which will stand at the corner of Coleman Hall Drive and Fraternity Road, is anticipated to begin this summer and finish in time for the spring 2021 semester.
A key factor in the board’s approval was a generous gift announced in November, which brought the total amount raised for the project to $26 million — more than half of its $49.6 million anticipated cost. In recognition of this extraordinary support, the University will name the building for the donor, who has temporarily requested anonymity. The remainder of the project will be financed through additional fundraising and existing low-interest debt.
The project is the latest milestone in the accelerating evolution of management education at Bucknell, which dates back more than a century. Formerly a school within the College of Arts & Sciences, the College of Management was established as the University’s third college in 2017. It was renamed the Freeman College of Management in 2018 in recognition of a philanthropic commitment of more than $25 million by Kenneth W. Freeman ’72 and his wife, Janice.
The building will also provide the Department of Art & Art History with modern teaching and studio spaces, enhanced by large windows offering ample natural light. It will house photography labs; drawing and multi-use art studios; digital art labs; and faculty offices. Spaces throughout the building will also be dedicated to displaying student and faculty artwork. Perhaps most exciting to Bucknell educators are the possibilities the facility will offer for fostering interdisciplinary collaborations, not only across departments, but also across colleges.
The new building will be designed to meet the standards for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification.