Today was the last official guided tour of the Business Education Complex, prior to the E. J. Ourso College of Business moving into the facility, and there was certainly much to see. Most of the photos from today are from the Rotunda, and the finishing touches are starting to be put in place.

The first photo shows that the ticker below the Ideation Lab is up and running, while the second and third photos in the top row provide a look at the staircase leading to the third floor and one of the casual meeting areas around the second floor.

Row two, from left to right, provides a view of the Ideation Lab, more casual meeting space on the second floor of the Rotunda, and a look down to the Commons from the Ideation Lab.

For the final row, we head into the second floor of the Auditorium. The views are of the Auditorium elevator, the staircase leading down to the first floor of the Auditorium, and finally a classroom.

There’s still more to do.

Will roar again soon,

Mike

In the weeks since the ribbon-cutting ceremony was held, our attention at the Business Education Complex has turned to furniture and the installation of technology.

First up in this week’s picture gallery is the Rotunda. The photos show the area where the CC’s Coffee House will be, the stock market ticker that has been installed below the Ideation Lab, and the executive dining room on the first floor.

Row two illustrates the type of office furniture that will be in the BEC, the new SMART Lab, and one of the classrooms in the Undergraduate Pavilion with stationary seats.

Row three provides glimpses of Virginia’s Courtyard, including, in the third photo, one of several seating areas in the courtyard.

Will roar again,

Mike

The sun was shining brightly. The crowed was gathered. It most certainly was a day of celebration.

Less than two years since we held the groundbreaking ceremony for the Business Education Complex, today we cut the ribbon for the state-of-the-art facility, marking a new era in business education for LSU and for all of Louisiana.

The pictures above show just how jam-packed Virginia’s Courtyard was for the event, and the middle picture on the first row shows the seminal moment. In that picture, you can see Hank Danos, Johnny Martin, Bill Slaughter, Eli Jones, Paul Rainwater, Roger Ogden, Mike Martin, Jimmy Maurin, and Sean O’Keefe cutting the ribbon.

Row two, from left to right, captures some moments right after the ribbon-cutting with Roy O. Martin III, Steve Forbes, and Peggy Scott. Finally, the last row puts some of the landscaping outside of the Rotunda on display, the Rotunda bathed in sunlight, and an overhead shot during the ceremony.

We still have to get all of the technology and furniture into the BEC, but today was a big step in the history of the LSU E. J. Ourso College of Business. Thank you to everyone who had a hand in making it happen!

Will roar again soon,

Mike

In exactly two weeks, the E. J. Ourso College of Business will cut the ribbon to open its new home and begin the countdown toward the official move-in date. Before that can happen though, there’s still a lot that needs to take place. Most of today’s blog is about the landscaping that is going on and some of the finishing touches that we are adding around the Rotunda.

Row one depicts the landscaping that will go around the side and back of the Auditorium, and also gives our first glimpse of sod in Virginia’s courtyard! Photo 2 is a view looking at the Rotunda, while the last photo in the row is of the Auditorium. There are 24 crape myrtles planted in the courtyard now, and the first picture in the second row shows one of the guys adding some mulch to one of them.

The second photo in Row 2 is of the entrance into the Rotunda from the courtyard side, and Photo 3 in that row shows that there are still finishing touches being made to some of the glass on the pavilions. Finally, the bottom row is a look outside of the Rotunda on the Nicholson Drive Extension side and the forms being set for more concrete to go down. The last photo is of one of the team meeting rooms in the Undergraduate Pavilion.

Happy Mardi Gras, everyone! Stay dry.

Will roar again soon,

Mike

As difficult as it may be to believe, we are now less than a month away from the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Business Education Complex on Friday, March 2, 2012! So, as we prepare with some finishing touches on the outside and interior, I thought I would get up close to a few of them for you.

The first photo in Row 1 is a partial shot of the courtyard. So far, 16 crepe myrtles have been planted, and more are coming. That second photo is of the area just in front of the Auditorium, but it is also interesting to see the reflection of the Undergraduate Pavilion in the façade of the Graduate Pavilion. The third photo is of the exterior of the Rotunda.

