Leaders from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, gathered August 21 to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new building to expand the Haslam College of Business. The ambitious project will meet the infrastructure and academic goals of the business school as its tremendous growth continues. The college, one of the leading business schools in the nation, is now the largest college at UT by undergraduate enrollment.
The new building, scheduled to open in fall 2027, will support the college’s burgeoning student and faculty populations. Over the past decade, undergraduate enrollment in the college has increased by more than 100 percent (from 3,800 students to more than 9,000), while master’s program enrollment has grown by 35 percent over the last five years. Graduate and executive education class sizes are also surging.
The new building will serve more than 10,000 students, faculty, staff and guests weekly. It will be a model to promote collaboration among students, instructors and industry partners.
“This new building is a part of a physical transformation happening across campus — a transformation that reflects the progress we’re seeing across our university,” said Chancellor Donde Plowman. “More students than ever want to be Volunteers. Because of the innovative and wide-ranging support they receive on campus, more students are earning their degrees — and that is great news, because more UT graduates is good for the state, good for business and good for people.”
Breaking Ground for Innovation
Spanning 243,800 square feet, the five-story building will expand the college’s footprint. It will house 18 classrooms, three research laboratories and two 300-seat auditoriums, as well as meeting spaces, a food service option, offices and common areas.
The building will house the Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research, the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the college’s seven academic departments and graduate and executive education programs, which offers master’s and doctoral degrees and nondegree courses to business professionals.
During the groundbreaking ceremony, Stephen L. Mangum, dean and Stokely Foundation Leadership Chair of the college, emphasized the critical importance of modernized facilities to meet its growth.
“We believe in providing state-of-the-art facilities for instruction, study, research, offices and meeting spaces,” he said. “Now, more than at any time in the college’s history, students and businesses are choosing to partner with the Haslam College of Business. The new building will offer amenities that will enhance these activities and provide additional necessary space for the knowledge creation and sharing that makes a lasting impact on both our state and the greater business world.”
Paving the Way for Future Generations
Integral to realizing this transformative project were the contributions of the college’s dedicated alumni donors, whose generosity is paving the way for future generations of aspiring business leaders.
Brian Broyles, UT’s senior vice chancellor for advancement, said that with the state and university collectively funding 55 percent of the project’s $227 million budget, alumni support plays a pivotal role in bridging the remaining gap.
“Changing the lives of our students is at the heart of our mission,” Broyles said. “With the philanthropic support of alumni and friends, we can provide enriching experiences and opportunities. Our goal is to raise $100 million for the capital project to make this vision a reality.”
Acknowledging the invaluable role of alumni donors, Mangum expressed gratitude for their unwavering commitment to shaping the college’s future.
“We appreciate the philanthropic investments of our alumni donors in helping build the future of the Haslam College of Business,” he said. “Their contributions will make it possible for us to continue to equip graduates with the necessary knowledge and skills businesses look for in new hires.”
In attendance at the groundbreaking were the college’s eponym, Jim Haslam, and his wife, Natalie. The Haslam family’s generosity has touched many areas across campus including the business college, which was renamed the James A. Haslam II College of Business in 2014.
In his remarks, Mangum thanked donors like the Haslams and said that new buildings, while essential, are not a source of sustainable competitive advantage.
“It is the quality of the people who inhabit the building and how they willingly organize themselves to creatively collaborate to produce innovation and positive impact that drives excellent performance and differentiates the Haslam College of Business from its competitors,” he said. “I offer my thanks and admiration to the faculty, staff, students and alumni of the Haslam College of Business — they are the heart and the future of this building and this college.”
A Collaborative Endeavor
The university intends to preserve much of the green space surrounding the new building, providing students, faculty and staff with serene areas for relaxation and study amid a bustling academic environment.
The building’s design process included input from faculty, staff and students who helped shape its development at every stage. A dedicated planning committee with representatives from across the college and university ensured that a myriad of perspectives were considered.
Betsy Adams, assistant dean of operations, strategy and planning for the college and the planning committee’s lead, emphasized the meticulous approach adopted in soliciting and incorporating feedback.
“To the highest degree feasible, the building’s design has been, and continues to be, informed by the college and university stakeholders as a whole,” she said.
The building was designed by Knoxville-based McCarty Holsaple McCarty Architects, New York-based Robert A.M. Stern Architects and additional engineering consultants. The site is currently under construction across Volunteer Boulevard from the existing Haslam Business Building and Stokely Management Center at the previous locations of Dunford, Greve and Henson Halls.
Along with Plowman, Mangum, Broyles, Adams and the Haslams, participants in the ceremonial turning of the dirt included Randy Boyd, UT System president; Paul Byrnes, senior vice chancellor for finance and administration; Andy Powers, campus architect; Shelly Sun, a distinguished alumna; Gary Bennett of Blaine Construction; Li Wang of McCarty Holsaple McCarty Architects Inc.; and Graham Wyatt of Robert A.M. Stern Architects.
The college will continue to utilize the current Haslam Business Building for classes and operations once the expansion is complete.
About the Haslam College of Business
The Haslam College of Business, founded in 1914, sets the standard in developing future business leaders whose work positively impacts the world. More than 10,136 undergraduate, graduate and executive education students are taught by more than 200 faculty with dedicated staff members facilitating their needs. The programs consist of seven departments and nine undergraduate majors. Its eight centers, institutes and forums and myriad graduate and executive education programs reach across the for profit, not-for-profit and governmental sectors of business, with a heavy emphasis on practical research. UT was founded in 1794 and was designated as Tennessee’s land-grant institution in 1879.
(Pictured Above, From L-R: Sara Easler, assistant dean for international programs and partnerships; Betsy Adams, assistant dean of operations, strategy and planning; Stephen L. Mangum, dean of the college; Lane Morris, associate dean of undergraduate studies and student affairs; Amy Cathey, associate dean for graduate and executive education; George Drinnon, assistant dean for undergraduate programs, Chad Autry; associate dean of faculty and research)
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Tyra Haag (865-974-5460, tyra.haag@tennessee.edu)
Tanya Brown (865-974-1570, tgbrown@utk.edu)
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