Alberta School of Business Student Commons

Support the Next Generation of Business Leaders

Businesses today face unprecedented challenges. They need effective leaders — flexible, critical thinkers who make bold decisions. 

The University of Alberta’s School of Business is Canada’s first and longest-accredited business school and has been a part of the fabric of the province for more than 100 years. Our students, faculty and 30,000 alumni are change makers in industries and their communities. They are trailblazers in retail, manufacturing, real estate and social enterprise.

Building on these strengths, our faculty is committed to developing a new generation of business leaders who are the most competitive in the country. This goal starts with modernizing the spaces where our students — both present and future — gather and work. They need space to collaborate, network and conduct entrepreneurial activity. A space — a commons — that is open to community and industry partners and collaborators across campus. This is the vision of the Alberta School of Business Student Commons.

The Commons will transform existing space into a modern and bright hub for collaboration that will, for years to come, give these future leaders the edge in an increasingly complex and interconnected world of business, where finding solutions requires collaboration with experts, businesses and people in the community. This inviting, flexible space will allow students to apply their classroom learning to real-world problems in partnership with business leaders. Students will be transformed into leaders who are ready to:

• Think and act like entrepreneurs
• Capitalize on emerging trends
• Seize opportunities
• Manage risks

Bring the Commons Alive, Leave a Legacy

As the Alberta School of Business admits more students to meet the growing business needs of our province and world, we must give them a competitive business education with modern spaces to learn, grow and experiment. Your support will make this a reality.

The Student Commons will centralize all services for business students and allow for a mix of functions: classwork, club and co-curricular activities, career advising, community events and meetings between students, business leaders and mentors. The space will be colourful, comfortable and filled with natural light. It will place collaboration at the forefront by including facilities like:

• Spaces for career and academic advising, student group work and student clubs
• Space for career fairs and to showcase student activity and research, and to facilitate exciting collaborations between students, faculty and the business community
• Facilities to improve the student experience, such as workstations, storage lockers and spaces to gather and collaborate

Networking and collaboration are vital for business, and the Student Commons will be the heart for this work — both within the School of Business and with business leaders in the community. The aim is to facilitate collaborative “collisions” between students, faculty and community members. Just imagine: A faculty advisor meets an employer at the welcome desk then brings them to meet students for internship interviews. On the way, the employer spots a club putting the finishing touches on the annual Rocky Mountain Business Seminar conference, or students practising for a case competition. The advisor picks up on this and introduces the employer to several of the students. The employer is inspired by the youthful, student energy. Business cards are exchanged and valuable career connections are made unexpectedly. 

Reimagine Business Education for a Growing Province

Alberta sits at a crossroad as it adapts to increasing globalization and trade, rapid changes in labour markets and the changing nature of core industries such as energy, artificial intelligence and biomanufacturing. Our companies must innovate in order to be more competitive and address societal problems more effectively. This transformation requires bold business professionals who dream big, take initiative and inspire change.

We invite you to be part of the Alberta School of Business Student Commons is part of our faculty’s plan to reimagine our business education so that students today and tomorrow can apply their classroom learning constantly during their studies. The Student Commons will be the gathering space where students are transformed into trailblazing business leaders for Alberta and the world. These future business leaders will learn to be entrepreneurs in whatever jobs they hold, capitalizing on emerging trends and helping companies seize opportunities and manage risks.

By investing in the Student Commons, you are building the next generation of business leaders who will help our province diversify, strengthen its workforce and build for the future.

TALK TO US TODAY

The Alberta School of Business Student Commons requires an investment of $5 million. Through your investment, you will join other business leaders in creating a space that matches our position as one of the country’s best business schools. Get in touch today to discuss the giving options available.