After 98 years, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Business Administration is dropping the administration.
Not its internal administration, of course – the word at the end of the college’s name. The Board of Regents approved changing the name to the College of Business on March 31.
The college was established at Nebraska as the School of Commerce in 1913 and became the College of Business Administration in 1919. It also will be referred to casually as Nebraska Business.
Interim Dean Kathy Farrell said the name change puts the college in line with its Big Ten peers. None of the conference’s other business schools use the word “administration,” including the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business.
“Many of the schools in the Big Ten are named after donors,” Farrell said. “In fact, only the Illinois College of Business at Urbana-Champaign and Nebraska are not. We are working to change that as well.”
The change is pending April 27 approval of the Coordinating Commission on Postsecondary Education.
Farrell said that “administration” historically referred to technical-oriented education rather than the critical thinking-based curriculum now taught across disciplines.
“We wanted the name of our college to reflect the current mission, especially as we move into our new state-of-the-art building,” she said.
The new $84 million, privately funded building at 14th and Vine opens in August. The building will provide a place for innovative teaching and high-level research. It features experiential learning spaces and high-tech classrooms to increase opportunities for students, faculty, staff and alumni.
Rik Barrera, assistant dean and chief operating officer for the college, said it is fitting that the new name dovetails with the college’s new physical home.
“We have worked on this (building) project for five years, and when we move in there will be a new sense of pride and motivation,” Barrera said. “It will be a wonderful place to go to class, work, study, visit with colleagues and friends, get something to eat and hang out. This building will strengthen our already strong community.”
More than 4,200 students, 117 faculty and 65 staff are part of the College of Business. An additional 1,500 non-business majors take business minor courses.
