Breathing room

Deirdre Newman

The Graduate School of Management at UC Irvine has scored two coups to

accommodate its burgeoning student enrollment. For the short-term, it

just took over two floors in a new campus building and, for the

long-term, a plot of land has been designated for the business school’s

growth.

The school, which has been giving business students a competitive edge

since the first batch of master’s degrees were awarded in 1968, has

endured cramped quarters for a number of years, said Gregg Goldman,

senior assistant dean of finance and administration.

The extra space in the new building, which is across the street from

the main business building, will give the 900 or so students room to

spread out.

It also comes equipped with four wireless classrooms in which students

can use their computers without plugging anything in.

“I think [it] gives us the ability to offer a more conducive learning

environment for students,” Goldman said.

The business school has doubled in size since occupying its main

building in 1989. The new space adds a net gain of 11,000 square feet.

And departments such as student services, administrative services and

external relations also moved in, freeing up room for more classes in the

main building.

“It’s very much a priority to grow faculty to obtain critical mass,”

Goldman said, adding that he would like to see the faculty expand from

its 48 professors to at least 70.

One of the favorite perks of the new classrooms are the wireless

laptop computers. First-year student Adam Brohimer, who on Wednesday used

the classroom to work on homework, said he enjoys the convenience of

being connected, yet mobile, as far as computers are concerned.

“I think this program, because of its emphasis on technology, really

provides the best preparation for the real world,” Brohimer said.

The school also provides its own software program that students

consult for their class schedule, assignments and company interview

schedule. In fact, the computer renders paper obsolete during the

interview process because students can e-mail their resumes and thank-you

notes and then wait to hear from the companies online.

The new building and the new plot of land will enable the school to

expand from three full-time master’s sections to five, Goldman said.

The land is near the Corona del Mar Freeway and will eventually house

a multi-building complex similar to the business school at UCLA. The site

already houses the medical school and may eventually host a law school as

well, Goldman said, providing a professional environment for master’s

students to mingle with their graduate peers.

* Deirdre Newman covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at o7 deirdre.newman@latimes.comf7 .