WKU provides an inside look at the new Gordon Ford College of Business

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) – Construction of WKU’s Gordon Ford College of Business is entering its final phase. To mark the occasion, university leaders invited the public to tour the new facility to showcase the new amenities.

At three stories and approximately 12,000 square feet, the replacement for Grise Hall is home to what President Tim Caboni calls the university’s fastest-growing program.

“This building will help accelerate that growth,” he said. “My message to any student interested in studying business is that we will be open for business.”

The building is designed to house essential classrooms and laboratories. Caboni hopes the new college will be seen as a beacon for collaboration and community development.

“Our students can take what they learn in the classroom and apply it to the real world,” Caboni said. “We believe that the buildings we realize for WKU should be more than just replacements of buildings. They must take the educational experience for our students to the next level.”

The new college’s dean, Evelyn Thrasher, said she looks forward to the new building being a one-stop shop for business college students. Half of the first floor is dedicated to student support offices, including the Financial Success Center, interview rooms, academic advising, peer tutoring and the professional wardrobe.

“So every student at our university can get a full professional suit every semester for their four years. It is available to them at no cost and they get to keep it so they can build a professional wardrobe as they prepare for their careers,” Thrasher said.

Once construction is completed, the college will open in the fall semester of 2025.