Photo by Steve Dykes
A recently remodeled Gilbert Hall classroom shows the curved, tiered seating favorable to teaching by the case method
Gilbert Hall classrooms rebuilt
Businessmen chip in remodeling
By JIM LUND
Of the Emerald
In these troubled economic
times, it’s hard enough to make
ends meet, let alone undertake
a construction project. But
that’s exactly what the Universi
ty business school has done.
Oregon businesses and foun
dations have contributed over
$400,000 to renovate Gilbert
Hall, home of the College of
Business and Administration,
according to the business col
lege’s assistant dean for exter
nal affairs, Don Christensen.
With the funds, classrooms are
being made more adaptable to
modern teaching techniques.
“We didn’t really have a room
in the entire building that was
adequate for teaching by the
case method,” said University
vice president for administra
tion and finance Ray Hawk.
In the case method, a profes
sor presents an actual business
problem and the students
discuss possible solutions. The
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room has tiered seating shaped
in a curve to promote discus
sion and increased eye contact.
“(College of Business Admin
istration) Dean Reinmuth start
ed talking to some of the men in
the business community that he
knew, and happily the Giustinas
responded to his suggestion of
wanting to build a case study
room," Hawk said.
Recruiting funds for the Gius
tina case room, sponsored by
Eugene lumberman Ehrmen
Giustina, represented a first for
the business college.
‘‘To the best of my know
ledge, to actually do something
in physical construction to
remodel rooms and improve the
teaching environment is not on
ly a first for the business school,
it's a first for the University,
outside of the athletic
department," Hawk said.
Since the project began 2'h
years ago, five classrooms have
been redesigned. To go along
with the Giustina room, Eugene
lumber executive Edwin Cone
funded a case room John
Holmes of Medford contributed
to a new seminar room, the
Bohemia Lumber Co. financed a
new computer laboratory, and
Eugene businessmen Nils Hult
and L.L. Stewart funded a new
conference room. Two new
projects are underway
"It seems as if tipping the first
domino helps to get others
started," Hawk said. A further
explanation for the project’s
success is offered by Christen
sen.
"Business and industry have
a vested interest in the kind of
students and the quality of
students that we turn out,”
Christensen said. "Obviously, if
we turn out first-rate business
students they’re going to be
first-rate employees. If we at
tract better faculty and students
to Oregon, there's a good
chance they’re going to stay
here, too."
Because of the condition of
the economy, Hawk sees other
schools following the business
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college’s lead.
“I suspect that we will see this
as an example others will fol
low,” Hawk said. "I think it will
become a trend.”
Christensen agrees, but cau
tions other schools on campus
may have a more difficult time.
“It’s easier for us because we
have a natural constituency.
Most of our construction has
come about because people
who are on our college of busi
ness advisory board are sensi
tive to our needs and have con
tributed the funds for them,”
Christensen said. “I’ve been
awfully pleased with the kind of
support we've seen from the
business community and the
alumni."
The state, however, is another
matter.
‘‘Unfortunately, we’re step
ping in where the state should
be,” Christensen said. "It really
should be a state function, but
the money simply hasn’t come
in for renovating and maintain
ing some of these buildings, so
we’ve had to go to private
sources. ”
The likelihood of state funds
filtering down to an individual
school for physical renovation
within a reasonable time period
is slim, Hawk says.
"I would not want to hold my
breath,” Hawk admitted "When
you consider the backlog of
demands, the chance to get
down to remodeling classrooms
in a given building are so remote
that I would say it’s not going to
happen in my lifetime.”
Gilbert Hall is composed of a
pair of buildings — the original
Oregon Hall built in 1914 and
the School of Commerce build
ing built in 1921 — linked
together by another building
completed in 1951. The com
plex was known as Common
wealth Hall until 1975 when it
was renamed for the late James
Gilbert, who had taught econ
omics and served as dean of the
College of Arts and Sciences at
the University.
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