University of Maryland Business School Announces Major Expansion Project

College Park, Md. October 6, 2005 - The University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business today announced an extensive project to upgrade and renovate the Smith Schools state-of-the-art educational facilities. Planning for the construction of a new Annex began in July 2005 with groundbreaking slated for summer 2006 and completion in October 2007. The new Annex will add approximately 38,000 square feet of new space to Van Munching Hall, the Smith School's home.

The Smith School already boasts one of the most technologically advanced facilities directed at management education in the world, said Howard Frank, dean of the Robert H. Smith School of Business. We will set the bar a notch higher with newly designed classrooms, research space, conference and student resource areas all of which will be equipped with next-generation technology infrastructure.

The Annex will include an office and classroom addition in the north end of Van Munching Hall and will also feature an entrance plaza and attractive green space. The addition will increase the Smith Schools space from approximately 200,000 to 238,000 square feet. The Annex will be Van Munching Halls second expansion since 1993 when the original facility was constructed. A new wing of 103,000 square feet was added in mid-2002 and the renovation of the 1993 elements of Van Munching Hall began in 2005 and is currently approaching completion. Technology upgrades that will be completed in the winter of 2005 include installation of the latest connectivity, cabling and audio-visual equipment linked to a master control center providing central control and projection of all classroom images. The buildings advanced technology infrastructure includes complete wireless network coverage, four student computer labs, and five netcentric teaching and research labs.

Van Munching Hall has been the home of the Smith School since 1993. Smith alumnus Leo Van Munching, Jr. ('50), president of the company holding the exclusive franchise to import and distribute Heineken and Amstel Light beer, donated $5 million toward the construction of the original building. In 1999, Van Munching donated $6 million to help finance additional expansion and renovation, which was further continued with an extensive $38-million expansion, which was financed primarily with private monies and completed in fall 2002. The new Annex project will be financed with a combination of state and private funds with the state being requested to pay approximately on-third of the total cost of the project. The building was specially designed to meet the requirements of Smiths undergraduate and graduate programs, delivering the academic, professional, and social experiences necessary to help prepare students to lead 21st century organizations.