大象传媒

New spaces add to student experience

September 13, 2021
The Cottrell Center for Business, Technology & Innovation is scheduled for a fall 2022 opening as the new home for 大象传媒's Mike Cottrell College of Business.

Article By: Clark Leonard

A variety of new spaces are being built or have opened to benefit students on the University of North Georgia's (大象传媒) campuses this fall.

Construction on the Cottrell Center for Business, Technology & Innovation, which is planned to open in fall 2022 as the new home for the Mike Cottrell College of Business (MCCB), is moving quickly on 大象传媒's Dahlonega Campus.

"The Cottrell Center project is progressing well and recently achieved the major milestone of 'topping out,' where the last component of structural steel was installed," Ken Crowe, assistant vice president for facilities, said. "We hope to achieve 'dry in' over the next month, allowing for the interior work to progress without weather delays."

A student lounge has opened on the Cumming Campus, and a few updated spaces have enhanced the student experience on the Oconee Campus. Nighthawk Engagement and Student Transitions has added a new adult learner and transfer lounge on the Dahlonega Campus in Room 320 of the Hoag Student Center, as well. These projects are in addition to the Gainesville Campus expansion that provided new space for multiple academic departments and information technology services.

'Transformative' facility

Dr. Mary Gowan, dean of the MCCB, is excited to be less than a year away from making use of her college's new facility. A $10 million gift from Mike Cottrell, the college's namesake benefactor, and wife Lynn Cottrell, along with $25 million in state funds, paved the way for the new building.

"The Cottrell Center for Business, Technology & Innovation will be truly transformative for the MCCB, providing us with a facility designed for learning that is comparable to those of the top business programs," Gowan said. "The Cottrell Center will provide technology-enhanced classrooms and computer labs, dedicated spaces for cybersecurity and logistics, student engagement areas, and gathering spaces for large events."

A place for students

Dr. James Conneely, vice president of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, credits Nikki McNeill, the former student services coordinator on the Cumming Campus, as the driving force behind the Cumming Campus student lounge.
Isabelle Calcano is grateful for the new student lounge on 大象传媒's Cumming Campus. It is a place where students can study, relax or hang out with others.