Changes announced at three of St. Thomas’ seven M.B.A. satellite campuses
An analysis of where University of St. Thomas evening M.B.A. students live and work, along with the goal of having more professional and technologically advanced facilities, led the Opus College of Business to change some of its satellite classroom locations in the Twin Cities.
The changes, which will go into effect for the fall semester, were outlined by Deborah Battis, director of administrative support services for the Opus College of Business.
“We completed a review and analysis of our seven satellite locations in Minnesota,” she said. “The research was conducted with the help of St. Thomas’ Geography Department and included a study of enrollment patterns at the various classroom sites and the work and home locations of our students.”
Of the seven satellite locations, the Mall of America and Anoka sites will be relocated, the Woodbury site will be closed, and the Eagan, Chaska, Owatonna and Rochester sites will remain the same.
In more detail:
The south metro site that has been at the Mall of America for many years is being moved to Suite 505 in the New France Place office building, located on the northeast corner of Interstate 494 and France Avenue in Bloomington. The newly refurbished professional building offers more than 800 free parking spaces. There are vending services in the building as well as nearby dining options.
The new classrooms there can accommodate more students, and will be equipped more like those in Schulze Hall in Minneapolis and McNeely Hall in St. Paul.
The northwest metro facility, which has been at the Greenhaven Golf Course in Anoka, is moving to a second floor suite in the new Bell Tower South office building at 7365 Kirkwood Court in Maple Grove.
Located near the southwest corner of Interstate 94 and Hemlock Lane, the site has vending services and parking for several hundred vehicles. Numerous dining options also are available in the nearby Arbor Lakes shopping area.
The change from Anoka to Maple Grove reflects the growing population along the Interstate 94 corridor from Minneapolis to St. Cloud.
“We are encouraging Woodbury and other evening M.B.A. students to consider taking courses at the new McNeely Hall on the St. Paul campus,” Battis said. “We feel the facility could be used by more students in the evening. Its classrooms feature state-of-the-art technology, and various parking options are available, including parking directly below McNeely.”
