W. P. Carey School Holds Dedication for New McCord Hall State-of-the-Art, Environmentally Friendly Building

One of the nation’s largest and highest-ranked business schools dedicated a brand new, state-of-the-art facility today. The W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University held a ceremony to mark the official opening of its 129,000-square-foot McCord Hall.

“We believe we’ve built the most advanced learning environment available for graduate business students,” says W. P. Carey School of Business Dean Amy Hillman. “Every detail was designed to teach students in a way that makes them better contributors to today’s work environment. The building has an emphasis on collaboration, discussion-based learning and flexibility.”

The new building is being added to the school’s two existing structures, which were renovated during this project. Together, they will ease overcrowding for the 10,000-plus students who attend the W. P. Carey School. McCord Hall will be home to the school’s graduate and executive-education programs, including the Top 30nationally-ranked MBA programs.

The impressive facility features modern architecture, technologically advanced tiered and flat classrooms, a multipurpose event space, a new graduate-level career center, team rooms, study areas, outdoor assembly areas, a lounge for honors undergrads, and a health-conscious café. McCord Hall is also environmentally friendly, with less water and energy use than similar buildings and a solar array that returns power to the campus grid. The project totaled $57 million, and the return on investment is expected to be great.

“We estimate the project has already had an economic impact on the gross state product of $64 million and the creation of 880 jobs,” says Professor Dennis Hoffman, director of the L. William Seidman Research Institute at the W. P. Carey School of Business. “Of course, the value of the construction does not include the added value that will accrue from the human capital produced in McCord Hall’s learning environment, allowing students to acquire knowledge and skills to compete in today’s economy.”

ASU President Michael Crow and Hillman presided over the dedication ceremony at the university’s Tempe campus. Philanthropist Sharon Dupont McCord and other building donors also took part. McCord and her late husband, Bob, are the major donors behind the facility’s name. More than $17 million in gifts and pledges from area companies and families, as well as other various sources, are helping to fund the building. Student support has been robust.

Donations to the building campaign can still be made at asufoundation.org/wpcbuilding. The W. P. Carey School’s full-time MBA, evening MBA, online MBA and undergraduate business programs are all currently ranked Top 30 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.