In the second row, there is some concrete in front of the Graduate Pavilion that is curing, a shot looking into one of the classrooms from the outside, and some of the crew working to put the last metal coverings on the exterior of the Graduate Pavilion on the Nicholson Drive Extension side.

Finally, the bottom row shows some of the marble work in the Rotunda and some tile work as well.

Will roar again soon,

Mike

With less than six weeks to go before the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Business Education Complex, it seems like everywhere you turn in the facility something looks finished or really, really close to it. That’s especially true of the Rotunda, where the first row shows that stairwells are almost done, hallways are getting the final touches, and offices are almost ready to be moved into. In that last photo on the first row are actually two of the green features of the complex. In addition to having shades to keep things cool, the lights for the rooms are motion sensor activated. Yes, when no one’s around, the lights go off.

Row two is another Rotunda feature, including the walkway on the Graduate Pavilion side, the courtyard, and the dean’s boardroom on the fourth floor. In that last photo, you can make out the retractable screen coming down from the ceiling and the white board. The technology that will be available in that room will be installed in the next few months.

Finally, row three provides a view of an all but finished hallway in the Undergraduate Pavilion, a bird’s eye view of the Rotunda from the third floor, and one of the classrooms on the second floor of the Auditorium.

The countdown continues, and we’re certainly ready to hear what Steve Forbes has to say on March 2, 2012!

Will roar again soon,

Mike

Fresh off of the news that Steve Forbes will be here for the Business Education Complex’s ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, March 2, 2012, I thought I would take a fresh look at what is going on outside of the BEC.

The new parking lot next to the Rotunda is coming along nicely, as is the walkway behind the Rotunda. The first six photos show all of that, and even show one of the trees that will soon be in bloom.

The bottom row has some green and copper in it. Photo one is of the foliage that runs all along the outsides of both pavilions, and photo two shows that the same metal that adorns the outside of the Auditorium is what will be between the sections of the pavilions. Finally is an updated shot of how the trees and landscaping are shaping up on the back of the Undergraduate Pavilion.

Looking forward to Monday night and seeing the Tigers roll the Tide…LSU 20, Alabama 13.

Will roar again soon,

Mike

Okay, so maybe we won’t be in the Business Education before the end of this year, and certainly there is much still left to do inside all four buildings, but the exteriors are certainly nice and not naughty at this point.

Virginia’s Courtyard is having the finishing touches put on it before sod is brought in, as you can see above in the top row of photos. Row two of the photos shows off the new Ideation Lab, high above all the action in the Rotunda, and a view from above of the Rotunda’s first floor.

There was a tour of the BEC last Friday when these photos were taken, and Dean Eli Jones was present to answer faculty and guest questions. One stop along the way, shown in the middle picture of the third row, was one of the classrooms on the second floor of the Auditorium. The parting shot in the last row is of the bottom floor of the Auditorium.

It has been quite a year. March 2, 2012 will be here before you know it! Happy Holidays to all!

Will roar again soon,

Mike

Last Friday, the LSU Flores MBA Program played host to the first official event to be held in the Business Education Complex. Fittingly, that morning saw Lenny Lemoine, president of the Lemoine Company, appear as part of the program’s distinguished speaker series in the BEC’s Auditorium. I use the term “fittingly” because the Lemoine Company is heading the construction of the BEC.

While the Auditorium is not yet complete, LSU Flores MBA Program students were invited to be the first to try out the seats installed there and enjoy the ambiance this quarter of the BEC provides. The pictures above show the Auditorium from a few angles, and yes the plastic currently covering the carpet will be removed eventually.

The photo of the students walking up the steps is in the lobby of the Auditorium, as they took a tour of the BEC following Mr. Lemoine’s lecture. The other photo is just of me looking to make certain safety is being observed in every last corner of the E. J. Ourso College of Business’ new home.

Will roar again soon,

Mike