Featured on KY3 (NBC) News, Aug. 22, 2018. See link below.*
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Evangel University business faculty will showcase the new BKD Innovative Learning Center with an open house at 2 p.m. on the first day of classes, Wednesday, August 22, 2018.
The project transformed an outdated computer lab into a contemporary and comfortable student study area for individual and group business and accounting projects.
Funding for the transformation came from BKD employees who are Evangel University graduates — primarily Eric Hansen, BKD chief operating officer, and Mike Burlew, BKD regional managing partner. Hansen graduated in 1984 and Burlew graduated in 1986.
BKD is one of the largest national CPA and advisory firms in the country. They have 38 offices in 17 states and work with clients in all 50 states.
The new learning center
The BKD Innovative Learning Center at Evangel University is located in Zimmerman Hall, the academic building just north of the main campus entrance, facing 1111 N. Glenstone Ave.
The space was designed with extensive input from students and a focus on collaborative learning, according to Dr. Eveline Lewis, chair of the Business Department.
“All business students were sent questionnaires, observations were made, and a focus group was consulted. All research was done by students with faculty supervision,” said Lewis.
The faculty then contacted Rob Sapp, a 1992 Evangel graduate and owner of Rob Sapp Designs, and he drew the plan.
“In consultation with Evangel facilities staff, we worked on the details of colors, furniture, etc., so we stayed within the Evangel color branding guidelines,” said Lewis.
Sapp added, “I wanted the students to walk into the space and not feel like it had been created by a committee, but that it looked unique and fresh —like nothing else on campus. I think we accomplished that.” There are before and after photos of the project posted on his social media.
Business at Evangel
Core to an Evangel business degree is developing a Christian worldview to examine complex situations with integrity and character.
The Department of Business offers a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with majors in accounting, business education, finance, management, marketing, and nonprofit business & social enterprise.
Evangel’s College of Adult and Graduate Studies also offers online and seated programs for a Bachelor of Science in Management.
Evangel chooses to maintain specialized accreditation with The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), a leading specialized accreditation association for business programs — supporting, celebrating, and rewarding teaching excellence. ACBSP accredits business, accounting, and business-related programs at the associate, baccalaureate, master, and doctorate degree levels worldwide.
For more information, visit the Evangel University Department of Business, or contact Eveline Lewis at (417) 865-2811 ext. 4117.
###
PHOTOS BY: Paul K. Logsdon
*KY3 (NBC) News made this their feature news story on Wednesday morning, August 22, 2018. Reporter Lexi Spivak broadcast live from the front of the campus several times that morning, talking about the first day of classes at Evangel, and the new BKD Innocative Learning Center. http://www.ky3.com/content/news/New-Learning-Center-debuts–491435132.html