Rethinking Business Education

Dear students, staff, and faculty,

I’m very pleased to share with you an exciting update about the Rethink Business Education initiative and the McLean Centre for Collaborative Discovery.

Please see the video below and look for more on this in the months to come.

Transcript

Rethinking Business Education – An Update from the Dean

Hello everyone. On January 25, 2019 we announced that we would begin transforming our Bachelor of Commerce program, with an emphasis on problem-based discovery, interdisciplinary study and interaction with business leaders that would prepare our graduates to succeed in the workplace for years to come.

We told you then that the evolution of our programming would be supported by a brand new, state-of-the-art building named the McLean Centre for Collaborative Discovery. This exciting new home for DeGroote students on the McMaster campus would be funded by the University, a transformational gift from the McLean family, and the generosity of alumni and industry partners.

Since then, we’ve made a lot of important progress.

We’ve introduced our new GR0 courses – each one designed to offer unique experiential education, collaboration, and applied problem-solving opportunities for our BCom students.

We’ve partnered with industry leaders to develop even more hands-on learning opportunities for our students.

Look for more on this in the months to come.

On campus this fall, construction is beginning.

And today, I’m very pleased to announce that we have taken our original concept of collaborative, discovery-based learning and expanded it even further.

The McLean Centre for Collaborative Discovery – originally designed as a nine-storey structure – will now feature a tenth storey.

This addition will include a new home for our PhD students, faculty and visiting scholars’ offices, and a variety of collaboration spaces. As a business school focused on community impact, we know this targeted expansion of our original plan makes the most efficient use of our land and resources. And most importantly, it provides the best experiences for our students.

Undergraduate students will interact with graduate students, faculty members, post-doctoral fellows, and visiting scholars.

This addition will ensure that all members of DSB’s on campus community are represented in the McLean Centre for Collaborative Discovery for a truly diverse and well-rounded learning experience for all students.

We’ve made a lot of progress in the past two years.

I want to take this opportunity to thank our former Dean Len Waverman, and Dr. Sue McCracken (our Associate Dean, Academic) and all our faculty and staff who have contributed to the development of this exciting vision and are supporting its implementation. As construction of MCCD commences, we are looking forward to further engaging the entire community in this transformative undertaking!

Thank you and please keep an eye out for more updates to come in the months ahead.