“A great college building—and the Farmer School's new hall is a great college building—is known both for its enduring beauty and for its support of a great educational experience. I am delighted that this new building for the Farmer School will house a stellar business program and add to the beauty of the campus.”
David C. Hodge, President, Miami Univesity
Our new building will be approximately 210,000 square feet. Features include:
NUMBER (AND CAPACITY) OF CLASSROOMS
OFFICES: Offices for all six Oxford departments, 136 faculty offices
CENTERS TO BE HOUSED:
AUDITORIUM: The large auditorium, with a capacity in excess of 500, has two levels. The main level has the ability to be used as a 60-person case room on the lower level, or expanded to accommodate nearly 300 people and we can include balcony seating for guest speakers and major events.
READING ROOM: Located on the main floor, this room provides a library setting with network and power access for students with laptops, technical support, and a printer room.
STUDENT COMMONS: On the main level, this large entry commons area offers comfortable seating and power access for students with laptops.
BREAK-OUT ROOMS: There are 13 small break-out rooms that can be reserved for classes or team meetings.
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS SUITE: The suite will have a number of small conference rooms, a large work area, and lockers for all business student organizations.
CAFE: Dining Services will operate a cafe, serving hot & cold “take away” food, coffee, and soft drinks
DESIGN AND MATERIALS: We are hoping to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification.
Our comprehensive new building will house all aspects of the Farmer School of Business under one roof, enabling us to pursue our mission and make significant progress in achieving our goal of excellence in business education.
It will help prepare students for leadership in 21st century business organizations by:
The Farmer School's new building will mirror the red-brick Georgian Revival style of the majority of Miami University’s buildings. Variations in roof line and architectural elements will create an exterior that is visually interesting and harmonious. Two firms—Moody Nolan, Inc., Columbus, and Robert A.M. Stern Architects, LLP, New York, N.Y.—share design responsibilities.
Instructional spaces in the new building will reflect a shift toward small group work, seminar instruction, and experiential learning.
The design of work spaces, lounges, and eating and meeting spaces will encourage greater interaction among faculty members.
Meeting and conference spaces will support the school’s interdisciplinary centers, student development programs, and more than 20 student organizations that provide valuable co-curricular experience for our students. We want the school to continue to distinguish itself through the excellence and accessibility of these resources.
The space allocated for our career services function reflects our strengthening partnership with the Office of Career Services, maintaining Miami’s centralized model but providing greater accessibility of services to our graduate and undergraduate students.
Sophisticated technology will enhance student instruction and faculty research and will allow us to make strides in:
The majority of funding for the new building comes from and Joyce B. Farmer through their Farmer Family Foundation. A generous gift from Thomas J. Petters will support the John T. Petters Center for Ethics, Leadership, and Professional Skills Development.
After graduating from Miami University in 1956 with a business major, Farmer served in the U.S. Marine Corps and then joined the family business. After helping it expand, Farmer left the company in 1968 to start his own venture, which became Cintas Corporation. In the early 1970s, Cintas purchased the Farmer family’s company. Farmer has been Cintas’s Chairman of the Board since 1968. Prior to August 1, 1995, he was also its CEO.
His service to Miami University has included terms as a university trustee, foundation board member, and chair of the Board of Visitors of the Farmer School of business.
Joyce Barnes Farmer earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 1957 and has served on Miami University’s Parents’ Council, Reunion Committee, and the School of Education and Allied Professions’ Advisory Council.
In 1992 the Farmers provided the cornerstone gift to the School of Business. In 2005, they announced a $30 million leadership gift through the Farmer Family Foundation, of which $25 million helps underwrite the construction of Farmer Hall. The remaining $5 million is earmarked for faculty support.
Tom Petters heads Petters Group Worldwide, a privately held collection of 20 companies that develop and manufacture consumer goods with leading technology. Petters Group maintains offices in North America, South America, Asia, and the United Kingdom.
A $10 million gift from Tom Petters established the John T. Petters Center for Ethics, Leadership, and Professional Skills Development within the Farmer School of Business. The center honors Petters’ son, a Miami University student with “a passion for education and a zest for life,” who was tragically killed during his junior year in 2004.
A second gift establishes the Jennifer Petters Chair in Asian Studies at the Farmer School, a tribute to Tom Petters’ daughter.
Last modified on 2/21/08 | Content maintained by External Relations
