SIF185 McIntire School of Commerce Expansion Project

Project Manager: Mark Luellen

This is a matching award intended to leverage additional philanthropy toward completing the building projects associated with the McIntire School of Business.

BoV Approved: Summer 2022

Project Dates: 7/1/2022 - 6/30/2027

Total Funding: $25,000,000

Executive Summary

In December 2017, the University of Virginia Board of Visitors approved a proposal for an additional McIntire School academic building adjacent to the School's existing Rouss-Robertson Hall. On September 25, 2018, the University of Virginia announced a $25 million gift from The Chris and Carrie Shumway Foundation to partially fund an innovative new building and new bioscience/business program. This gift will advance collaborative efforts between UVA's McIntire School of Commerce and the School of Medicine to create educational offerings that integrate business concepts into biomedical science and health care leadership studies. 

The planned facility, which will bear the Shumway Foundation's name, will support and symbolize McIntire's position as a world leader in undergraduate and graduate business education. Through a compelling architectural design incorporating versatile spaces, the building will invite collaboration and innovation both within the McIntire School community and among the University, businesses, and community partners. Flexible classroom spaces will allow for evolving student-centered pedagogy. Enhanced study areas and dynamic labs will foster hands-on learning that includes data analytics visualization, behavioral research, and multimedia analysis.

The McIntire School has a long-term plan for purposeful growth. New  graduate programs, expanding current graduate and executive programs, developing research and study programs through centers, and enhancing the portfolio of undergraduate programs will maintain its present stature and competitive advantage.  Since the opening of the Rouss-Robertson Halls complex in January 2008, space needs have required the McIntire school to undertake more than a dozen renovation projects and move two departments offsite.   A space needs assessment was conducted in 2017 and focused on the following critical areas of the McIntire school:

• Growth and Success – a trajectory of growth and success for the last 12-15 years
• Global Orientation – international expansion with the engagement of other students, researchers, & business professionals 
• Technology Needs – for global programming, teaching business analytics and cybersecurity curriculums, community access to new research resources, communication & future online learning 
• Learning Environment – spaces that better facilitate interactions, conversations, and group work

The space planning studies commissioned by McIntire estimated a need of at  least 70,000 Net Square Feet (NSF), in addition to the existing 125,000 NSF McIntire occupies in Rouss & Robertson Halls (RRH). The Cobb Hall site, adjacent to RRH, is close enough to allow the School to operate seamlessly between the four buildings in the McIntire complex.  A portion of the historic Cobb Hall will remain, allowing for renovations and improvements to an underused space and seamless integration with the new building and RRH.

The proposed project included a program verification phase that explored the renovation and new building and landscape options that support McIntire's collaborative organizational culture and educational activities. Deficiencies to be addressed by this project include:

• Meeting – shortage of formal meeting space, which impacts faculty and staff who often have to hold group meetings in individual offices or communal space
• Informal – impromptu meetings and conversations are a crucial activity at McIntire, and space to support this kind of interaction and sharing is critical for the culture of the School
• Events – spaces for connecting with its global network by hosting events and visitors at the School such as Friday Forums for potential employers and visiting scholars
• Specialized – specialized spaces and classrooms that cater specifically to new kinds of teaching, learning, and research such as big data and analytics
• Office space - the School has exceeded its current capacity of office space for faculty and staff 

Since the completion of the 2018 capacity study and program planning process, several milestones have been reached, including:

• Hiring of Robert AM Stern Architect to lead the project, partnering with Glave & Holmes Architect and OLIN Landscape Architects. 
• Creation of a viable design through extensive collaboration with the University Architect, Building and Grounds Committee of the Board of Visitors, RAMSA, McIntire Leadership, and donor.
• Approval of Schematic Design by BOV on June 4, 2020.
• Construction Documents completed in March, 2022.
• Site preparation and Cobb Hall demolition began in August, 2022.

Current Status: Active

Progress