Haas Plans Educational Center at Bowles Hall

UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business is progressing with plans to establish a new educational center.

An investigation on the seismic stability of the area will be completed by Dec. 5.

Bowles Hall is currently the leading location as a probable headquarters for the school’s executive education program, which conducts educational sessions for business executives from around the world.

All the top business schools in the world offer non-degree programs for executives, said Richard Kurovsky, executive director of marketing and communications at the Haas School of Business.

The school is hoping to expand its existing education program by providing it with its own facilities, said campus principal planner Kerry O’Banion.

The proposed plan involves converting the current student dormitory into guest housing and constructing an additional 50,000- to 80,000-square-foot building for conference facilities.

Impetus for the project came after an anonymous alumnus donated $25 million nearly two years ago for the project, Kurovsky said.

The Bowles project will be entirely funded by private donors and program revenues from the Haas School of Business and will not involve any state money, Kurovsky said.

These facilities will be used for non-degree programs. Thus, this project differs from Southeast Campus Integrated Projects, which include plans for a building between Boalt School of Law and the Haas School of Business that will provide conference facilities for degree programs, Kurovsky said.

However, some said the Southeast Campus Integrated Projects definitely will have an environmental impact on the renovations at Bowles Hall.

“We are not excited about a proposal to add much building area in that location,” said City Planning Director Dan Marks. “All of these new buildings will cumulatively have a new effect on the character and current pastoral location of that street.”

Many issues must be addressed before the chancellor can make a final decision on the proposal, including how to compensate for the loss in dorm space, said Tom Campbell, dean of the Haas School of Business.

Currently, Bowles houses about 200 male students, most of whom are freshmen, said Markie Gayles, residential hall manager for Bowles Hall.

Campbell said that the business school is working closely with the housing office to find a solution for the loss in student housing posed by the plan.

Another concern is the impact the plan will have on the historical value of the residence hall, which was the university’s first dormitory, officials said.

“Bowles Hall is a historical landmark,” Marks said. “Adding a building affects the character of the landmark.”

Yet officials from the business school said the renovations will actually improve the historical value of the building.

“If it is followed through, the plan will enhance Bowles by giving it maintenance and a longer life,” Campbell said. “Its architectural integrity will be preserved.”

While plans are far from being finalized, the idea behind the project has been around for a while, officials said.

A separate facility for executive education is standard, as the learning process continues after the educational session; thus, a living facility is necessary for participants, Campbell said.

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