East Central University is pleased to announce that its newest facility on campus will be named the Chickasaw Business and Conference Center.
Chickasaw Nation Gov. Anoatubby said that having the Chickasaw name on the business center is a tribute to centuries of Chickasaw history.
“Chickasaw people have been entrepreneurs for centuries,” said Gov. Anoatubby. “East Central University has a great record of preparing students for success in the world of business and we are delighted to be a part of this worthwhile endeavor. We have a long record of working successfully with ECU on projects such as the Native American Studies Center, the Dynamic Women’s Conference, Chickasaw Summer Arts Academy and National Night Out, so we are confident this will be a success as well.”
The $10.65 million and 62,000-square-foot building, located on the west side of campus at Main and Center Streets in Ada, is set to open this fall and will house the new Harland C. Stonecipher School of Business.
The facility sits directly west of another of ECU’s newer buildings, the Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center, which opened in 2009.
“We’re honored and pleased to be in yet another valued partnership venture with the Chickasaw Nation and Governor Bill Anoatubby. The Chickasaw Nation, like ECU, places a high value on education and this enables our students to get the most out of their learning experience,” said ECU President John Hargrave. “This state-of-the-art facility will only enhance the educational opportunities of students who will be future business leaders or simply those involved in the business world.”
The Chickasaw Business and Conference Center’s first floor will house the ECU Police Department, a synergistic learning center and a food court.
The Harland C. Stonecipher School of Business will be on the second floor where each classroom will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology, a specialized financial lab/classroom, several student-friendly study areas and lounges.
The third floor is reserved for offices for the dean of the business school and faculty members, conference rooms, technology lab/classrooms, several faculty lounges and a balcony/reception area.
The center’s unique design allows the conference center to double as a Federal Emergency Management Agency safe room, in case of a disaster like Hurricane Katrina, by providing short-term shelter. The safe room functionality is possible because of a $1.46 million grant awarded to ECU by FEMA.
Miles Associates of Oklahoma City is the architect for this project.
Construction progress on the Chickasaw Business and Conference Center can be viewed at:http://www.ecok.edu/it/cameras.htm.